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1,2,3,4,5...6 replies.. Oh my! I think we have ourselves a record.. *celebrates* :D

Hardraade: My wish is your command.. Erh, wait, the other way around.. :D I've tried very hard to make this one as exciting, as possible and I do hope it was worth the wait..

And yes, Hardraade, I will keep my promise. Even if it's only me and you at the end of it, I will keep updating, until it's all done.. ;)

4th Dimension: Well, I've worked in a bit of an explanation, to tell what exactly it was that made Nicolai suspicious.. I like tension though, so I try to keep people guessing, at least for a while.. (yes, I've seen far too much Hercule Poirot, I know) :D Hope it makes sense now.. :)

SeanB: Thank you kind sir, thank you very much indeed.. :) i don't know if I'm actually insulted by it, perhaps dissapointed is more the word, I'd use. But most of all, it makes me wonder about what I'm doing wrong, as you can see.. However, it seems to me, from all these wonderful responses, that maybe I'm doing right after all.. :)

TheEnlighted1: Welcome and thank you too.. I agree with you whole-heartedly on account of the AARs. I enjoy long, detailed and well-written AARs immensely and I try to emulate that in my own story.. However, I can say this much, without surprising anyone: There will be advances into enemy territories from time to time during the story, but I will be describing them with at least as much effort and detail as I do with those, that deal with other affairs. After all, a good battle-scene is always welcome, even in a narrative AAR, no? :D Just don't expect them to fill the majority of this story or even close to that. While battles and wars are cool and all that, it is the people of a story, which truly interest me and that will be heavily reflected in my writing.. ;)

trekaddict: Oh my, I managed to lure you in here.. :D Now, all I have to do is try to keep you here.. ;) I know what you mean though and I do try to mention it once in a while, without overdoing it.. And please feel free and this goes for everybody, to do the same in mine.. After all, I do have the pleasure of entertaining some very, very skilled writAARs in here.. :)
Your own AAR 'Againt All Odds' , as well as, for instance, Hardraade's 'Return to Glory' are in my 'AAR Must Read' dírectory.. You will find other AARs there too of course, but I will not mention them all, as it is a work in progress, so to say.. ;)

Kurt_Steiner: Thank you very much and welcome aboard.. :)

Everyone:

Thank you all, for your support. I must say that it has heartened me greatly to know that you like how and what I write and I will do my very best, not to dissapoint you in the future.. Please feel free, at any time, to post questions and suggestions, if you have them, as well as any requests you might have.. I cannot promise immediate in-story responses to your requests, but I will do all that I can to ensure that they are all seen to, as the story progresses. :)

And, if you, yourselves have an AAR that I for some reason have not read and replied to yet, do not hesitate to post a link.. I will oblige you at the first opportunity. One can never read too many good stories.. ;)

Now, I hope you have all enjoyed this, the most recent update.. Chapter one and with it the journey to Russia, will be concluded in the next one, which should be ready in a few days. Sadly I have to do a favor for a friend tomorrow or I would already be working on it.. That's what your support means to me.. :)
 
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Doge Robert said:
4th Dimension: Well, I've worked in a bit of an explanation, to tell what exactly it was that made Nicolai suspicious.. I like tension though, so I try to keep people guessing, at least for a while.. (yes, I've seen far too much Hercule Poirot, I know) :D Hope it makes sense now.. :)
And I have read too much of that Byzantine AAR NOT to be suspicious of everyone. Now I'm suspecting that Dimitri is an Socialist sleeper agent. I was half expecting for him to try to whisper something into the ear of Vladimir, plunge a knife into his heart, and whisper to his ear "for the Revolution" ;) But then again I suspect my shadow. :)

And this is by far best chapter untill now. Eagerly awaiting MOAR adventures of Russian 007.
 
After finally getting around to reading the alst update I say two things: It might not be the KGB, but if a Russian Intelligence operative goes somewhere to have a talk with someone things get messy....


secondly: I agree with Nikolay, he will make a good Tsar if he can avoid being made a puppet of the Army.
 
Chapter 1 - Part 5

Sct. Petersburg, Russia, October 25th 1938

Vladimir stood on the deck of the Russian passenger ship Antenor, named after a Greek mythological figure, although Vladimir did not know which one. They had left Lübeck four days earlier after the horrible affair with Anton and the failed assassination.


Antenor-01-1.jpg

The Antenor

“Are you alright Meinhard?” Dmitri’s voice startled Vladimir out of his musings about the recent past. “Oh, hello Uncle Helmut.” Vladimir, hurriedly replied. Nicolai had urgently advised them to continue the use of their false identities, even after the business in Lübeck, to ensure that anyone, who did not work with Anton’s unknown employers, would not be able to pose a threat to the group. Vladimir, shocked by what had happened and seriously altering his outlook on who he could and could not trust, had taken the advice speedily. “I am quite fine thank you. Just thinking a bit is all. How is Ernst?” Dmitri shrugged. “Still resting, but the doctor says he will be fine soon enough.” Nicolai had quickly concocted a story about an armed robbery gone horribly wrong, when they had reached the ship, as an explanation on why he had, what appeared to be a fresh bullet wound in his shoulder and a flesh wound in his leg. Although the captain had, at first seemed dubious, he had decided to take them on anyway, after a significant ‘donation’ to the well-being of the ship, from Vladimir. The ship’s doctor had seen to the wounds and they should cease to cause Nicolai any trouble soon, if he rested. To that end, the doctor had given him an injection of a sleeping drug, which had kept him in bed for the last couple of days. When Nicolai had woken up again yesterday, he had been furious about that, but Dmitri had been able to calm him down somehow and the Okhrana captain was now resting in his bed, as a good patient should be.


“However did you manage that anyway?” Vladimir asked, for the twentieth time. He was very curious indeed, as to how his old friend had managed to persuade the hardened agent to stay in his bed, obviously against his own wishes. “He told me about certain duties I have, at some length.” Vladimir turned around in a flash and a smile spread across his face. “Ernst.” He exclaimed although very nearly saying another name. After Nicolai had saved his life in Lübeck, Vladimir had thought a great deal about him and had, in the process, grown rather fond of the man. In the private parts of his mind, he acknowledged that he liked the mysterious agent quite a lot and considered him a trusted ally and perhaps even a friend.

“Glad to see you on your feet again.” He said which made Nicolai throw a glance at Dmitri. “If uncle Helmut here hadn’t told the doctor to give me that injection, I would’ve been on my feet a lot earlier.” Nicolai replied, causing Vladimir to throw a somewhat surprised and amused look at his ‘uncle’. “I see.” He said simply. “And you would have been hampered by those wounds for a long while yet, which might prove detrimental to certain plans, you have for the near future.” Dmitri replied, causing both Vladimir and Nicolai to immediately become serious again. Although Vladimir had ordered Nicolai not to begin his investigations into the identity of Anton’s employers until after the coronation was done, they all knew, that when he began, Nicolai would not rest, until the entire network of traitors had been unraveled, something in which Dmitri and surprisingly to himself, even Vladimir, wholeheartedly supported. To himself Vladimir admitted that he did not want, ever, to become the target of that Iron-willed and cold-hearted determination, with which Nicolai would pursue his enemies. To be honest, what he had seen in the eyes of the captain, back in Lübeck, frightened him quite a bit, although he only admitted as much to himself.
“I know uncle.” Ernst replied and nodded his respect to the old count, before turning his attention to the front. “Look gentlemen.” He said, his voice suddenly hushed and somehow, rather humble. Dmitri and Vladimir turned and what greeted them was a look few men could endure, without feeling a bit awed: Skt. Petersburg in all its glory. Vladimir let out a sigh, part of regret for being away for so long, from the country, which, even though it had caused him so much grief, he still loved with all his heart and part because he knew that the future of said country, would sun rest on his shoulders and its future rely on him.

Soon, individual features began to make their appearance, among them the great Peter and Paul Fortress, for ages the primary coastal defense of the city, but now mainly a prison. That will change. Vladimir promised himself. Once more, the might of the fortress shall be a sight to fear for all intruders. The young grand duke knew very well that around the world were many, powerful nations, which might very well someday be counted among the enemies of Russia. And it was his duty to see to it, that none of these enemies would ever be victories in their struggles against the empire.

peterpaulfort.jpg

The Peter and Paul Fortress, named after the cathedral, which stands in it's center.

“We better get ready.” Nicolai said after a few minutes, knowing full well what both Vladimir and Dmitri must be thinking and feeling at the view of the capital. “When we reach the harbor, we have to move quickly.” Vladimir and Dmitri turned towards him. “Remember what I told you, gentlemen.” He said, throwing a quick glance around to ensure they had privacy. “The streets of Skt. Petersburg are not safe for the time being. When I left, there were rioters in the streets and rebellion lured just beneath the surface. The doctor, when he checked on me earlier today, told me that things have not improved in the least.” He hesitated. “In fact he told me that the Republican Guard has been called in to secure the peace.” Vladimir was stunned. “He has sent in the Guard against civilians?” They all knew, who he meant by ‘he’ and Nicolai nodded. “Obviously. This means that the situation is even more insecure now, as there might be street battles between rioters and armed troops. We have to be very careful. Once we reach the palace of St. Michael, I can gain us entrance, I hope, by using my Okhrana credentials. But getting there might not be easy.” Both Vladimir and Dmitri nodded. Getting through a city filled with rioters and nervous soldiers would not be easy indeed and they simply had to get safely to the palace. The future of Russia depended on it. “Well?” Vladimir asked, “let’s go then.”

About half an hour later, the Altenor had docked and the passengers, including Nicolai, Vladimir and Dmitri, were leaving the ships to set foot in the highly unsafe city. Nicolai turned at once towards the nearest taxi-parking with the others close on his tail. “We’ll go first to a safe house I know.” Nicolai had said, earlier on the ship. “There will be a car we can use, to get further towards the palace. It will get us as close as we can and we simply have to make the best way after that.” They found a taxi rather easily and although nervous about it, the driver agreed to take them to the address he was given, although he did warn them that the neighborhood wasn’t the safest to be in at the time being. Still, he got them there without incident, although they did see quite a few groups of people eyeing them suspiciously, as they drove past them. “Here you are sirs.” The taxi driver said when they arrived and they paid him the agreed-upon money, which was, in fact, quite a bit more than the usually price. The three men quickly left the taxi and Nicolai lead the way through an alley to a door. “We’ll go through here, to the garage in the other street.” He said and led them through a series of small hallways through the building and into a garage, which held a black car. Nicolai mumbled something satisfying, when they entered the garage and Vladimir suspected that the captain hadn’t been entirely sure that the car would be here after all, but who could blame him. “Get in and I’ll get the door.” Nicolai said. After a few moments, he had opened the door and quickly drove out the car, exiting only to reclose the garage door behind them. When he was back behind the steering wheel, he turned around, to face Dmitri and Vladimir in the back. “I know a few ways through the city, which should take us rather close to the palace, without detection.” He said and Vladimir nodded. “But after that, we have to take our chances in the open.” They quickly sped off and made their way through a series of rather narrow roads and even a few back alleys, making Vladimir become hopelessly lost within a few minutes. After a while, they came out to a big road, which Vladimir recognized as the one leading to the palace of St. Michael. “Alright, stay sharp back there.” Nicolai warned, as he continued out on the street. To their left, which was the direction of the castle, they immediately began hearing shouts and yells and turning to look, they saw a crowd of several thousand demonstrators, screaming something, which to Vladimir sounded like: “Down with the president, down with Denikin!”

Oh God. He thought, It’s even worse than I imagined. Further away, on the other side of the crowd, they could see mounted guardsmen, trying to stem the advance of the rioters. “Alright.” Nicolai said, “I’ll take another road and come out behind those guardsmen, then we might make it to the palace.” Without waiting for a reply, he quickly sped forward down another side street, narrowly missing another group of people, seemingly trying to catch up with the first. Without slowing, Nicolai continued and made a sharp turn down another street. For a few minutes, this madness continued, as Nicolai, showing his high skill at driving took them down another series of small streets and then out onto the large one they had just left and smack into a large group of guards, who quickly aimed their rifles at them. “Shit.” Nicolai exclaimed. “Get out of the car!” One man, an officer bearing the insignias of a lieutenant called at them. “And get your hands up!” eying the rifles pointing in their direction, the three men quickly decided that they had very little choice in the matter and exited the car, holding their hands were the lieutenant could see them. “Who are you?” He asked, his question made in the form of a crisp, military command. Nicolai responded. “I am Captain Nicolai Amenikov of the Okhrana. I am leading two very important people to the palace.” The lieutenant eyed him, suddenly a bit less sure of himself than before. “Can you prove that?” he asked, still in a tone of command. He was obviously very nervous about the whole situation, not the least because of the thousands of people, his detachment was currently trying to keep at bay. “I have identification in my pocket.” Nicolai said and the lieutenant nodded to one of his soldiers. “Get it private.” The soldier cocked his rifle and went over to Nicolai, who nodded towards one of his pockets. Taking out the papers, the private went back to the lieutenant, who quickly read them through. “Very well captain, I can see you are, who you claim you are.” He said, as he handed back the papers and motioned for his people to lower their weapons. “But you cannot get to the palace.” Nicolai looked at him sharply. “There are another group, much larger than this one, between us and there, sir.” The lieutenant explained. “And I have orders to hold this section. I cannot spare any men to help you.” Nicolai seemed very unpleased at that, but kept quiet, obviously trying to think of a way to get through.

Vladimir waited for a few moments and stepped forward, motioning to ward off Nicolai, who was about to protest. “Lieutenant.” Vladimir said, his voice calm. “Do you have any idea, who I am?” The lieutenant looked at him puzzled and shook his head, eyeing Nicolai. “Tell him captain.” Vladimir said and Nicolai, although at first staying silent, looking at Vladimir, then nodded and turned his attention back to the lieutenant. “What is your name, lieutenant?” he asked. “Shumenko.” The lieutenant answered. “Lieutenant Segiy Shumenko.” It was an Ukrainian name, although this did not surprise Nicolai, since Ukraine had been part of the republic for some time now and no matter what, many Ukrainians had lived inside the republic, even before that. “Well, then Lieutenant Shumenko.” Nicolai said his voice very, very serious. “What you are about to hear is considered a state secret, do you understand? If for any reason, you divulge this information to anyone else, you will be found and executed for treason.” The lieutenant looked at Nicolai surprised. “Surely you cannot…” He began, but Nicolai interrupted him. “I can and I will.” With that, he held out a hand towards Vladimir. “You have the honor to address, the Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov.” He said simply and the lieutenant’s face paled to an absolute white, while he stared first at Nicolai and then at Vladimir. “Your Highness.” He exclaimed, his voice a mere whisper from shock. “I take it you know, why I am here lieutenant Shumenko?” Vladimir asked and got a stunned nod in reply. “Then you must also know the vital necessity of me reaching the palace unharmed as soon as humanly possible.” Again, all he got was a nod. “Then lieutenant, although I cannot command you as yet, I strongly suggest that you immediately form up your men, to escort me and my companions to the Palace of St. Michael.” The lieutenant looked at him. “But my orders, Your Highness.” He said, not entirely sure what to do. “I could get shot for this.” Vladimir nodded. “You will receive a full pardon by the president, as soon as we have spoken with him, lieutenant. I give you my word.” Lieutenant Shumenko seemed to consider his options for a moment and then reached a conclusion. “Sergeant Lebedev!” he called out and one of the men a bit away called out in reply. “Form up the troops, we are leaving at once!” The sergeant complied and soon the soldiers were ready to move out, forming up around the black car in their middle, which they knew very little about, but which their commander had given them strict orders to protect, whatever the cost. While keeping the demonstrators and rioters at bay, the group of about three hundred armed men, slowly made their way towards the palace, forcefully removing any and all opposition to their progress. “We will be there soon, captain.” The lieutenant said in through the window at the car, which he was walking next to. Nicolai nodded. A few shots were fired, to head off the more serious opposition, but as of yet, the citizens of Skt. Petersburg did not have the stomach to take on a full detachment of the Republican Guard, when the latter seemed determined to get through.

340x.jpg

Mounted troops of the Republican Guard, taken at night.

As the lieutenant had predicted, they soon came to the palace, but between them and their destination was a huge crowd of people. “Form up!” The lieutenant yelled out his command. “Push forward!” The next part was unpleasant to say the least, but Vladimir forced himself to watch as numerous people were either forcefully pushed away or simply ridden down by the mounted troops in front. This will have to end. he thought and was about to exit the car, but found that he was held back by Dmitri. “No Vova.” Dmitri said. It was a nickname he very rarely used and Vladimir sank back in his seat. “You cannot save them.” Dmitri continued. “But you may doom us, if you try. Get to the palace and talk to the marshal. That is the only way to end this madness.” Vladimir nodded. He knew as much already, although he could not help the tears that flowed down his face, from the many deaths and injuries he was causing. Dmitri eyed him seriously. “You will have saved so many more, when this is all over Vova.” He said and Vladimir nodded again. He watched in silence, as the troops forced their way forward and silently vowed to himself: Never again.

They finally reached the lines of the Republican Guards, defending the palace. The lieutenant quickly dispersed his men to take up defensive positions and then led Vladimir and his companions towards the entrance. Before they got there, they were intercepted by an enraged colonel. “What in the Nine hells do you think you’re during lieutenant!” he screamed, spit flying from his mouth, as he was unable to control himself. The lieutenant, unable and unwilling to talk back to a commanding officer, kept silent. “I shall have you shot for this! I…” Vladimir interrupted. “Be silent colonel.” He said his voice cold and hard. What he had just endured left him with absolutely no patience for angry officers. In his mind, he could see the dead bodies, as the car passed them by and the screams of the wounded still went on, to his inner ear. The colonel turned to him. “Who the hell do you think you are?!” He screamed, possibly even angrier than before. “Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov.” Vladimir stated simply, locking eyes with the colonel, who had very suddenly fallen silent, his eyes bulging and his mouth open. “I am here to meet with Marshal Denikin.” The colonel’s mouth open and closed, but no sound came out, as he simply stood there, staring at the grand duke in front of him. “Very well then.” Vladimir continued and turned to Shumenko. “Lieutenant, please proceed.” The lieutenant, staring first at his colonel and then at Vladimir, snapped to attention. “Yes Your Highness.” He snapped and turned on his heel, to lead them past the guards, those of whom, who had overheard Vladimir, staring at him as if he had just grown ten feet tall and sprouted wings. Their eyes silently followed the Grand Duke, as they let him pass and then formed up around him and his companions, with no one, least of all the still flabbergasted colonel, countermanding their decision.

As they reached the doors, the guards defending it, eyed the lieutenant, which by now had regained his confidence, perhaps partly due to the fifty or so soldiers, following him in straight ranks, forming a protective barrier around the people in their middle. “Move aside.” The lieutenant stated simply, as they made to move in front of him and seeing that he had no intention of stopping, the guards did just that, not knowing what else to do.

Marshal Anton Denikin, president of the Republic of Russia, was not a pleased man. From his office in the presidential palace, he was looking out over the masses of demonstrators, screaming for his head. “What are your orders Mr. President?” The voice, coming from behind him, called Denikin back to attention. “What order is there to give, Marshal?” He asked simply and looked at his Chief of Staff, Field Marshal Wrangel. “I will not command the troops to open fire into the crowd. They may rebellious, but these are the people of Russia, we’re talking about. Besides, I’m pretty certain that most of the troops would not obey the order.” He turned back to the window. “Look at them marshal, they are the people of Russia, the citizens of Skt. Petersburg, but more than that, they are the fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers of the soldiers standing against them. Some of them at least, anything else would be ludicrous.” Behind him, Wrangel agreed. “You are right Mr. President.” He said, “In fact, the desertions have increased in number. Obviously, many of the soldiers do not want to have to face their families and friends across the barrel of a rifle.” Denikin nodded. “Who can blame them?” He asked to no one in particular.

He was interrupted by a knock on the door and his private secretary opened. “There are someone to see you Mr. President.” The secretary said, her voice sounding somewhat shaken. Denikin looked at her and noticed that she seemed rather shocked and even a bit afraid. What is this? Denikin thought, Not the rioters surely, or I would have known. “Who is it then?” He asked, “A Lieutenant Segiy Shumenko, sir, of the Republican Guard.” A lieutenant, what on earth? “What does he want, this lieutenant?” Denikin looked at his secretary, who was usually very professional. He had never seen her like this before. What is happening? “I think you better talk to him yourself sir.” His secretary replied and without waiting for confirmation opened the door further. Denikin was shocked, to say the least, he had never experienced anything like this from his secretary, who was the best of her kind, hence her position. “What in…” he began, but fell silent, as a young man in the uniform of the Republican Guard and wearing the insignia of a lieutenant entered. He too looked visibly shaken and his eyes darted from the president to Wrangel, the sight of the latter, which made the lieutenant pale even more. Before Denikin could demand any explanation however, three more men entered the room, two of them rather young, while the last one seemed to be in his fifties. By now, the president was on the verge of exploding. Never, in his entire career, had he experienced such audacity. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” He said, “I demand an explanation.” Before any of them could speak, however, Field Marshal Wrangel did so. “Your Highness.” He exclaimed, causing Denikin to look at him and then back at the three men. One of them, the youngest-looking of the three, replied to Wrangel’s exclamation with a nod. “Indeed Count Wrangel.” He replied, surprising Denikin with the use of the field marshal’s noble title, which he had all but forgotten about. Highness. he thought and suddenly stared at the young man. Then he must be… “Greetings President Denikin.” The young man said and Denikin nodded, too surprised to do anything else. “I am Grand Duke Vladimir Cyrillovich Romanov. I have been informed that you would like to see me?” Once more, Denikin simply nodded. ...The Grand Duke.

“See you? Oh, yes, yes.” Denikin had indeed ordered the Okhrana to find Vladimir and persuade him to return to Russia, but he hadn’t really believed it possible, after all that had happened during the civil war and after. The two men quickly got to talking and spent the next couple of hours discussing what to do, how to do it and so forth. While Count Dmitri Yuriev, as he had been introduced, much to Denikin’s annoyance stayed at the side of the Grand Duke and counseled him during the discussion, the President found, even more to his dismay, that Vladimir Romanov was a very shrewd negotiator to say the least. In fact, even though he had imagined a kind of constitutional monarchy, with himself being the real power and Vladimir as a mere figurehead, he found himself backed into a corner with no way out. “It is very simple marshal.” Vladimir said, having long since stopped using the presidential title, as part of the psychology of the talks. “The people wishes for a strong monarchy to secure the nation and lead Russia into the future. They are demanding a return of their Tsar, not a petty king or emperor, who is simply a tool of greedy men, who think only of themselves and not of Russia. I will give them what they ask. That is why I am here.” Denikin had retorted. “And what if I do not agree to this Your Highness?” He used the title insultingly, trying to remind the young upstart, just who he was speaking with.

“Then I will leave this office and proclaim my identity to the people.” Vladimir had stated and in a split second, Denikin knew he had lost. If Vladimir were to do what he said, the people would storm the palace. Denikin had eyed Wrangel and noting the look in his eyes, when he eyed the Grand Duke, knew that he could not prevent Vladimir from carrying out his threat. If he tried, or so he believed, Wrangel might very well support Vladimir and all would be lost. “And you will keep me as chancellor, Your Highness?” Vladimir nodded with a smile on his face. He knows he has won. Denikin thought “Of course marshal.” Vladimir said, “You know more about the status of Russia and the affairs of the government, than I do for the time being. I will need your advice.” Advice Denikin though. So that’s it, I am demoted from president to Imperial Advisor. He knew he had no choice however and nodded his agreement. “I agree Your Highness, it shall be as you request.” Vladimir nodded and smiled. “But how then, do we inform the people? We can hardly go out onto the balconies, as we might get shot down by someone and we can’t leave the palace.” Vladimir’s smile nearly turned into a grin, as he turned towards the last man, whom Denikin still didn’t know. “Captain, if you please.” Vladimir said and the man nodded and left the office. “I think what I have in mind will do the job perfectly marshal.” Vladimir said and arose. He went over to the window, Denikin close behind him. For about ten or so minutes, nothing happened. “What are we waiting for?” Denikin asked and, after a rather insisting cough from behind him, most likely from the Count Yuriev, added: “Your Highness.” Vladimir held up a hand to silence him, making Denikin’s anger flare up again. Who dare he! he thought, but kept it inside. At least for the time being, he had to play the Grand Duke’s game. But not for long. Not for long. “There marshal, do you see it?” Vladimir nodded down at the crowds, surrounding the palace and Denikin noticed that the shouting had died down. “What is happening Your Highness?” he asked, truly bewildered. “The people have just received some very good news, I imagine.” Vladimir replied, smiling again. “They just need a little time to understand it, that’s all.”

Down on the street, the people, furious already, had been whipped into near frenzy by the arrival of the Republican Guards Detachment, who had forced their way through, by the gun, if necessary. It was all the guards could do, to keep the people from assaulting the palace and the situation had been highly unstable ever since. But then, several hours after the incident, a hush seemed to come over the people all at once, making the guards nervous. Then, one after the other turned his head to look in the direction, which seemed to hold the attention of the crowd. From every flagpole on the palace roof, the republican flag was slowly lowered, only to be replaced with another flag, moments later. Muttering spread among the crowd, as they took in this development, trying to figure out what was happening. And then, suddenly, a window in the top floor of the palace opened. A voice could be heard, calling through some sort of speaker: “Long Live Vladimir Romanov! Long Live the Tsar!”

ru_1914.gif

Imperial flag of Russia, the sign of a new age.
 
4th Dimension: he he, glad you liked it.. :) And don't worry, although we will leave him be for now, I can assure you that Nicolai will be making regular appearances in this AAR.. I like him too much, not to.. ;)

trekaddict: Very glad to hear it sir.. :) I'll do my very best to keep you entertained then.. ;)
And oh yes, no matter what they call themselves, staying out of the sights of the Russiian intelligence, is considered a very wise move.
lastly, I agree with you on the matter of Vladimir.. Staying in power, maintaining the support of the army, the nobles, the various political factions, the people, etc. etc. and not become a puppet of one of them is truly the tightrope of power..

Enewald: Why thank you.. :) And welcome aboard.. CK is a very cool game, I will admit that, although perhaps suited more to AARs, than to actual gameplay.. But that is a matter of taste..

Everyone:

This concludes chapter one.. :) In chapter two, we will deal with the situation of Russia, economically, politically, military and so forth. Let Vladimir get his feet wet in the world of politics and power and see how the republic deals with the fact that it is now an empire.. :)

A call to arms!!!

I have decided to include 'Interludes' in each chapter, from now on. It will be updates, which are not strictly part of the chapter, as they will deal with things not dealt with in the chapter itself. Among other things, you might see Nicolai make appearances in such interludes.. New inventions, foreign politics and so forth.. The possibilities are many...

And this is where you come in my dear readers. Cause I need you to tell me, what you would like to see in these interludes..
The coming Interlude will not be posted until about two or three updates further on, but the voting starts now, so you have time to think about it.. :)

The next one will be about:

a) Nicolai doing what Nicolai does best... ;)

b) The Asian Front (Timoshenko and some new characters..)

c) Germany and her situation in the world, as we speak..

Time to vote.. :D
 
Great update, really like the picture of the calvary, where did you find that and then a demotion in the Imperial Government, great.
 
Excellent post! It seems Vladimir is quite the bright and shrewd young man. Hopefully he'll be able to spot Denikin's treachery when he inevitably tries to reassert his authority.
 
The Tsar is back... Is the Empire going to return to its former glory?
 
Hehe. I liked the bit with the flag... :D

I agree with SeanB, but methinks that people like Wrangl will side with the Tzar, so Denkyn might find himself very alone if he isn't very careful.
 
TheEnlighted1: I googled 'mounted russian soldier' in the image search.. :) You can find it here

SeanB: That is truly the question, isn't it? ;) I can divulge this much at least: We have not seen the last powerstruggle between the two..

Kurt_Steiner: One should never take anything for granted.. And since I haven't played further than the end of the last update, I can't even claim to know myself.. :D

trekaddict: Thank you, I did in fact, like it quite a lot myself ;)
As for Wrangel, you may very well be correct, but there are many nobles in Russia, as well as a lot of disgruntled politicians, who may not like the Tsar's ideas for the future government. So maybe not entirely alone.. All we can really do is wait and see.. :eek:

4th Dimension: Battle.. Battle with who I dare ask? :rolleyes: :D

Enewald: B eh? Well, so far, with two votes for B and none in opposition, I'll start planning for that.. :)

Everyone:

The next update might be a few days off, as I have some things to do in the next two days.. Besides, I actually need to return to the game, to get the info for the next chapter, so that might take a little time..
However, I will start collecting all the necessary info tomorrow and hopefully, the day after that, wednesday, I can start writing.. :)

Note 1: The vote for the coming interlude will continue for at least two updates more.. So far it looks like option B and a closer look at the eastern front and perhaps even some battles... :D But that might take more than a single update, so let's see what happens..

Note 2: No one has, as of yet, ventured any guess into the identity of the man portraying as our dear Tsar.. Can it truly be that no one knows? :eek:

And finally.. Thank you all for replying.. :) The fact that you all do so, keeps me posting and researching with vigor and joy, trying my very best, to entertain you all. You are the very reason, why I do this and I cannot express my gratitude, that you continue to follow my story.. Thank you.. :)
 
Absolutely fantastic updates!

I really like this Captain Nicolai. A very capable and dangerous man- kind of reminds me of someone.. ;) At any rate, those traitors are going to be in for a world of hurt unless I miss mt guess.

Good to see the return of a powerful Czar to Russia. I greatly enjoyed watching Denikin being forced into relinquishing his power, even though I fear that he is already scheming to turn the tables. I also wanted to say that the bit at the end with the Imperial flag being raised to signal the crowd was a wonderful end to the update.
 
Chapter 2 - part 1

The Winter Palace, Skt. Petersburg, November 7th, 1938

It had taken the government almost two full weeks to adjust to the new situation in Russia. First and foremost, the people had needed to be informed that Russia was no longer a republic, but rather an empire and that the hated leader, Anton Denikin, was no longer in charge. It could be said with some truth, that the nation held its breath until October 30th, five days later, when the official coronation of Vladimir was held, somewhat rushed due to the need to stabilize the nation. A crowd the number of which easily counted beyond the hundreds of thousands had gathered in front of the Skt. Nicholas Cathedral, where, counter to centuries of traditions but obeying the need for a speedily arranged coronation, the final ceremonies were held.

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Skt. Nicholas Cathedral, where the official coronation of Tsar Vladimir was held.

It was only after the coronation had been completed and Vladimir had made a speech to the people that jubilation truly began. The speech in its entirety and even parts of the coronation ceremonies were then publicized by both newspapers, radio and even sent to the various movie theaters on film. Needless to say, the theaters in question had never had such an income, as in the weeks following the coronation.
However, for Vladimir, now Vladimir I Romanov, Tsar of all Russia, there was little time for celebration. Although Nicolai had to some degree informed him of the situation in Russia, he needed a much more substantial update and to that effect, he had assembled the primary ministers, now officially named ‘Members of the Imperial Council’, to the Winter Palace. He had met with them all before, but now, for the first time, would he do so as the de facto head of state.

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The Winter Palalce, home of the Tsar and the future location for all official meetings of the Imperial Council.

The first person to arrive in the luxurious council rooms was, of course, Chancellor Denikin, but soon after, the others began to arrive. Vladimir greeted each of them by name and noble title, if any.

The Councilor for Foreign Affairs, formerly the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Boris Stürmer.

Stürmer was to some degree, a rather simple minded brute, who preferred to back up his foreign relations with force, rather than diplomacy. He hadn’t gotten his position by skill however, but more so because Denikin had wanted a man, which he could control. Needles to say, Stürmer wasn’t Vladimir’s favorite for the position and he had already made plans to sack him and replace him with Prince Vladimir Galitzine, whose skills in diplomacy were held in high regard by many including Count Dmitri and whose political views were very akin to those of Vladimir himself. In fact, he had already held a meeting with the prince, a far off relative of Vladimir’s and had asked him to take the seat of Boris Stürmer, to which the prince had accepted. The appointment would be announced at the end of this, the first meeting of the Imperial Council, when Vladimir had had the chance to hear from the current councilor about the state of foreign affairs.

The Councilor for Armaments and Industry, formerly the Armaments Minister, Boris Komenenov.

Komenenov was a former industrialist, who had been with the government since the days of Alexander Kerensky. He had a history in industry and was thus a good man for the job of overseeing the implementation of Kerensky’s 10-Year Plan. However, Vladimir intended to replace him too, since he believed that the empire needed fresh initiative on this front and in his stead, had asked Georgij Brasov, also an industrialist, although one with political ideas closer to Vladimir’s and hopefully new ideas for the industry of Russia, to accept the position, which he had. Like the others, his appointment would await the end of the meeting, although, like the others, he had been given a seat in the back of the council-room.

Councilor for Security, formerly the Minister of Security, Mikhail Tukhachevsky.

Tukhachevsky was a dry man, who gave most people the impression of a lawyer and he wasn’t particularly creative in his duties as combined head of Police and the Department of Gendarmes. But he was efficient and just, which had made him a great head of security, allowing his top people the freedom to be creative, while he kept the whole system working. Still, although it had been a hard decision, Vladimir intended to replace Tukhachevsky with the Chief of the Okhrana, Nikolai Kharlamov. Kharlamov, during his time as head of Intelligence, had been an official part of the former government, although now, the Okhrana, the Police and the Department of Gendarmes would be represented by a single man. To Vladimir, Kharlamov was the perfect choice. Under his leadership the Okhrana had become not just the department for political crimes, as it once was under the old tsars, but rather a professional, well-oiled machine, which due to its high level of expertise and experience, had well established and thorough networks of agents in most major countries in the world. Indeed, it was joked that if King George sneezed in Canada, Kharlamov could tell you the number of times he did it and what color the snot had. As such he was a man feared by many and trusted by few, but Vladimir had decided to keep him on, as he liked his view on things. Kharlamov believed in studying the advances and modernizations of foreign nations and that when any form of new equipment and unit was fully understood, one would stand a far better chance of defeating it. Vladimir agreed with him wholeheartedly. Tukhachevsky would still be the active head of both the Police and the Department of Gendarmes, but he would no longer represent the matter of security on the Imperial Council.

Councilor of Domestic Affairs.

This was a new position, which Vladimir intended to create. He had thought deeply about this and consulted Dmitri about his idea. At first the old count had not understood the need for such a position to be created, arguing that the position of Chancellor more or less encompassed these duties as well. However, Vladimir disagreed, pointing to the severe levels of unrest experienced under the republic and the near disaster, which it had led to. A councilor, whose only concern would be the well-being of the people, was to Vladimir the only way to prevent such a thing from happening ever again. He had a man in mind for it too and when he mentioned his name, Dmitri finally agreed.
Metropolitan Archbishop Sergius of Moscow, a member of the Holy Synod, the ruling council of the Orthodox Church in Russia under the leadership of Patriarch Mikhail Pol’skii, who was the official head of the Church, was, believed Vladimir, the perfect man for the job and Dmitri agreed. Not only was the Orthodox faith an enormous part of everyday life for the vast majority of the people, but Sergius was also the second most powerful member of the Orthodox Church, having the complete trust of the Patriarch, who he considered a dear friend. Having a Bishop preside as Councilor of Domestic Affairs would ensure, or so Vladimir believed, that the position would be more or less Incorruptible and focused solely on the well-being of the people, something Russia sorely needed. Besides, as Dmitri commented afterwards, allowing the Orthodox Church into the Imperial Council, although in a position of little power over matters of state, should strengthen the loyalty of the Church as a whole to Vladimir and the throne and having the Church as an ally and a friend, was not a bad thing. At that, Vladimir had smiled one of those mysterious smiles, which told Dmitri that his friend and sovereign had indeed considered that possibility as well.

Councilor for Military Affairs, the Imperial Chief of Staff Count Petr Wrangel.

The Field Marshal, Count Petr Wrangel had an outstanding reputation in Russia and featured prominently in the military history of the nation. At the same time, Vladimir knew or at least believed that Count Wrangel supported him and was loyal to the throne, not a bad thing to be had in the chief of the armed forces. The Chief of Staff, as he would usually be called and indeed, so his position had always been known, also had the support and loyalty of the military and Vladimir needed the military to be loyal, if not directly to him, then at least to one, who was. The Tsar was not so naïve as to believe that he had had the last struggle for power and dominance with his Chancellor and being able to count on the support of the armed forces went a long way to ensure that Vladimir would come out on top of any such struggles.

Chief Commander of the Imperial Army, Vasilij Von Blücher.

Von Blücher was a stern believer in the doctrine of the Hammer and Anvil, as had been once suggested by General Markov as the chief plan for the future development of the then Republican Army. Even if the suggestion had, at that time, been rejected by Denikin in favor of Count Wrangel’s more broadminded approach to a modern army, the Hammer and Anvil doctrine had not been completely written off. In fact, both Denikin and Vladimir considered the doctrine to be of vital importance, if Russia was ever to become involved in any major war and thus, Vladimir had decided to keep the general as Chief Commander of the Imperial Army, as his position was now known. Still, Von Blücher’s political stance concerned him somewhat and also the fact, that the general was a very close friend and ally of the Chief Commander of the Imperial Air Force, Sergei Korenev, whom Vladimir did indeed tend to replace. Thus, he had prepared himself for an eventual resignation and had decided that if it happened, he would instead promote Georgiy K. Zhukov, a young but very skilled Lt. General to the post. Zhukov believed in the same doctrinal ideas as Von Blücher, but his political stance was much closer to that of Vladimir himself and he knew him to be a personal protégé of Count Wrangel, which also counted for much.

Chief Commander of the Imperial Navy, Robert Von Wiren.

Von Wiren, a strong believer in the doctrine of Decisive Battle, e.g. the creation of a large navy and the subsequent destruction of enemy fleets on the high seas, was a well respected and experienced naval commander, who had held his office from the time of Alexander Kerensky. Even though he shared the political beliefs of both other Chief Commanders, Vladimir hoped he would not resign his position, as his potential replacement, Nikolai Kuznetsov, although a believer in the doctrine of Decisive Battle as well, was far less experienced in the art of naval combat than Von Wiren. Of course, the position of Chief Commander of the Imperial navy had not held much power in a long time, due to the scandalous state in which the navy found itself. Vladimir hoped that in time the necessary resources and production capability would be released to rectify this, as to his knowledge, every potential major adversary of the empire had a fleet, which far outnumber that of Russia.

Chief Commander of the Imperial Air Force, Sergei Koronev.

To Vladimir, the fact that Sergei Koronev had ever been placed as the chief of the air force, let alone retained his position, spoke volumes of the low regard in which, that branch of the armed forces was held. Koronev was a stern believer in the doctrine of Vertical Envelopment, using transport planes and specially trained troops to seize strategically important terrain and bridgeheads by air. This indeed seemed like a great idea and Vladimir considered it worthwhile, if not war-winning. But no matter his personal beliefs, the fact that Russia possessed neither transport planes, nor even a single division trained in the manner of which Koronev supported, cried out to the folly of having the man hold the position he did. Especially since Vladimir, a strong believer in a massive air force himself, thought it far more important to have the air force work in close cooperation with the army. The fact that the Imperial Air Force so far possessed only short-range fighters meant for defense and medium bombers, commonly used in a manner more tactical than strategic, suggested that Marshal Denikin himself had a similar view. Why on earth Denikin had then not replaced the Chief Commander of the Imperial Air Force, went beyond Vladimir’s ability to comprehend and he intended to rectify this at the first opportunity, thus promoting Pavel Rychagov to the position as chief of air. Rychagov, although only finishing his military training in 1931, had risen quickly through the ranks by both his skill as a pilot and as a leader. He was as close to an ‘Ace’ as Russia could find them and Vladimir, ever the opportunist, considered the idea of placing a man considered by many to be a national hero as the chief of air, to be a wise move, when at the same time that man had the necessary expertise and experience to properly fulfill the position.

As all the current councilors, as well as Count Dmitri, who did not have an official position within the Imperial Council, but whom Vladimir would not have been without entered the official Council Rooms, Vladimir greeted every one by name and in return, they bowed deeply, or saluted their imperial sovereign.
The Councilors-to-be had arrived earlier that day and each had had a private meeting with the Tsar and his Personal Advisor, Count Yuriev, during which it was explained to them that they were to observe the meeting of the Imperial Council, gaining what information they could and then later, when the first part of the meeting was past, they would be officially promoted. To a man, the future councilors agreed, a testament not only to their loyalty, but also to their intelligence as they knew that a chance to listen and observe to their soon-to-be predecessors, was a chance not to miss. Vladimir approved. And so, the main council room was quite full, when the various councilors and their aides arrived. Servants showed them to their places around a large, oval mahogany table, placed in the middle of the room. At the far back, behind the enlarged chair, almost a throne in itself, which was the seat of the Tsar, hung a huge picture of Alexander Kerensky. Vladimir had decided that the council might need an occasional reminder of why they were there and a picture of the greatest hero in the history of Russia and equally important, a man who was willing to think far into the future, to save his country, might be able to help the councilors keep their minds on what was important: Nothing less than the future and continual well-being of the Empire of Russia and its people.

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The man who had saved Russia and the one who would lead her into the future:
Alexander Kerensky, Hero of the Republic and Vladimir I Romanov, Tsar of the Russian Empire.
 
Hardraade: I'm glad you like them.. :) Hopefully that wont change in the future.. ;)
I am terribly fond of Nicolai myself, although I do not entirely see, who he should remind you off... :rolleyes: Remember, a certain Ian Flemming has not yet had his chance to write any stories.. And in this timeline, he might never get the chance... :eek: Britain is, after all, the enemy.. Or will be, someday. ;)

As for Denikin, I can assure you that he is already plotting and scheming.. Isn't that in reality what politics are all about? :D

Oh and by the by.. What is your vote for the coming Interlude?

Everyone:

I've decided to post only the councilor's introduction to you in this update, as I, when i had finished it, realized that it was in fact rather long..

The next update will of course, feature numbers, statistics and news about the empire and the nations with which it is concerned. :)

As I already have all the necessary numbers and other data, it shouldn't be too long in the making and I do intend to start writing tomorrow.. And as you've properly guessed by now, when I've begun, I find it very hard indeed, to stop before it's done.. ;)

Hope you like this one and that you'll enjoy the next as well. :)
 
One question. Just how did Tukachevsky end up as a cop. And with him gone, who is your Land doctrine tech team, and how are they skilled.
 
Chapter 2 - Part 2

The Winter Palace, Skt. Petersburg, November 7th, 1938

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As the different members of the Imperial Council had taken their seats, Anton Denikin, now the Chancellor of the Empire of Russia opened the meeting.
“Greetings gentlemen. As you know, the last two weeks have seen some severe changes in the nation as a whole and in this, the former government of the republic and now the council to His Imperial Majesty, Tsar Vladimir.” At that, all the men turned away from Denikin, who sat at one end of the large table, to nod their respect towards the Tsar, who presided over the meeting from the other end, before turning back to the chancellor. “His Majesty has requested a full update into the nation’s current standing both domestically, military and foreign, that he may be better able to decide on the future of our nation.” Denikin’s introduction droned on for a few more minutes, as he introduced the other men, sitting along the wall, without explaining their deeper purpose for being there. His speech pointed heavily to the fact that the Tsar, not himself and certainly not the government turned council, would decide on the future of Russia and that it was in the Tsar’s hands alone that the final decision lay on any and all matters of importance. It wasn’t a surprise really, although some of the councilors were rather astonished that Denikin had so obviously given up power without a fight, but the fact was that Denikin’s speech had been written for him by Count Dmitri Yuriev and he had had no choice in the matter, what so ever. Still, the marshal had not objected. He had a lot of experience into the field of power games and he knew very well that he had to bide his time, before making his move.

“We shall start with the domestic situation.” Denikin continued, nodding towards Mikhail Tukhachevsky, the as of yet, Councilor for Security. “Councilor Tukhachevsky, if you please.”
“Your Majesty, Chancellor, members of the council.” Tukhachevsky began. “The situation of the nation is good and frankly better than it has been in a long while.” At that, Vladimir couldn’t help a faint smile from showing on his lips for a brief moment. “After spreading the news of His Majesty’s coronation and subsequent acquisition of the throne, the nation has been in a more or less nonstop celebration for the last two weeks. Of course, not everyone has been equally happy about this change, but those who are displeased have kept a very low profile, at least for now. There are some few important groups in opposition to His Majesty’s rule, but these will be covered by the chief of the Okhrana in his briefing I believe.” Kharlamov, the chief of the Okhrana nodded briefly but did not say anything.

"As to the status of the parts of the nation, which have only recently re-entered the Empire, namely the Ukraine and the former nation of Alash Orda, the situation is a bit different, due to some national tensions within the former nations in question. Ukraine has been almost completely reintegrated into Russia and only about a single percent of the population still has any qualms with the current government. This situation is currently being rectified by continuous transportations of food and seed. We estimate that within a year or perhaps 2 at the most, the last remnants of nationalization will have been effectively neutralized and the people of Ukraine completely reintegrated into the Empire. For now however, eight full divisions of the Gendarmes have been placed in the former territories of Ukraine, to deal with any insurrection.

As for Alash Orda, the situation is different due to several factors. First and foremost, that nation has only fairly recently ceased to exist and this only due to the threat of foreign invasion by their once enemy Turkestan. The fact that Turkestan is now an independent Grand Duchy of the empire, or as the technical term for this is, a satellite nation, has convinced roughly fifteen to twenty percent of the population in the territories of the former nation of Alash Orda that they could and should regain their independence. However, the vast majority of the population has no wish to secede from the empire and from our point of view, the territories in question are an integrated part of the Empire, as has always been the case. However, we have sent seven divisions of the Gendarmes to monitor the situation and keep a lid on any unrest in the region. They will arrive in December at the latest and more may be sent, if deemed necessary.

We cannot hope to placate the nationalists in the same way as we have those of Ukraine, for the simple reason that the people of Alash Orda have plenty of food. And now that any external threat has been neutralized, we have few points of pressure left for us. However, I am convinced that it is only a matter of time, before the nationalist factions come to realize that Alash Orda is far better off as a part of the empire, than on their own and although it may take several years to completely pacify the nationalist opposition, we foresee no problems in doing so.

This in fact, concludes my briefing, as there is nothing for the moment, to be commented on in more detail. The people are happy and the nation is prosperous, especially now that all strikes and riots have come to an end. Of course, the actual work of repairing damage and getting the nation back on its feet will take a while, but the people offer no opposition to the work and in many cases have even organized volunteer groups to help the army in its work towards restoring the city of Skt. Petersburg and other major cities.” Tukhachevsky fell silent and nodded to Denikin and Vladimir to indicate he was finished.

“Very well then, Denikin began, but was interrupted by Vladimir. “Excuse me chancellor.” He said and then turned to Archbishop Sergius, who was seated along the wall. “Your Excellency.” Vladimir said, “please enlighten us on how the Church sees the current situation. Sergius nodded, his enormous beard bopping up and down as he did so. “Your Majesty, the Church is in full agreement with the assessment of the Councilor for Security.” He said, his mode of speech somewhat formal and a bit too stylized. It will get easier for him in time. Vladimir thought, knowing that the Archbishop was not used to speaking with laymen. “His Holiness the Patriarch and with him the Holy Synod has made it known that it fully supports His Majesty and the Throne, as well as asked all true believers to aid in any way possible, with the restoration and normalization of the nation as a whole. I believe that many of the organized volunteer groups have been made in response to His Holiness’ plea to the people.” The archbishop paused for a moment. “Still, I must add that His Holiness is concerned with the poverty of many of the rural districts of Russia. Although the harvest has been good for many years, it suffers under a lack of modern equipment, as many farmers do not possess the necessary finances, to purchase such equipment.” Vladimir nodded. “Thank you, Your Excellency, please assure His Holiness that this matter will be addressed forthwith.” Sergius nodded his accept and Vladimir turned to Denikin. “Please continue Chancellor.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Denikin said, a little puzzled about the whole thing and turned his attention to the Councilor for Armaments and Industry, Boris Komenenov. “Councilor Komenenov, please enlighten His Majesty and the council on the state of the industry.” Komenenov nodded. “Your Majesty, Chancellor, fellow Councilors.” He began, although it was clear that he did not like the way he had to address what he still considered to be the government of Russia. “The industrial program begun in 1927 by Alexander Kerensky and continued under the Chancellor’s time as president, still continues to be strong and indeed, one of the strongest of Europe. We have a massive production of almost all types of natural resources needed by the industry to function, which has allowed the Foreign Min…” Komenenov paused and smiled apologetically to Vladimir. “Please forgive me Your Majesty, the Councilor for Foreign Affairs, to make Russia the paramount nation in the world, when it comes to trade. As for industrial output, we have a solid base indeed and certain technological developments into the effectiveness of production, as well as our political standpoint have allowed us to gradually increase the actual output from our industry, so that at the time being, we are actually running at a 145% productive capability, when compared to the base industrial output.”

Many of the councilors nodded and smiled at this, mumbling a bit among themselves. Vladimir eyed Denikin and the Chancellor quickly called the council to order. “Please gentlemen. We have a meeting.” The talks quickly subsided and Komenenov continued. “On the matter of what is actually produced at the time being, I will quickly run through the list.” Komenenov produced a few sheets of paper from his briefcase and quickly looked them over. “The current production lines are as follow.” He began. “For the Air Force, we are currently running four lines of medium bomber wings and fighter escort squadrons. The production run is set for ten wings each, of which we have already finished three. The entire line is due to be finished in October 1940, barring any changes and accidents. At the same time, another four production lines are being run for short range fighter wings, five wings in total for each, of which three have already been completed. So, for the air force, a total of 28 new medium bomber wings totaling 2688 bombers, plus 672 escort fighters, as well as 8 wings of short range fighters, totaling 768 new planes.”

Many of the councilors gasped at this and some looked shocked to the core. “Why do we need so many planes?” Boris Stürmer, the Councilor for Foreign Affairs asked. “Who are we going to bomb? We are at peace for the love of God!” Vladimir was about to speak up, but before he could do so, Count Wrangel, the Councilor for Military Affairs, was already speaking. “And do you expect Russia to always be at peace Councilor Stürmer?” he asked, a slight smile on his lips. “What shall we tell our enemies, when they one day come for us, that they have to wait until we can produce enough planes, to defeat them? Or do you think it wise to build up the armed forces while we are at peace, thus perhaps deterring them from ever declaring war on us?”

Most of the councilors nodded their agreement to this, but Stürmer persisted. “I do of course agree with your assessment on this Councillor Wrangel.” He said, “What I am questioning is the reason for building so many planes. Wouldn’t it be far better to focus on the construction of a larger army to defend our borders, instead of wasting valuably production on toys?” The last remark had been almost a snicker, clearly indicating Stürmer’s view on the army as the predominant part of the military and his rather low regard for the air force as a whole. “I beg to correct you Councilor.” Vladimir spoke up, before Wrangel could respond. “The air force will be the predominant part of the Imperial Armed Forces in the future. While a strong army is indeed necessary to safeguard the nation, an equally strong air force is just as or perhaps even more important.” Vladimir eyed Stürmer and noted that the man was far from convinced. Another reason to replace him. Vladimir thought. “Russia is the largest nation on earth, Councilor.” Vladimir continued, his tone of voice almost that, which one used when talking to a child, something which the otherwise rather simpleminded Stürmer caught immediately, which only made him seemed even more displeased and even somewhat angry. “Although our armed forces need be powerful, no matter how many troops we have, they will not be able to move from one end of the country to the other, to respond to any new threat, which may arise. The air force however, not restricted by the ability to transport troops over land, will be able to respond far easier and ultimately far, far faster to any such threat, supporting whatever troops may already be in the area, until reinforcements can arrive.”

Vladimir eyed Stürmer, noting that comprehension seemed to, finally, begin to dawn. “Do you believe in the necessity of tanks, councilor?” He asked, his voice deceptively innocent. “I do, Your Majesty, however Russia has none.” Vladimir shook his head. “That is not true councilor, Russia has plenty of tanks. Ours just have wings.” The Imperial Council erupted in laughter at the comment, which increased the embarrassment and displeasure of the angry Stürmer tenfold. “While we do need those that travel on the ground too, we will make do with their flying counterparts, until such a time, as we may supplement them with those that have tracks.” With that, the discussion was clearly over and although Stürmer, red-faced from anger and embarrassment, clearly wished he could make a retort, he did not dare to do so. “Please continue Councilor Komenenov.” Vladimir said. “Of course, your Majesty.” Komenenov’s mirth was clearly evident in his voice, although he tried to hide it.


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The ‘Flying Tanks' of Imperial Russia

“Apart from these ‘flying tanks’, as Your Majesty so clearly put it, we are also in the process of enlarging the fleet. Currently, we are in the process of producing three heavy cruisers of the Kerensky Class, the Svietland, Peresvies and Alexander Nevski, which will be due around March next year. To supplement these, we have three runs of light cruisers of the Chapayev Class, each consisting of two ships, which will all be done in June next year and finally, we are constructing three destroyer squadrons of the Kiev Class, which will be due in February. All these ships will join the Imperial Black Sea Fleet, which is currently the only modern fleet the empire possesses.” Komenenov flipped through a few more pages and seemingly finding what he needed, he continued. “Finally, we are currently running two lines of transport squadrons for the merchant marine, as well as a single line of escorts. These are run at a continual basis and will continue to do so, until the order is countermanded. At the time being, we have no further military or mercantile production runs under way.” Komenenov briefly paused, to rummage through his papers once more. “Apart from production, much of our industrial output is channeled into civilian purposes, military supplies although these are rather low due to the immense trade conducted in this area and finally upgrades. This concludes my briefing, unless there are questions.” Komenenov looked around the table and finally at Vladimir. “Your Majesty?” he asked and Vladimir shook his head. “No questions Councilor, thank you.” Komenenov smiled and nodded, as Denikin took the word once more. “Count Wrangel, if you would please enlighten us on the military status of Russia?” Wrangel nodded politely, first to Denikin and then to Vladimir. “Your Majesty, I have the distinct pleasure to report to you that the status of the armed forces of the empire is strong.” He began, by his choice of words clearly indicating his support for the Tsar and his acknowledgement of the new status of the government as an advisory council to His Majesty. “The army is among the strongest in the world, if seen merely in numbers, although we are currently updating all of our infantry divisions with the newest equipment made available from our Research and Development departments.” Wrangel fell silent for a moment and nodded to one of his aides, who quickly produced some papers, which he handed to the chief of staff.

“In total, we 140 infantry divisions, divided into 46 Infantry Corps, each with 2 brigades of artillery and one of engineers. The final two divisions comprising the Imperial Guard, which is stationed here in Skt. Petersburg along with the High Command. Each of these two divisions is brigaded with an anti air brigade meant for the possibility of an enemy trying to launch an air strike at the capital. The High Command as well fields such a brigade, which is part of the city air defenses. In total, the empire fields 1.703.000 troops in the infantry. Apart from these divisions, which encompass the vast majority of our armed forces, we have a total of 6 cavalry divisions, each brigaded with mounted engineers. These divisions have been raised from the Cossack populations of the Caucasus and the Don areas of the empire and encompass a total of 69.000 troops. At the moment, we are unsure as to the exact purpose these troops will have in the future, but we have delayed retraining them for another part of the armed forces, not least because of the strong traditions among the Cossacks for horse riding, making them excel among all others in this particular field.” Vladimir held up a hand to interrupt. “The Cossack cavalry will serve its purpose in the future Councilor and it would be a terrible mistake, to retrain them. However, we will discuss this further on in the meeting, so please continue.” Count Wrangel nodded. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He said, pleased. Although he was a stern supported and even the architect of modernizing the armed forces, Wrangel had to admit, at least privately, that seeing the horse completely withdrawn from the line of battle, would be a sad thing to experience. He still remembered the days, when he himself had commanded cavalry and to his mind there was nothing as sweet as the sound of a full cavalry charge across the field. Although he could not guess the intentions of his Tsar, he was happy that at least some part of the glorious cavalry traditions of Russia would be kept alive. “Another part of the infantry, not counted among the regular units, are the mountain divisions, which total 30 at the time being, each brigaded with engineers. These troops number a total of 525.000 troops, due to the nearly one third larger size in manpower of the mountain divisions. These troops are specialized in warfare in both mountains and hills, as well as in cold climates, making them excellent for some of the less hospitable frontiers of the empire. The immense eastern fronts of Russia makes it necessary to employ so many of these troops and perhaps even more, as regular infantry find it very hard to traverse the less mundane terrain on these frontiers.” Vladimir nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace, your analysis will certainly be taken into account.” Wrangel nodded. “Your Majesty is too kind.”

He continued. “The Gendarmes, while not strictly part of the armed forces still contribute to all wars by their presence in occupied territory and they number a total of 30 divisions, supplemented with brigades of military police, for a total of 30.000 troops. In all, the Imperial Army has a grand total of nearly 2.3 million troops, not counting the Gendarmes. At this time, the empire possesses no armored divisions, nor any form of motorized such, although research into these developments continue unabated.”

Army-Nov-1938.jpg

The Imperial Army in November '38. Large, but lacking in anything that even vaguely resembled an engine.

Wrangel paused for a moment, locating another piece of schematics, which was quickly passed around the table. “As you may see, Your Majesty, the Imperial Air Force is strong, when paired with that of other nations, yet still weak, when the vast borders of Russia are taken into account. At the time being, we possess a total of 28 Short Range Fighter Wings, organized in 7 Groups. In itself a number to be reckoned with and one which may dissuade potential enemies, but they will only be suitable for a single front and only if both the capital, as well as other important locations are left unguarded. At the same time, we possess a total of 20 medium bomber wings, organized into 5 Groups. These too would be suitable for a single front war, but they would not be able to participate in all battles along every front. In total, the empire currently possesses 2688 Short Range Fighters and 1920 Medium Range Bombers, along with the 480 Escort Fighters assigned to them. When the current production lines are complete however, these numbers will have risen to 3456 short range fighters or a total of 36 Wings in 9 Groups, as well as 4608 medium bombers and 1152 escorts, organized into 12 Groups of 4 Wings each. The number of medium bombers will at that time be sufficient for any war in Europe, although it will still leave the Asian and Pacific theaters in low strength. At the same time, it is the belief of the Imperial High Command that the number of short range fighters need to be at least quadrupled, to ensure a continuous air defense on all fronts.” Vladimir nodded and made a mental note to remember his chief of staff’s excellent analysis of the situation.

Air-Nov-1938.jpg

The Imperial Air Force in November '38, the pride of the empire.

Once more, Wrangel fell silent, while looking for his next schematic, which was also passed around the table. “Finally, Your Majesty, we arrive at the Imperial Navy.” The way he said it made it abundantly clear to all the councilors and to the Tsar as well, that the information forthcoming was not pleasant. “May I speak plainly Your Majesty?” Vladimir nodded, wincing inwardly. This could not be good. “The state of the Imperial Navy is to be frank, disastrous. It could just as easily be said that the empire does not have one. Apart from the Imperial Black Sea Fleet, which although still weak, consists of the most modern vessels, we are currently able to build. At the moment, the Baltic fleet consists of five heavy cruises, five light cruisers and eight destroyer squadrons, although when the current line of construction is finished, those numbers will rise to eight heavy cruisers, ten light and eight destroyers. This should be sufficient to ensure our naval supremacy in the Black Sea. However and this is the problem. The Black Sea Fleet is the only fleet we posses, which can be said to be in any kind of combat shape. The entirety of our remaining navy is made up of leftovers from the Great War and even then, some of them were considered obsolete, with a single exception. The Pacific Fleet is none existent, apart from the single light cruiser Osliabia, which is as modern as the Baltic Sea Fleet. But that is the only ship we currently possess, facing the vastly superior fleets of the Empire of japan. If ever war erupts between Russia and our ancient enemy, we have nothing to place between our coasts and their massive navy.” Wrangel fell silent again, shuffling through his papers. “As for Europe, the Imperial Baltic Fleet, anchored here in Skt. Petersburg might as well not exist. It consists of the two battleships Petr Velikyy and Slava, as well as the heavy cruiser Poltava. Along with them are the two light cruisers Rukih and Admiral Nahimov, as well as a single destroyer squadron. We also possess 7 squadrons of submarines and except from one, these are the most modern part of the Baltic Fleet, reigning from the Great War. The remainder are from even before that and their only use is to blockade the harbor of Skt. Petersburg, should the need arise. Frankly, they cannot even be utilized as training vessels. Lastly, the North Sea Fleet is in exactly the same shape. We have a single light cruiser, the Murmansk and two destroyer squadrons located there, as well as five submarine squadrons. Like the Baltic Fleet, the North Sea Fleet is suitable only for sinking into the ocean and provide sport for the fish.”

Wrangel fell silent and looked at Vladimir. “Pardon me Your Majesty.” He said, “But you did give me permission to speak freely.” Vladimir smiled at him and nodded. “Consider that permission to be extended indefinitely Count Wrangel.” Vladimir looked around the table. “Although I do not permit personal slander and insults to be uttered in my presence, I will make this much clear. You are the members of my council and I expect you to deliver honest opinions and trustworthy information to me. I do not wish to be kept in the dark about the truth of the empire, whether because you do not believe I wish or need to know it, or because you do not wish to come out and say it, as it is. The Imperial Council is not a courtesy club, gentlemen and you are not here because of your abilities to wrap the truth into silk paper, before delivering it to me. If something is wrong, tell me and if something is so disastrous as to be fit for nothing more than toys for the fish,” at that he cast a quick smile at Wrangel, who nodded in return, openly pleased with his sovereign’s words, “by God, let me know about it. That goes for all of you and if you wish, consider it an Imperial Decree.” Vladimir turned back to Wrangel. “Please continue Councilor.” Wrangel nodded. “Of course Your Majesty and thank you.” He said. "I have nothing further on the statistics of the armed forces, however, I have prepared a quick overlay on the current positions of our troops, apart from the navy, on which I have no further to add.”

Navy-Nov-1938.jpg

The Imperial Navy and its 'artificial reefs'

Wrangel quickly placed a series of maps on the table and with the help of his aides, he began to list the various locations of the troops. “In Europe, we have the majority of our armies and air groups.” He explained. “On the border towards Finland, we have 6 Army Corpses, one of which is located in Skt. Petersburg, to supplement the Imperial Guard, in case of war between the empire and Finland. A further 16 Army Corpses are spread out on our western border, towards Germany and her satellites, as well as the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Iron Guard Romania. Another Army Corps is currently garrisoning Sevastopol, which is our most important harbor on the coast of the Black Sea and the home of the Imperial black Sea Fleet. The loss of that in any conflict would severely hamper our ability to conduct naval operations in that area and might eventually cost us our naval supremacy. On our southern border in Europe we have 5 Army Corpses, as well as 2 Mountain Corpses and both our Cavalry Corpses. In the event of a conflict with any of the minor Caucasian states, these forces would be vastly superior and only in the event of a war with the Ottoman Empire, would we need to transfer troops to that region.

In the Asian theater, we have the remainder of our armed forces, arrayed as follows: On the border against Mongolia, we have 2 Army Corpses and 5 Mountain Corpses, which should be more than adequate in the event of conflict, as long as we immediately take the offensive. We would need more than twice the number of troops, if we were to guard every part of the border in a defensive manner, but if we gain the initiative from the start, we could defeat the Mongolian army easily. The only thing preventing a quick victory there is the terrain, which favors defense, due to the immense mountainous regions, but that is where our specialist Mountain Corpses come in. We have another 5 Army Corpses along the border with the Fengtien Republic, a semi autonomous part of the Empire of Japan and a sure ally of the Japanese in case of war. We consider the troops adequate to monitor the border, but nothing more. If we were to enter war with Japan or they with us, we would need more than ten times that number, to stand a reasonable chance of winning on the mainland. As to obtaining a complete victory over the Japanese, that is out of the question, due to the aforementioned lack of any imperial naval forces in the area.

Lastly, we have 4 Army Corpses along the border with Transamur with another 5 arriving by December. These are the troops which were formerly guarding the border against Alash Orda, before that particular conflict and they are now being transferred to the border with Transamur, along with Chief Marshal Timoshenko, who is in overall command of the Asian Theater.” Vladimir raised his head. “Why such large reinforcements Count Wrangel?” He asked. “Do you expect hostilities in the near future?” Wrangel made a somewhat none committal shrug and hurried to explain. “There are some disturbances, Your Majesty. After Your coronation, a majority within Transamur have begun to demand the resignation of their government and the return of the nation to the Empire of Russia. Although we do not wish to force their government’s resignation, we are aware that it is a high risk area for the time being. Therefore, the Imperial high Command has ordered Timoshenko and his troops to move there and provide a bulwark of defense, if things turn violent. Particularly the fact that the Empire of Japan considers Transamur within their direct sphere of influence could very easily turn the whole situation very nasty. Thus we are doing what we can, to make everybody see reason and think as clearly as possible in the situation.” Vladimir nodded. “Very wise Councilor Wrangel, very wise indeed.” Wrangel bowed his head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” He said. “To finish the briefing, I will mention that we currently have all but one Fighter Group in Europe, with the last one located in Okhotsk along our Asian coast. This, however will most likely change very soon, as we are seriously considering to send all our medium bomber groups to that area as well, to further forestall any military conflict and to aid our troops if such a conflict turns out to be unavoidable.”
 
4th Dimension: I don't know about Tukhachevsky. The Kaiserreich devs have altered most tech teams and ministers, as well as some leaders in the major countries, to fit the alternate time line, although why they have made the individual choices, I don't know.. For instance, my new 'Minister of Security' is Sergius of Nizhny-Novgorod an Orthodox Archbishop, who in OT on that time was in fact Sergius I of Moscow and All Russia, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church.. Now I did like the idea of having him in the government, but as a minister of security? Not really.. hence, as you can see in the newest update, I turned things around a little, to explain it all and Sergius, although not Patriarch, will be part of the 'Imperial Council', although as Councilor for Domestic Affairs, a title, which i believe, suits an orthodox Archbishop much better than the role of head of the police..

As for my land tech team, you get to choose that in early '37 I think.. I included the various choises in part 3 of the introduction. My tech team is Petr Wrangel, Skill 5 with 'Infantry Focus' - 'Large units Tactics' - 'Training' and 'Decentralized Execution'.

Hope that explains it.. :)

Everyone:

As you may see, I have split up the meeting between several different updates and will continue to do so, as they otherwise, would be faaaaar too long to post..
In fact, i have deticated all of Chapter 2 to the meeting and have decided to move the interlude to the end of the chapter. Rest assured, you will not be cheated of it.. ;)

The next part will be a continuation of updates from the last remaining minister, Boris Stürmer, Councilor for Foreign Affairs. I do not know how long this will be, as it encompasses a rather large field of affairs and thus, I do not know, whether or not it will take up an entire update, although I doubt it..
If not, you will see a re-shuffling of the Imperial Council as well.. ;)

And after that? Well the major strategies, politically and military for the future of the empire, of course.. :)
 
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