91 – Episode 91 The Road to Ganghwa (2)
On July 20, 1917, an order was given to the submarine force stationed at Blyth Naval Base in Northumberland to sortie to the Baltic Sea. Lost.
Until now, the submarines that had been sortieing into the Baltic Sea were the Baltic flotilla stationed at Scapa Flow, but now even the submarines from Blythe Base are entering the Baltic Sea.
At first, the soldiers accepted the order without objection.
It is true that the Baltic Sea is a difficult place, but I did not think it was a place where submarine forces could not operate.
It was a big mistake.
As soon as the submarine fleet entered the Baltic Sea, they had to feel with their whole body why the place was hell. The Baltic Sea was a nightmare place for the British Navy, to the extent that even the Baltic flotilla, which specialized in that area, rarely entered after Russia’s defeat.
“Gentlemen, welcome to the Imperial Navy’s training grounds.”
The Baltic Sea was teeming with German submarines.
It was common for an enemy submarine to shoot her torpedoes if she was slightly distracted.
Without submarines, airships and reconnaissance planes roamed the sky, while torpedo boats and destroyers chased submarines on the surface.
Even if you avoid all these threats, it is the end if you encounter a ‘mine’ or a net.
“Unlimited submarine warfare in this hell?”
It was a ridiculous environment.
As time passed, neutral countries also did not sit still.
Sweden, Norway, and Denmark declared a Pan-Scandinavia safe zone and declared that they would exercise the right of self-defense within it. As these countries began to operate their convoys, the Baltic Sea, which was already narrow to navigate, became narrower.
“You guys turned around? Why are you shooting torpedoes at our ship?”
The United States, which tolerated the blockade of bypass trade, also showed an attitude that it would not tolerate unrestricted submarine warfare.
In the end, the submarines surfaced before the attack and went through the process of verifying their nationality.
“This is crazy.”
As a result, one out of four submarines deployed was inevitably sunk or disappeared.
He was either missing or a prisoner of war.
The submarine fleet soldiers had no choice but to boil over.
On August 29, 1917, 40 days after the start of the operation, an order was given to the submarine force to launch its third sortie. The reason was that Germany should not be given a chance to catch its breath.
Nevertheless, the soldiers who were taking a breather after returning from a difficult operation were enraged by this.
“We are people too! “I will refuse any more sorties to the Baltic Sea!”
Submarine fleet officers rebelled against the orders of the Navy. Instead of boarding the submarine, they gathered at the base and held a rally.
It was a de facto strike that advocated ‘refusal to operate.’
“A strike during a war? “You can’t just leave it alone.”
The Navy was embarrassed, but the sailors’ strike was not unprecedented.
British sailors went on strike even during the Napoleonic Wars and demanded improved treatment from the leadership.
“No, it might actually have worked out well. “Let’s tell the prime minister that the voices on the ground are like this.”
The British Admiralty was also unhappy with the operation and reported the situation to the Cabinet.
But the cabinet’s intention was firm.
“A strike in a war situation. “Strictly punish disobedience.”
When the cabinet ordered a strong response, the Navy Ministry had no choice.
Immediately, the mounted military police arrived and suppressed the sailors by force. One person had his head broken by a club, and dozens of others were seriously injured.
The sailors were angry at this situation.
“We devoted ourselves to the British Empire. If he had to die, he went out to die, and if he had to fight, he would face any enemy. But has our dedication been rewarded?”
At first it was dissatisfaction with the operation, but now it has spread to dissatisfaction with the superiors who forced dog deaths.
Voices of dissatisfaction began to spread like an epidemic.
“It’s not that the Germans have no intention of making peace, but do they have to go out to the dangerous sea and shed blood? “We will also reject the operation.”
As the Navy’s front-line units declared strikes one after another, the Cabinet also got caught up in the fire.
“Your Excellency. Things are out of the ordinary. “If this continues, we will be in big trouble.”
“Is it a big deal?”
“Russia. “We could end up like Russia.”
The prime minister, who was extremely hard-line, finally became scared.
The British Empire was not immune to revolution.
“What should I do?”
“It would be a good idea to first call the ringleaders, listen to their stories, and promise lenient treatment.”
Since Balfour was also reminded of the precedent of the Russian Revolution, he did not want to provoke the naval officers with a strong response.
“That would be good.”
The Prime Minister was willing to accept a compromise in his own way.
As expected, the results of listening to Gallipoli have never been good.
Just as the Prime Minister was about to accept the compromise, Germany launched another propaganda offensive.
The aide came in with a newspaper with a blank expression.
“Your Excellency, please look at this.”
When the Prime Minister opened the newspaper, there was propaganda carefully prepared by Germany.
“This, this.”
Belfour could not close his mouth.
The gift that Germany gave to the British people was none other than ‘an accusation against the British government.’
The German government was considering how to use the British submarine crew captured in the Baltic Sea and decided to launch a ‘conversion program’.
There was no use of coercive persuasion or threats.
They just used gaslighting techniques like a pseudo-religion.
British prisoners said this in interviews with reporters from neutral countries.
“The British government condemned us to death. Even though we knew clearly that the Germans were preparing for it, we sent them to the battlefield where death awaited them. “If the Germans hadn’t shown mercy, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to talk like this.”
“Why do you think the British government ordered such a reckless operation?”
“Is it for political reasons?”
The Prime Minister trembled with his hands.
This was dangerous.
It was really dangerous.
The survival instinct accumulated while working in politics sent a danger signal.
“Ji, I need to meet the sailors right now.”
The Prime Minister quickly stood up.
This was not the time to be wasting around the office like this.
Belfour thought it was not too late, but the situation was taking an unexpected turn.
*
“Now is the time to topple this crazy regime and end the war!”
Willie Paul of the Socialist Labor Party shouted from a podium in the street. Westminster Abbey seemed to collapse at the sound of that voice.
For Willie Paul, who supported the NCF, or conscientious objection movement, and opposed the war throughout the war, ‘revealing the British government’s ugly suicide attack order’ was like an opportunity made in heaven.
Next to him was Helen Crawford, who had opposed the conduct of the war.
She followed suit and grabbed her microphone.
“Germany has asked us for peace. Isn’t that enough? The British Empire has already lost close to a million young people to war. How much longer must I die? “How many more people must be sacrificed?”
The voices of socialists opposing the war reached the ears of the public for the first time.
Even to what they heard, the socialists’ argument made sense.
The terrible Gotha bomber attack, the destruction of German trade, the war with no end in sight, and Germany’s offer of peace. No matter how you look at it, there was no reason to continue the war.
Except for the dignitaries gathered at 10 Downing Street, there was enough justification for ending the war.
“Okay, everyone. Let’s march. “It allows the government to hear our demands.”
Arthur Cook, a supporter of syndicalism, proposed a crowd march.
Thousands of people gathered around the podium responded to Cook’s offer.
“Let’s go, to Westminster.”
As the crowd began to move, people standing on the street and watching began to follow, wondering what had happened.
The marching crowd quickly grew into tens of thousands of people, and then into a large wave of over 100,000 people.
The mounted police force that rushed to the front of the enormous formation had no choice but to hesitate.
“How do we disperse that thing?”
Even the mounted police, who were like the grim reaper of the protesters, were not confident that they could subdue a crowd of that size.
“Retreat.”
The protesters gained momentum as the police, who had trampled on countless workers, retreated.
“To Westminster!”
As the crowd approached the parliament, the British Parliament closed the building.
“I will delegate full authority to the government. “Get things sorted out as quickly as possible.”
Belfour responded that he would do so when asked by Congress, but his political life was almost over.
“LDV, mobilize the Homeland Defense Forces.”
Belfour hastily summoned the militia divisions stationed around the capital. He had to prevent the Capitol from being occupied, even by mobilizing military forces.
“But if we send troops in, there will be bloodshed.”
“If the police can’t suppress it, we’ll have to send in the military!”
The Prime Minister’s office was noisy all day due to the suppression issue.
In the meantime, Minister of War Churchill appeared in Balfour’s office.
As soon as Balfour saw Gallipoli, he ran and started yelling.
“This is all because of you! “You wanted to mess with the Baltic Sea, and this is what happened!”
“Your Excellency. Calm down. “I am here to help you, Your Excellency.”
“What nonsense are you talking about again!”
Belfour had no intention of listening to anything Churchill said anymore.
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But Churchill’s mouth moved as it pleased.
“Your Excellency. “You must never compromise.”
Belfour, who was thinking about compromise, reflexively looked at Churchill.
“Those guys are communists. “Didn’t the Russians show us what would happen if we gave the communists a chance?”
Belfour hesitated before responding to Churchill’s words.
“But if you don’t compromise with them.”
“You just have to go harder. If the Homeland Defense Force is not able to do so, the Navy can be mobilized and the Army can be mobilized. “We need to show that this side is taking a hard line.”
Belfour swallowed dry saliva.
I don’t want to be fooled by Churchill, but I hated communists more than Churchill.
‘Is this the feeling of being deceived even though I know it?’
If we could suppress it as Churchill said, we would at least be able to avoid the crime of handing over the country to communists.
But how much blood did I lose if I followed this fat guy’s words?
Belfour was deeply troubled.