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1916-December-8
The German railway system was in complete chaos as men were being transported every single day to begin overwhelming the western front with troops coming from the eastern front.
Although the Tenth Army remained in the area, enormous numbers of troops had begun moving westward, but something curious had happened. Many Polish officers were refusing to march to the western front.
Large mutinies broke out among the Polish troops, entire units deserted, and all kinds of incidents erupted. The reason was fairly simple. The Poles had been promised an independent kingdom along with the transfer of Ukrainian and White Ruthenian territories, but in the end they received nothing.
Considering that the Kingdom of Ukraine was now firmly attached to the German imperial system and Berlin was unlikely to hand those territories over to Poland, nearly all Polish territorial claims died overnight, leaving Poland reduced to yet another German puppet state that would probably be germanized sooner or later.
So while I traveled toward Posen, I received direct orders to hang any Polish soldiers who deserted and hunt down anyone attempting to flee the armies to avoid marching toward the western front.
To make matters even worse, Abteilung had discovered that the commander in chief of the Polish forces maintained a secret agreement with France through which he hoped to secure a completely independent Polish state and prevent Polish troops from fighting the French.
The German response was brutal.
In addition to imprisoning numerous Polish officers, mass executions began. At practically every train station where we stopped, publicly hanged Polish soldiers could be seen as a warning.
Thousands more were being arrested while Berlin intensified demands for absolute loyalty to Kaiser Wilhelm II, but many Polish units simply refused to obey, causing the two Polish armies, which together represented nearly half a million men who had fought on the eastern front, to slowly begin disintegrating.
Between executions, imprisonments, and desertions, it seemed the use of Polish troops was nearing its end.
Even so, Germany still attempted to send some Polish units to the western front to demonstrate the loyalty of the new Polish state to the Empire, though most would probably die, desert, or even defect to the French the first chance they got.
So once I finished speaking with the Kaiser, I would have to organize the hunt for all Polish deserters inside Ukraine, since many still resented the fact that the territories they claimed were now under Ukrainian control.
All of this was undoubtedly a devastating blow to the German war effort and probably a tremendous humiliation for Paul von Hindenburg, who had constantly insisted on using the Poles as a key part of his military plans to win the war.
Now that enormous investment in training, weapons, and organization was ending in mutinies, executions, and conspiracies uncovered with France.
The purge quickly began spreading among Polish politicians connected to the officers involved in the conspiracy, and Berlin seemed determined to crush any trace of independent Polish nationalism.
''We have arrived in Posen'' I said, taking my backpack while observing the Romanovs, who now wore elegant clothing and once again looked like an aristocratic family, though they still tried to hide their faces.
''Where will my cousin be?'' Nicholas asked while looking through the train window at the station filled with German soldiers and military police.
''A warehouse near the outskirts of the city where the Kaiser is waiting with his aides. Everything else regarding your asylum and your family's will be discussed there, along with my payment'' I said, slinging my backpack over my shoulder and beginning to step off the train.
I had to wait while the Tsar helped his daughters, son, and wife disembark. The Romanov group followed me through the massive movement around the trains, because the moment we arrived they immediately began being loaded with canned food processed in Posen, since much of the food we had sent from Ukraine had been directed to the major processing centers, and Posen was one of them.
Now the processing factories had more work than ever, handling the enormous quantities of wheat and potatoes being shipped in, producing canned rations alongside other products.
Without causing much attention, we left the train station through the section near the weapons factory that belonged to me and began moving out of the city while watching workers carry crates and unload trucks.
It did not take long for us to leave Posen and head south of the city where the training grounds were located, the same place where I once taught marksmanship. It was occupied only by the few recruits recently drawn from Posen who were being trained before being sent to the front.
''Here it is. The Kaiser should already be inside, or at least arriving soon'' I said, pointing toward the warehouse near the training grounds.
The Romanovs followed my pace, though slowly, because Nicholas's daughters wore footwear designed more for appearance than comfort or rapid movement.
Eventually we entered the warehouse and found it filled with the Kaiser's imperial guards, members of Abteilung IIIb, and the Kaiser himself waiting seated.
I did not even have time to speak before seeing the Kaiser become emotional and walk toward his cousin to embrace him with his good arm.
''Nicky… it is good to see you again… it seems the mission was a success'' the Kaiser said, clearly satisfied.
''Yes, they managed to get us out of where we were being held, though we had to endure a nightmare to reach here'' Nicholas replied, lowering his head.
''But everyone is well, yes? Young Aleksei and your daughters look as radiant as I remember, and your wife appears to be in good condition'' the Kaiser said while looking one by one at the Romanov family members.
''Yes, though we spent many days hungry and exhausted, to the point it seemed we were going to die in the middle of nowhere'' Nicholas replied.
''What happened, Karl?'' the Kaiser asked.
''We had to escape. We needed to lose the Russian patrols, and although we managed to get away from them quickly, we absolutely had to keep moving fast, which forced me to keep everyone on the move with very little time to eat or sleep, though we managed to rest somewhat during the last few days while waiting for an operational gap to return to the German security zone'' I answered with my hands behind my back.
''Did you do everything within your power to avoid causing them unnecessary suffering?'' the Kaiser asked while circling around me.
''Of course I did. Obviously, to someone who has no idea what kind of operation we were carrying out, it might seem like we were trying to make them suffer, but considering the personnel involved and the nature of the secret mission, I personally believe I did an excellent job on my part'' I replied calmly.
''I apologize, my dear cousin, but due to how quickly everything happened, a better plan could not be arranged. This was the fastest thing I could prepare with the time I had available, so I can only imagine what you had to endure to get here. Fortunately, we can remedy that for the moment. We have already prepared your asylum residence and I made sure you have servants to attend to your needs in Riga, in one of your former properties that now belongs to the German Empire'' the Kaiser said while looking at his cousin.
''I see. Thank you, cousin. Hopefully my stay there will be calmer than our journey and not remind us of those men you sent to retrieve me'' Nicholas answered after giving a faint smile and glancing at his family.
''Yes, we shall see what can be done regarding your throne, though I doubt you will be able to return anytime soon. The latest information we have is…'' the Kaiser said while looking toward the intelligence chief.
''A possible conservative coup by the Russian armed forces against the new government, because nobody knows what happened to the imperial family. The conservatives believe the Tsar was executed at his residence and that is why it was burned to ashes, so a civil war between the army and the civilian government is likely, as the government attempts to strip power from the military while preparing elections'' Walter Nicolai said while pulling out a large number of folders and reading through them.
''Well… as long as nobody knows where you are, it is better to keep it that way for now. Karl, you did good work. As promised, I will arrange for land to be granted to you within the Governorate of Livonia. You will receive several properties confiscated from Russian nobles, and I will make preparations for a noble title appropriate to your services. You will be paid forty million marks for your service, and your lifelong pension will be determined according to your expenses in the region'' the Kaiser said while sitting back down.
I looked at the Romanovs and then back at the Kaiser.
''You want me to act as the Romanovs' watchdog?'' I asked, raising an eyebrow.
''Preferably, yes. Very few people can know where my cousin will be, and I intend to keep it that way. The fewer people who know, the better, so ideally the guards protecting my cousin should be the same men who rescued him, in order to avoid security failures'' the Kaiser replied.
''I suppose… then I will wait for the results regarding my title and pension. Will I receive maps of my new properties and everything related to that, or do I have to wait for those as well?'' I asked, turning my head slightly.
''That is already prepared. The available ownerless properties have been identified, since there is a great deal of German nobility in the area that has sworn loyalty to us, so we cannot simply expropriate them. However, we have already determined which lands belong to you, both inside and outside the cities and rural areas'' the Kaiser answered.
''Excellent then. Once I have some free time I will inspect my new properties'' I said with a smile.
''About that, I have one more request, considering your fondness for high-risk missions'' the Kaiser said while staring directly at me and glancing toward his intelligence chief.
''I do not enjoy risking my neck…'' I answered while pressing my lips together.
''For the moment you will focus on your orders to capture Polish deserters from the army, because we must prevent armed and trained men from roaming our rear lines. However, I also need you to expand Ukraine's security system into White Ruthenia and the Baltics, ensuring there are no partisans and capturing every last Polish deserter'' the Kaiser said with a nod.
''That is far too much territory for my men. I may have around one hundred eighty thousand men, but it is too much ground to cover'' I answered immediately.
''You will be given command over several units of the Tenth Army to assist you. Believe it or not, since Hindenburg took command of the western front, opinions regarding your people have changed considerably, so I do not think he will object to allowing you to handle this because… during the last OHL meeting, he praised your work maintaining security. The subject of placing you in charge of the entire eastern security apparatus was even discussed'' the Kaiser explained.
''Are we talking about the same Hindenburg who wanted me expelled from the army?'' I asked in surprise.
''Yes… strange, I know'' the Kaiser replied.
''Do it. Organize the defense and security network. The Tenth Army will temporarily fall under your command for those duties, and we also plan to send you with an expeditionary force to assist on the Ottoman front. Apparently they are having trouble with an irregular war being waged against them, and the general we sent there is not accomplishing much toward reaching the Suez Canal and shutting it down'' Walter Nicolai said while handing me several documents.
''My duty is in Ukraine overseeing the harvest'' I replied while scratching my neck.
''Delegate. You have thousands of competent officers capable of doing your work. You can disappear for a while and see what is happening with those forces harassing the Ottoman offensive. It will only be a few months, from January to June, and you will return in time to inspect everything'' the Kaiser said.
''Well… at least it will be during the cooler season…'' I muttered through clenched teeth.
''Good. Return to your post, Major Karl'' Walter Nicolai said while gesturing toward the exit.
I gave my military salute and left the area to see my father, because I still had to pay my men their share from the operation.
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