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23-March-1-April-1916
''This is not a request… it is an order, disperse or we will be forced to open fire'' I said through the megaphone while looking at the massive crowd of Ukrainians gathered at the gates of the Kiev fortress.
All I could hear were shouts and insults from those filling the streets. The agricultural mobilization, although it had worked well for a few days, had caused enormous resentment due to the fact that people had to perform heavy labor or go without food.
This had created significant unrest in the city, as in many cases the population was transported in the morning by train to the areas that had to be worked, taken hours away from the city to labor on state lands.
And it seemed that a group of Ukrainian nobles was pushing for the repeal of the mobilization law, as they had no one left to work their own fields, aligning themselves with union leaders who kept insisting that we should distribute food to satisfy the hunger of the population.
None of the efforts of the papal envoys or the Red Cross had achieved much, as people believed they could be next to force a change of government, simply because of what had happened in Russia.
''I WILL NOT REPEAT MYSELF, DISPERSE OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE'' I shouted at the top of my lungs through the megaphone as my voice was swallowed by the roar of the crowd.
''Alright gentlemen, it seems the people will not listen to reason… all men to the walls and aim your weapons, we will make warning shots, if they do not disperse… we will have to fire into the crowd'' I said, clenching my jaw, thinking I would never have to be the one to give such an order.
Hundreds of men from the garrison took position along the fortress walls and aimed their weapons at the mass of protesters who, upon noticing the soldiers, had begun to disperse slightly, some already clearing the entrance as they saw armed men preparing to fire.
''Ernst, empty your magazine… if they do not disperse, you will have to force them'' I said while watching closely as some protesters began to move away.
''Where do I fire, into the air or at the ground'' Ernst asked, hesitating as he aimed.
''At the ground… if you fire into the air with a crowd like this, they might ignore it''
''Understood'' Ernst said as he aimed downward, searching for a spot with fewer people to avoid hitting anyone, then pulled the trigger.
The sound of the submachine gun echoed through the streets, followed by panicked screams as the crowd scattered in all directions.
''Good… it worked'' I said as I heard hundreds of footsteps running ''oh… damn it…'' I added, seeing three bodies lying in the street ''Ernst, damn it… I said I did not want any dead'' I said angrily.
He stared in shock, shaking his head ''I did it right, I fired where there was no one…'' he said, lowering his weapon immediately.
Without a word we climbed down from the wall and opened the fortress gate to examine the bodies. As I approached, I noticed they had no bullet wounds.
''Damn… they were trampled to death…'' I said, examining them. One had a broken neck, another had his nose crushed inward, and the third was bleeding from the nose and eyes, signs of multiple blows to the head.
''So what now'' Ferdinand asked, standing beside us.
''Call a priest and try to find out who they were… their families need to be informed… Ernst, go and find those socialist leaders you said were organizing this… arrest them… it no longer matters'' I said, making a tight expression.
Garrison forces were quickly deployed across the city to restore order and push those refusing agricultural work back into the fields.
In theory we could arrest them and assign forced labor for refusing a national order, but in practice it was far more expensive to maintain prisoners than workers, as they had to be fed and clothed, and prisoners usually received better rations than ordinary civilians due to the food shortages.
So coercion remained the only viable option, because if people realized this, it would become the easiest way to break the system Germany had established. All food consumed by soldiers and prisoners was supplied by Germany, and mass arrests would quickly overwhelm the system.
I returned to my office and resumed reviewing reports. In Odessa there had been minor uprisings that were suppressed with coercion, warning shots and batons, while work continued to germinate rice and prepare the plantations.
The projects were advancing. Irrigation canals and locks were nearing completion, and large marshes had been drained, leaving moist terrain ideal for rice cultivation.
Many fields in Kherson had already been planted with legumes, but there were constant problems with Ukrainian Cossacks claiming ownership, presenting documents supposedly issued under the Russian Empire. It did not matter, the land had been nationalized, but clashes continued.
Not long ago, one garrison had to expel 200 Cossacks who attempted to seize granaries. They launched a cavalry charge, but some of our men carried submachine guns, it ended in a massacre.
Elsewhere, smaller revolts continued in towns near Kiev, driven by the same complaints about exhausting labor for minimal compensation.
The greatest unrest remained in Kiev, where socialist leaders not only called for people to take up arms and expel the Germans, but also to seize granaries and factories. Those individuals I was arresting and sending to forced labor in the harshest regions, avoiding public executions to prevent creating martyrs.
The only places where things remained calm were the German settlements, which was expected. They had full state support. Although they received the same rations as everyone else, they had access to all basic services, along with tractors and essential tools to ensure productivity.
In addition, families arriving from German cities brought their own food supplies, either from selling their belongings, receiving housing upon arrival, or bringing livestock with them, allowing them to sustain themselves far better than the rest of the population.
All of this unfolded while the war continued on its course. With the regime change in Russia, it had seemed that the war might be over, but according to the intelligence coming from Abteilung IIIb, the new government intended to keep fighting to secure the best possible terms, even victory according to some reports. In practice, the Tsar's removal had changed very little, since we still had to keep advancing and seizing territory to bring the war to an end.
German intelligence networks were spreading deeper among discontented soldiers who were tired of the war, which meant we knew that the Russian government was preparing an offensive expected to begin in mid-April, aiming to recover lost territory. There were mass conscriptions underway to replace losses, along with attempts to form new divisions for that attack.
Even so, everything seemed fragile. The soviets opposed the chain of command, pushing for peace while the government pushed for war, which would inevitably create problems during their offensive. German generals were already factoring that in, preparing the terrain so that the Russian attack would collapse into a massive failure.
As soon as I finished my work, I began moving through my assigned zones again, keeping myself updated on field conditions, trying to gather as much information as possible.
I observed the distribution of organic fertilizers, watched Ukrainian workers spreading them, extending irrigation channels, and overseeing the farms. My cattle operations were the most active, with milk being pasteurized and sent wherever possible to support diets, along with eggs from poultry farms, which were available daily, supplying areas where food had run out or was about to.
Today was the most important day. It would determine whether Ukraine would emerge from the food crisis weakened or stabilized. The budget reports from Austria-Hungary and Germany were due to arrive, and I had to meet with the regent to review them.
After finishing my inspections, I left the fortress with several of my men and walked through the streets of Kiev.
The city felt empty, most of the population was outside working the fields, using every available piece of state-owned land.
As I moved along, I saw Ernst escorting a group of men who showed clear signs of having been beaten repeatedly. They were bound and being taken back to the fortress for imprisonment before being reassigned.
On the next street, I found my men removing corpses from houses, covering their noses as they coordinated to carry limbs and throw the bodies onto a horse-drawn cart.
''What happened here'' I asked, looking at the cart already filled with bodies.
''Mein Major… dead… in this house there were several, mostly civilians who had hidden the bodies until the stench became unbearable and the neighbors reported it. When we entered, we found they were still collecting daily rations pretending to be alive'' one of my soldiers said, holding his nose against the smell.
''They have been dead for weeks, maybe months… take them to the nearest cemetery… and public lashes for the family… we cannot allow this to become common practice… it is unfortunate they die of hunger, but we cannot allow exploitation of the system'' I said, shaking my head as another body was carried out.
''At your orders, mein Major'' the soldier replied.
''After that… eat and drink something for doing this… I will pay for it'' I said, continuing on while the soldiers silently nodded and began moving the cart toward the cemetery.
I walked to the palace. Aside from the usual administrators moving about, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. This time, the regent's guards did not try to stop me, they only stiffened as I passed.
I entered and found the regent at his desk signing documents.
''Any news'' I asked, sitting down.
''Not yet… we are waiting for the budget. The Austro-Hungarian one is quite generous, I have been reporting our progress frequently, so although it is not what I requested, it will help pay salaries in crowns and allow us to begin some social projects like opening schools and making attendance mandatory for minors'' said Wilhelm calmly.
''And how much has been assigned to me'' I asked.
''That depends largely on me, I will allocate it… and then it depends on what Germany sends'' he replied.
''That is the problem… Paul von Hindenburg controls the administration now, and that could affect us'' I said, leaning back in my chair.
''From the Austro-Hungarian budget I cannot offer you much, I want to prioritize those social reforms, schools and hospitals… but I secured contracts for you. The Magyar nobility, through some of my contacts, wants to buy tractors. Give me a price and I will sell them, use those funds to finance yourself'' said the regent.
''All current production is allocated for the kingdom's use… with our current capacity, we might be able to produce more by the end of next year'' I said, shaking my head.
''Find a way… expand the factory, hire more workers, whatever it takes… I already secured an order for 1000 tractors'' the regent said.
''Without a price agreed'' I asked, surprised.
''Because I also said you could produce trucks for the army'' he added with a slight smile.
''Trucks… do you know how difficult it is to obtain rubber'' I said, staring at him.
''I do… but I am getting you work. It is just putting a chassis on the tractor engine… you have a budget of 4500 crowns per tractor and 7000 per truck'' he replied confidently.
''Alright… I will see what I can do…'' I said, thinking.
''Your Majesty, here is the telegram from Germany'' said a telegraph operator, handing over a paper.
Wilhelm read it, then looked at me and shook his head.
''They kept the same budget as last year…'' he said.
I closed my eyes tightly and stared at the ceiling.
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