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12-May-1916
''Patrols are being attacked in the streets, they tried to take weapons from our men and were forced to open fire, the dead are already in the dozens'' one of my men said.
''The Jewish quarter is burning… there is a fire consuming the area and the crowds are not letting the firefighters through… what do we do'' another officer asked, staring at me.
''Warning shots… if that fails… fire into the crowd, try not to kill too many, but we must put out that fire'' I answered after thinking quickly.
''A group tried to burn down the tractor factory, the guards shot to kill, but now several groups are gathering to protest those deaths'' another subordinate added.
I was about to respond when another officer arrived.
''Large groups are gathering near the German district, it looks like they are going to try to loot it, what orders do I send to the men there'' he said, out of breath.
I closed my eyes and shook my head. ''Warning shots, order them to disperse, if that fails controlled fire… if that fails, shoot to kill…'' I said, biting my lip as the words left my mouth.
''Mein Major, we have orders from the Oberste Heeresleitung, they want the uprising suppressed as quickly as possible, with whatever level of force is necessary, they do not want this spreading further'' said a telegraph operator, handing me the decoded message.
''Understood… secure the factory… issue orders to stay away from the protesters or fire will be opened'' I said, answering the previous question.
I stood up and began organizing my men to coordinate and contain the rebellion.
It had finally happened. The thing I feared most.
The people had reached their limit. Forced labor, hunger, and the visible privilege of the German settlers had created the perfect conditions for a mass uprising.
Reports were coming in of mobs overwhelming garrisons with sheer numbers. My men had not hesitated to fire to kill to break out of attempted lynchings, retreating to more defensible areas such as the German district, the regent's palace, and the railway zone. Meanwhile, entire sections of the city had been lost, particularly the poorer districts, where order had completely collapsed.
With security failing, pogroms erupted again. According to those who managed to escape, the mobs believed Jews were hiding large food reserves, and the fires spreading through their quarter seemed to confirm what they were trying to do.
Everything had started during the morning food distribution. Bread and porridge were being handed out before people were sent to work, to tend fields, maintain crops, or manage irrigation after planting.
Then something triggered the crowd.
Within minutes, waves of people surged against the men distributing food. Outnumbered , they abandoned their posts. The day's rations were looted, and chaos spread through the city as distribution collapsed entirely.
The effect was immediate.
Protests spread, hunger turned into rage, and the crowd did what it always did, it looked for someone to blame.
First the Russians and Poles, then the Jewish community.
Their district had held out longer, more isolated and somewhat fortified, but now it was being burned to force them out.
I was dealing with a full-scale urban revolt.
And it had to be crushed quickly.
''Does anyone know if the king is still in the city, does he have enough guards to hold if a mob tries to force him out, if he flees it sends the wrong message'' I asked while moving through the fortress, watching my men rush to prepare weapons and ammunition.
''The king is still inside the palace, heavily guarded, it is unlikely he will leave'' Friedrich replied, keeping pace beside me.
''Good… first we secure a perimeter around the upper districts and the palace, if the king stays, the city holds… then we move street by street and reestablish control'' I said as we reached the armory.
Rifles and submachine guns were being distributed, magazines loaded, belts filled, men preparing for combat.
I saw Friedrich pick up a machine gun along with several belts of ammunition.
The orders were clear...Pacify the city at any cost.
This was the most important logistical hub on the Eastern Front. It could not be lost, especially not now, when even a weakened Russian army might attempt to exploit the chaos.
At the fortress gates, we formed up with the garrison. Around a thousand men, two Hauptmann, and several Unteroffizier stood ready under my command, with clear instructions on which streets had to be secured, and full authority to kill if the population refused to comply.
The gates opened and, placing the whistle in my mouth, I blew hard as my men and I moved out quickly, immediately meeting a mob gathered outside.
The crowd was shouting at the top of their lungs, demanding bread over and over, insisting that we hand over the city's reserves. When they saw us come out armed, they did not step back. They kept shouting and began advancing toward us as the gates stood open.
I drew my pistol and fired into the air four times, but they ignored it and did not stop. They kept marching forward, shouting that they wanted bread.
''It was never my intention…'' I muttered, then aimed at the man leading the march and pulled the trigger.
The shouting faltered for a moment as he screamed and dropped. I fired again, hitting another who fell writhing.
Only then did the crowd begin to break. They scattered in panic, fleeing from the gunfire, leaving behind the wounded and several others who had been knocked down and trampled as people tried to escape.
''Move… no time to waste'' I ordered, ignoring the cries of the wounded as one of the men I had shot tried to crawl away.
We pushed forward into the streets. Nearby houses were already being looted. My men were dragging people out, striking them with rifle butts and batons.
''You like that, you piece of shit, you like it'' one of my soldiers shouted as he beat a Ukrainian he had pulled from a house.
The street filled with scenes like that. Looters were beaten down, teeth shattered, blood on the ground. Those who lost consciousness were dragged away to be arrested, and likely executed later.
We spread out and linked up with several patrols that had barricaded themselves inside the hospital. They had protected the staff when a mob tried to seize the food stored there. Eight attackers had already been shot dead.
As we continued advancing, regrouping with other units that had secured strongpoints, we began taking back the streets. Machine guns were placed at key intersections, locking down movement. Any uncontrolled group could be cut down in seconds.
We pressed forward, securing sector after sector, until we linked up with Austro-Hungarian troops guarding the king.
With the king secured, though largely unaware of the full extent of the chaos, we shifted toward the German district in the south of the city. Many of the most skilled workers lived there. Losing them would be a severe economic blow just as we were stabilizing.
I knew several squads were already holding the area, but that was not enough. We had to make it fully secure.
Moving street by street, checking windows, taking buildings that controlled intersections, we continued placing machine guns while pushing deeper into the district.
As we advanced and drove off looters from houses owned by Poles, a shot rang out.
We froze for a moment, then more shots followed, dozens, then hundreds, mixed with desperate screams. A mass of people burst out from a nearby street, running blindly. Some ran toward us, then turned when they saw us and fled in another direction.
Another burst of gunfire echoed.
We moved immediately. It sounded like someone had lost control.
When we arrived, we found around forty men surrounding a building. One soldier was down, his arm being bandaged.
''What happened'' I asked, kneeling beside him.
''Partisan… had a revolver, shot him, hit the shoulder, bullet is lodged in the bone, we need a medic now'' said the Unteroffizier in charge.
''Ernst, go and kill that bastard'' I shouted.
Ernst signaled a few men, and they rushed in with submachine guns, entering the building.
Gunfire erupted inside. It ended quickly.
''I assume the rest of the shooting came from that revolver, right'' I asked as we moved the wounded man to a safer location.
''Yes… we thought the shot came from the crowd trying to push into the German district looking for food. They would not fall back, even with warning shots. When we were fired upon, we responded. We did not know where the shooter was until I saw him hiding in a window'' the Unteroffizier replied.
''Be more careful firing into crowds or the resentment will be far worse later'' I said, signaling to move again.
The aftermath was visible everywhere. Walls riddled with bullet holes, evidence of submachine gun fire tearing through the streets.
We continued securing sectors, trying to break the unrest, but nothing seemed to stop it, especially with the fire still raging unchecked. The firefighters could not even reach the area.
As we moved again, stopping briefly to beat back another group looting a house where agonized screams echoed inside, we heard gunfire coming from the train station.
That was the most important point in the entire city.
And it could not fall.
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