42 – The Eye of the Storm
The collapse of Serbia-Montenegro brought overwhelming superiority to the alliance. The situation where over a million alliance troops were liberated created a warm atmosphere in the conference room.
“The six expeditionary forces to be transferred to the Eastern Front in the future.”
Falkenhayn explained the alliance’s grand strategy with a confident tone.
Falkenhayn planned to transport the surplus troops freed from the Balkans by rail, complete preparations for the offensive during the winter, and then advance into Ukraine in the spring of 1915.
With Germany deploying nine expeditionary forces, Austria six, and Poland one, the scale of the alliance was incomparable to the Ivan troops who drafted people from the fields.
If the Ottoman Empire joined as well, it was only a matter of time before Russia crumbled.
“Britain probably won’t just sit back and watch that spectacle.”
But it didn’t matter.
As far as the snowball had rolled, it wasn’t easy to prevent Germany’s victory.
Before that, the Russians could collapse on their own.
*
November 18, 1914, Public Order and Peace Procedures Department, Petrograd Security Bureau, the capital of the Russian Empire.
“Winter is already approaching.”
Pyotr Ksenofontovich Popov, the notorious top officer of the secret police Okhrana in Tsar’s Russia, was responsible for the safety of Petrograd. Under his command, 200 agents were active, strategically placed in crowded places like factories and railways.
Popov silently stared out the window where snowflakes were swirling and read the report that came from the arsenal. The surveillance targets seemed to be associated with either the Social Revolutionary Party or the Social Democratic Labor Party. One might wonder why they were not arrested if there were suspicions, but Okhrana did not work that way. They preferred to leave visible targets alone and trace their connections to the big fish, then arrest them.
“Lately, I’ve been hearing the Bolsheviks’ voices frequently.”
Popov did not casually overlook the report that the slogans of the Bolsheviks chanting “Bread, Land, Peace” were often witnessed in factories. While the mainstream of the Social Democratic Labor Party and the Social Revolutionary Party could not come to a unified conclusion between defending the homeland and opposing the war, the Bolsheviks were different. They were gaining the support of the workers who were suffering from high prices, unemployment, and poverty caused by the war while advocating for a radical opposition.
“We have to step on them.”
If even a small seed is left unattended, even a well-managed field can become overrun with weeds and become unusable. Okhrana had the duty to weed out these dangerous elements in order to maintain the order and security of the empire.
Popov hesitated for a moment and picked up the phone.
“Connect me to Colonel Nikolayevsky.”
After the signal tone dropped, he was connected to Colonel Vladimir Pavlovich Nikolayevsky of the Gendarmerie Corps. Nikolayevsky held the position of the chief of staff of the Gendarmerie Corps, which allowed him to give direct orders to the Guards Division in Petrograd.
“Yes, Director.”
Nikolayevsky answered the call in a business-like tone.
“Director, I called because I have a request.”
Popov spoke politely.
Although he held the rank of colonel, Nikolayevsky was, in essence, a powerful figure even within the empire. Even if he had retired with the rank of colonel in 1900, being the only person to hold that rank, it wouldn’t be strange by normal military standards.
Moreover, considering the status of Gendarmerie, which practically monopolized the surveillance authority, it was not advisable to act stiffly towards Nikolayevsky, the second-in-command.
“Speak up.”
“Yes. Lately, the Bolsheviks have been raising dissenting voices, and the atmosphere around the Prutov Factory is particularly unsettling. I would like to observe the situation further, but it seems difficult to leave the spread of dissatisfaction unchecked. I am seeking the director’s assistance to arrest everyone in the factory.”
“What specifically do you need help with?”
“I would like for you to arrest all the individuals in the factory.”
“Isn’t that just going to escalate the discontent for no reason?”
Gendarme and Ohlana had both experienced the significant repercussions of the 1905 “Bloody Sunday” incident, so they were inclined to avoid excessive suppression. The exercise of police power was also formal, not a reckless and arbitrary arrest. Of course, if Ohlana was determined to handle it, she could establish her own court and conduct summary trials.
“No, there won’t be a problem. It can be handled smoothly.”
Colonel fell silent for a moment after Popov’s response.
Then, after a long while, the answer came back.
“Very well. Send the troops to clean up when lunchtime is over.”
“Thank you.”
Popov hung up the phone. It seemed like the immediate problem was resolved.
However, merely apprehending the impure individuals was not enough to tie up loose ends.
There was a need to take action to prevent weeds from taking root among the workers.
One hour later, there was a meeting of security officers under Popov’s chairmanship. The topic was effective counter-propaganda methods against the Bolsheviks’ instigation.
The security officers presented their usual strategies.
“It seems best to label them through the media and portray them as a traitorous group.”
The idea sounded reasonable. However, it did not seem like a story that would resonate with citizens who were suffering from the serious hardships of war. Even if they were to brand the Bolsheviks as spies advocating counter-revolution, it was difficult to refute the legitimacy of the war. In this aspect, Ohlana couldn’t dismantle the logic of the Bolsheviks.
When Popov seemed displeased, someone suggested the following:
From Noble mtl dot com
“Wouldn’t it be better to create an enemy and show it to them?”
“Enemies? Are you suggesting that we recreate The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?”
“Wouldn’t that be effective?”
If we were to turn Jews, who are not just obvious Bolsheviks but also despised by the people themselves, into enemies, we could shift the issue.
However, anti-Semitism was a dangerous double-edged sword.
In the early 20th century, Russia had rampant anti-Semitic sentiment, which led to pogroms. Outraged, the Jewish communities in Britain and the United States wholeheartedly supported Japan in the Russo-Japanese War. Considering how devastating the defeat in the Russo-Japanese War was to the Empire, anti-Semitism was not a card to be played lightly.
“In that case, traditional methods would be better.”
Porphyrion dismissed the argument for anti-Semitism.
Of course, there was no mention of attacking the Germans, who were a minority group similar to the Jewish community. After all, the Grand Duchy of Hesse, where the protagonist, Katerina Vogt, was from, was predominantly German. Moreover, many of the military commanders and bureaucrats on the front lines were German, so suggesting to harm them would be equivalent to shooting oneself in the head.
“Then what about a false ‘declaration of conscience’ through bribery?”
“A false declaration of conscience?”
“We select a suitable person among the counter-revolutionaries in prison and offer them appropriate compensation to incite the Bolsheviks.”
Porphyrion clenched his jaw.
“Using the enemy’s mouth to attack the enemy?”
“Wouldn’t that be more appealing to the people?”
It was a valid point. If people didn’t believe the words of the security agency, it would be more effective to borrow the voice of the Bolsheviks, who were seen as intriguing, and attack them.
“Let’s consider that. Any other opinions?”
The security agency officials presented a few other ideas, but none of them seemed particularly relevant.
“Even so, is this all our illustrious Ochrana can do to maintain the order of the Empire?”
Porphyrion could only bite his tongue.
The security agency friends in Warsaw, where terrorists were rampant, seemed to be much better at their jobs than the agents in Petrograd.
Well, you’re now unemployed.
After organizing the contents of the meeting, Popov briefly summarized them and sent them as a memo to the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
*
Petrograd, capital of the Russian Empire, Prutov Factory.
Valerian Kuybyshev was one of the prominent revolutionaries who remained in the country, unlike other senior Bolsheviks who escaped overseas to avoid Ohrahnah’s threats. Valerian believed that only the defeat of the Russian Empire, as it had been on the eve of the Russo-Japanese War, could promote the revolutionary situation. He traveled to various cities, spreading slogans.
Naturally, Ohrahnah didn’t leave Valerian alone. He had already been exiled twice and imprisoned before the war, but each time he escaped, causing trouble for the Russian authorities.
This absurd negligence was entirely the fault of corrupt and incompetent bureaucrats and police.
Valerian actively exploited the enemy’s “incompetence.”
His activities infuriated the security authorities, but the arrest operation made no progress. This was because there were sympathizers of the revolution even within the seemingly impenetrable Ohrahnah and Gendarmerie.
Based on the information provided by these individuals, Valerian was able to avoid the secretive shadow of the Charr.
But today, luck was not on his side.
He couldn’t hear anything about the sudden arrest operation, so he had to hide in the factory’s sewer like a rat, holding his breath. If it weren’t for the followers of Valerian buying him time, it would have been impossible.
“Arrest everyone standing here. After cross-referencing the list, detain everyone working in the factory for investigation. Do it quickly so that it can be finished within an hour.”
The lieutenant commanding the guards from Gendarmerie looked at his watch and gave the order. Gendarmerie was a group organized by selecting competent and flawless army officers, so it was a rare group within the Empire that had strong discipline and organization.
The guards arrested all the noticeable workers. They didn’t care about gender, age, or rank. Valerian felt terror at their merciless actions.
“Do they even disregard formal procedures?”
On the other hand, it could be evidence that the Charr regime was feeling a crisis.
News of defeat on the front lines and an increasing number of enemies were constantly coming in.
The collapse of the Balkan Alliance was particularly decisive. The incident rapidly increased the burden on the Russian economy by flooding it with resources and manpower heading to the front lines.
“Hurry up and walk.”
The guards, trembling in fear, slapped the cheeks of the terrified workers and forced them to move forward. The guards showed no mercy even to the young ladies who were caught in the middle. They seized the women by their trembling hair and dragged them along.
“These people are not even human.”
Valerian suppressed his anger, reminding himself that Char’s hunting dogs would eventually pay the price. While the revolutionaries who had carried out acts of terrorism against the Char government had their own principles, they had shown some restraint. When they were about to assassinate the Moscow Duke, they had momentarily postponed throwing the bomb when the Duke’s wife and children sat in the carriage with him.
But Char’s dogs? They had no principles.
After a while, everyone was dragged out, and the factory fell silent.
Valerian cautiously crawled out of the sewer.
On the factory floor, there were some propaganda posters and torn books of Marx that he had secretly circulated, lying scattered.
“What on earth is happening?”
Valerian changed his clothes and stealthily infiltrated the streets. Unable to make contact with the spies planted by the secret police during the day, he left a mark at the designated location.
Six hours later, when the sun was about to set, a disguised contact person wearing thick clothes appeared at the agreed-upon bookstore. Valerian pretended to choose a book and spoke to the contact person.
“What on earth happened? Was our friend inside Ochranan a traitor like Roman Malinovsky?”
Roman Malinovsky was a giant of the Social Democratic Labor Party but had become a spy after being arrested in Ochranan. Only a few high-ranking revolutionaries were arrested with the help of Roman Malinovsky’s denunciations and machinations.
The revolutionaries had been completely unaware of his true identity until the outbreak of the World War, when they learned the truth from Elena Troyanovskaya’s confession. This betrayal, along with Yezhov Yevno Pyshelovich’s betrayal, had dealt a great blow to the Bolsheviks. The fact that Stalin, the leader of steel, had persecuted his fellow Bolsheviks due to his paranoid suspicions, was also influenced by Ochranan’s infiltration throughout.
Given the Bolsheviks’ struggle with Ochranan, it was not unreasonable for Valerian to ask about the possibility of a comrade’s betrayal.
The contact person strongly denied it.
“No, comrade, that’s not the case. This matter was entirely decided by the Petrograd Security Bureau Chief.”
“Pavlov, that damn Char’s son of a b*tch, right?”
The contact person nodded.
“We don’t have any information about what will happen to the people who were taken away?”
“Most of them will be released after the investigation is completed within a week.”
“They’ve gone mad. Why are they suddenly acting like this?”
“It’s because of the success of our comrade’s activities.”
Valerian bit his tongue and remained silent.
After scanning the surroundings, the contact person added:
“For now, it seems like we should avoid contact for a while.”
“That seems necessary. It’s going to be difficult for me to stay in this city for much longer anyway. I’ll leave for Omsk by tomorrow noon.”
“To Siberia?”
The contact person looked puzzled.
Siberia was nothing short of hell on earth, represented by the term “Siberian type”. It was a vast, untamed wilderness with extreme cold that was hard to imagine even in the cold land of Russia.
There was a reason why the Russian authorities had been banishing rebels there for a long time.
“Yes. If I have to hide, it’s better to find a place where they won’t suspect.”
“Do you think it’s livable there? Wouldn’t it be better to go to Sweden instead?”
“Sweden?”
Valerian looked puzzled by the unexpected suggestion. The idea of seeking refuge in Sweden had never crossed his mind.
But come to think of it, Sweden wasn’t such a bad place. If he wanted, he could easily return to Russia and even meet fellow comrades in the West, passing through Denmark.
“And there are comrades of the International in Sweden as well, aren’t there?”
The Swedish Social Democratic Party was an official member of the Second International. They might not be very fond of the Bolsheviks, but if he went there and appealed for help, they might assist with the issue of survival.
“And if you go to Sweden, you can take regular flights to the Netherlands.”
“Come to think of it, I heard that Comrade Lenin is in the Netherlands. That doesn’t sound too bad either.”
At this point, Valerian decided that he would meet Lenin and come up with a plan to counter the leadership of the Social Democratic Labour Party.
In the present circumstances, even if a revolution were to occur, it would be a matter of the Socialist Revolutionary Party or the Mensheviks doing some good deeds and then it would be over.
That was difficult.
To be honest, the Mensheviks who trembled in their opposition to the bourgeois anti-imperialist struggle against the Tsarist regime, or the Socialist Revolutionary Party who just talked nonsense and couldn’t seize power, were insufficient seeds that should not have taken control.
Valerian was convinced that if they were to take control of Russia, they would create a country no different from the current inefficient and incompetent Tsarist regime.
“As Comrade said, the trip to Sweden doesn’t seem bad.”
“If you go to Sweden, just attach a photo to this travel permit and use it.”
The man handed Valerian a travel permit that seemed to have been prepared in advance. Valerian hesitated for a moment and then accepted the travel permit he was given.
“I apologize for causing you trouble, Comrade.”
“No, Comrade.”
After looking around, Valerian stood up from his seat.
“Let’s meet again when the revolution succeeds and becomes a good day.”
“May you have a safe journey to Sweden.”
Valerian walked away into the darkness.