The Rise Of Australasia

More importantly, the inhabitants of this land numbered 5.257 million, among which 1.658 million were Hungarian-speaking Magyars and Szeklers.

After Romania acquired this land, not only did its territorial area see a dramatic increase, but its population figures also saw a significant rise.

Of course, occupying these regions was very easy, but how to effectively manage these areas and assimilate them into the native culture was of utmost importance.

If these regions could not be assimilated, then Transylvania might still be outside of Romanian control at some point in the future.

After being divided, the Kingdom of Hungary was left with only a small part; however, the good news was that Hungary was able to continue as an independent country, rather than being directly annexed by the Germans like Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia were.

But it's also easy to understand. The three lands of the Austrian Empire each had a large population of Germanic people, and the Germans found it effortless to annex them, which in turn strengthened their own power.

Hungary was different, though. Its history was equally profound, and assimilating Hungarians was very difficult, and in some ways, unnecessary.

If Hungary was preserved as an independent entity, it could instead serve as a bulwark against South Slavia.

As such, Hungary's remaining population of several million could be mobilised to arm an army of several hundred thousand soldiers.

Although this may seem cruel for Hungary, the competition between nations and war itself are inherently cruel, and Hungary, as the weaker party and not daring to resist, could only be forced to accept such cruelty.

The rapid fall of Hungary was stunning to witness. Britain and France wanted to send aid, but it was simply impossible to mobilise troops in just a few days.

From this perspective, it already proved the strength of the present-day German Army. Facing these smaller countries, the German Army could demonstrate even more powerful combat capabilities, even giving the impression of being utterly irresistible.

Besides territorial changes, the Hungarian Government had essentially undergone a complete purge. The Cabinet Government was entirely replaced with pro-German officials, and the military's leadership was filled with younger, more radical officers.

Then, Hungary's remaining army of one hundred thousand became the best weapon in the hands of the Germans.

Just a few days after the changes in Hungary occurred, the Germans began their attack on South Slavia.

Aside from the German-Italian and Romanian tripartite forces, the Hungarian Army also joined this attack.

Although the participating Hungarian Army was only tens of thousands strong, they were still a regular army with weapons, necessitating South Slavia to counter with tens of thousands of their own troops.

The largest battle in the Balkan Peninsula took place in the Slovenian Region, with five combatants in total: Germany, Italy, Hungary, the United Kingdom, and South Slavia.

The Italian descendants dispatched an army of over 300,000 to besiege Ljubljana in South Slavia. Here, the same scale of British forces combined with a small number of South Slavic troops, fought back and forth.

In the north, near Maribor, it was purely a contest between the German Army and the South Slavic troops.

Germany deployed over 400,000 troops in two army groups, while South Slavia had only 300,000 troops.

Even though they were at a numerical disadvantage, support from the South Slavic allies was already on the way.

Three infantry divisions from Albania were using the railways through South Slavia to rush to Maribor.

If all goes well, this nearly fifty-thousand-strong force could arrive within a week.

Similarly, a colonial army group called up by Britain from India and a few infantry divisions from Egypt were already assembling in Egypt.

If South Slavia can hold off the German forces for half a month, these troops will be able to land in South Slavia and join the defence.

As one of the largest countries in the Balkan Region, South Slavia is under undoubtedly the greatest pressure among the Balkan States.

After all, South Slavia now borders Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary, which means its borders could be attacked by these countries at any time.

With the latest territorial expansions, Romania has become the largest country in terms of Balkan land area, and its situation is much better than that of South Slavia.

Romania's neighbours also include Russia, Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, and South Slavia, five in total, but only South Slavia is an enemy, and Russia, although powerful, has not joined the war at this time.

Only having to face pressure from South Slavia, Romania naturally finds it more manageable. Moreover, Romania is the closest to the South Slavic Capital City, Belgrade, and with the British and French already engaging a large number of South Slavic troops, Romania is very likely to be the first one to breach Belgrade.

Although the situation in the Balkan Peninsula seems perilous, South Slavia is not completely without chance.

The German Army appears strong, but they have spread themselves too thinly.

In Northern Europe, hundreds of thousands of German troops are attacking the Nordic Trio, but due to the onset of winter, the advancement is somewhat slow.

In Western Europe, over 2 million German Army troops are fighting back and forth with the British-French-Australian Forces. The Frenchmen have established a defensive line based on Tours, and it will take the Germans even longer to breach this barrier.