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10-November-1919
Walking calmly, while keeping my hands behind my back, I headed toward the Riga parliament, where there was already a crowd of people handing out political pamphlets. They were already savoring their freedom while some parties began forming to govern the place, since the news of the armistice had arrived a few days earlier and the politicians had wasted no time reorganizing themselves.
And that was what I wanted: for the leaders to organize themselves. That way, I could cut off the heads of the political leaders all at once. Without leaders, revolts capable of sustaining themselves rarely formed, and usually it was the local elites who led them: journalists, lawyers, professors. You would rarely see an uneducated peasant complaining about anything. The more educated they were, the more aptitudes they had to become leaders.
And that was why, as soon as the armistice in Germany was confirmed, I had created two organizations that would ensure everything went as I wanted: the Baltic Secret Police and an espionage agency. I had recruited the local members of Abteilung IIIb who were willing to follow me, turning them into the base of my new system of espionage and State protection.
Germany had turned into great chaos, with soldiers returning home and with the collapse of the economy after exchange controls were released and inflation began to be felt.
Something that did not hit us too hard, since the Baltic reserves were in gold and Swiss francs, so the economy remained stable, although we had lost our main trading partner while Germany restructured its economy and also went through its own political chaos.
Hindenburg and Ludendorff had resigned from their posts once the armistice was signed, allowing the Kaiser's civilian government to retake control, while the streets were filled with protests over prices, inflation, defeat, labor improvements, hatred or changing the government.
That was why it would be easy to consolidate my control of the east while Germany remained unstable, using all the soldiers who stayed, or those who in some way wanted to keep fighting or preserve what was theirs. Using my networks of soldiers, the hardest line of my government and the most jingoistic Germans, I managed to convince many men of the Eighth Army to stay and fight, although many also returned to their homes, as expected.
But all the German occupation forces were on our side. All the officers had asked me for instructions on this, since it was no secret that the new States, such as Ukraine and White Ruthenia, were preparing laws to expropriate or expel the German colonies before they became a problem.
Therefore, I had a hard core of men that reached three hundred fifty thousand effectives. Considering that before I had more than five hundred thousand, we had lost good troops, but I had faith that Freikorps or nationalist troops that would support me would not take long to arrive in our country.
Followed by a group of men, while more soldiers moved around the parliament, I entered while hearing multiple shouts against me from the politicians.
''THE BUTCHER… THE BUTCHER!'' a Latvian shouted, repeating the words while pointing at me with his finger.
Some joined in and began shouting things at me that I did not understand, while I walked with a slight smile forming on my lips. By the time this was over, those men would be hiding like rats.
Climbing the steps of the parliament, followed by my men, I entered the establishment and observed the beautiful building my engineers and architects had built. The only problem was that it had never been used, since democracy still did not exist.
My eyes focused on a group of politicians surrounding the members of the League of Nations, the organization they had created to guarantee that the occupations and plebiscites were carried out, in addition to protecting the new order. They were escorted by some soldiers from other countries who formed their guard.
At the same time, the men following me blocked the exit, preventing both access and escape.
''There he is. That is him'' someone said in English to an elegantly dressed man, pointing at me with his finger and frowning when he saw me.
''Ah… guten…'' the League envoy said before I interrupted him.
''I speak English, so let us avoid using a language you may not know how to handle completely'' I said, looking at the envoy, who swallowed.
''Greetings, Karl von Posen. As you know, I come with the intention of enforcing the Treaty of The Hague. You must hand power over to the politicians who will form the provisional government while elections are called. Therefore, I ask for your collaboration and request that you order your men to surrender their weapons and confine themselves to their barracks while a new government is organized'' the envoy said, using fairly formal language and showing a slight satisfied smile.
''You said you were going to arrest him. We want him to be tried here for the massacres committed against our people during the occupation'' a politician said in English, barely containing his hatred toward me.
''That will be later, Karl. You will understand that some in our government want you to be tried for certain possible crimes committed under the command of your unit. We have reviewed some reports presented by the German government regarding certain actions that we would like answered before a judge. Therefore, I will ask for your collaboration so we can resolve this. Regarding what they are indicating, you will have to resolve it later'' the envoy said.
''Oh, I see'' I said, observing the politicians, who were smiling while some guards began slowly approaching.
Slowly, I removed my glove, snapped my fingers three times and extended my arms so they could handcuff me.
But it did not take long before hundreds of boots began to be heard moving around us.
''I have no problem being arrested'' I said with a smile, watching as everyone began to worry while hundreds of soldiers started surrounding them from the upper part of the parliament. ''But you will understand that, if I am arrested, my men may not let you leave this place alive.''
The League envoy began breathing heavily and the smiles disappeared from the others. The guards had panicked faces as they brought their hands to their revolvers.
''Do not do anything stupid. The war is over. You lost. If you do not cooperate, you will be considered guilty and…'' the envoy said, before I took the pistol from my pocket and pressed it against his head.
The envoy closed his eyes and clenched his teeth, showing them as he felt the barrel of my pistol against his skull.
''I think that will not be possible, my dear. I would recommend that you order your men to lower their weapons, because mine have so much firepower in their hands that they will leave you with so many holes you will not know what to do with so many wounds. Of course, if you survive the machine-gun fire'' I said with a smile, noticing the guards pointing their pistols at me.
I waited to see if the man responded or moved.
''Two warning shots'' I shouted.
Almost instantly, two shots echoed against the floor of the parliament, and those guards quickly began throwing their revolvers to the ground. I gave the signal for my men to go down and disarm them.
A group descended quickly and began removing the handcuffs from the guards. Shortly afterward, they were the ones who ended up handcuffed.
''You are prisoners of war, so you can be sure you will be treated well. Unlike you rats'' I said, looking at the envoy before observing the hundreds of politicians trembling with fear at seeing how the situation had unfolded.
''HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? Idiot, this will not stay like this. There will be consequences for your actions, so if you do not want to end up before a firing squad, you will stop this stupidity immediately'' the League envoy roared.
''Oh, look how I tremble with fear… That was sarcasm, just in case… Ah, and I have not forgotten about you'' I said, smiling as I turned and delivered a hard blow to the jaw of the politician who had been laughing at me when I arrived, sending him to the floor with a single impact.
I shook my hand after hearing him fall heavily.
''Arrest the rest. We are going to find them a nice, damp and cold cell where they will never bother anyone with these things again'' I said, looking at the politicians while my men restrained and tied them up.
Listening to the desperate screams of the politicians, the groups were separated. When I left the parliament, much of the plan had already begun. There was no large crowd outside, only soldiers beginning to patrol the streets, in addition to policemen in charge of restoring the order of the State.
The orders to do the same in several cities of the Duchy had to be repeating themselves: arrest the League of Nations envoys and their supporters throughout the territory, trying to act at an established hour and in such a way that they could not inform their nations of origin about what had happened.
It still remained to finish off the occupation troops they had sent. It might not be a great task, but casualties had to be limited, since the prisoners were a way to avoid too severe a reaction from the Entente when they learned what had happened. Negotiating for their men could become a way to obtain recognition of the State.
But we had to play big and send everyone else off to cry. So, while those actions were repeated in every city and my men acted against the occupation forces sent by train and by sea against us, I headed toward the city arsenal.
The semi-festive atmosphere that had existed before had died. We only found many of the pamphlets thrown around by the new political groups, who were now being pursued to cut out the main danger at the root: the formation of cells financed with Entente money.
''We are ready, Mein Herzog. At your orders'' Alexander said, waiting for instructions beside all the armored vehicles and trucks.
''Direction Minsk. It is time to restore order. If Waldemar is still in the city, we will have to restore him as king of the area to guarantee support. If the man has already left, we will simply place a military governor'' I said while putting on my helmet and taking a rifle.
''What about Ferdinand? Has he said anything?'' Ernst asked, coming over somewhat battered and with blood on his nose.
''Ferdinand has already responded. He is launching an operation against the occupation forces that have arrived. He will try to take prisoners, but he promises nothing, since they are French, and those people are bitter bastards who only want to see Germany suffer… I suppose you are fine'' I said, looking at Ernst while he wiped the blood with the sleeve of his uniform.
''Bah, some idiot hit me with his pistol when I tried to arrest him. I will only say that the man ended up with several fewer teeth and was left much worse than me… Well, at the end of it all, making the French suffer again does not sound so bad. And what about Hans?'' Ernst replied after smiling.
''Hans is organizing our men in Ukraine. There are no occupation forces there, since, being considered a legitimate State, it was not necessary to send troops to occupy them while the transition is carried out. There is only the institutional promise to eliminate the pro-German laws and ratify Vasyl as king of Ukraine. But we have to act before they expropriate the soldiers of the garrisons. That would generate unrest and many may end up becoming bandits'' I said, opening the door of the armored vehicle.
''That cannot happen, Mein Herzog. A promise was made to those men'' Alexander said, smiling.
''And we are going to fulfill that promise once we reach Kiev and put that lover of Ukrainians in his place'' Ernst said with a wide smile, after striking his palm with his fist.
''That is right. Direction Minsk. Let us go'' I said, striking the roof of the armored vehicle.
The driver began moving the vehicle, and within minutes the entire Baltic Armored Division began its march toward Minsk.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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