Russian News 1900-

[Guinness]

Feb 5, 1900 (Using the Western-style Gregorian Calendar)

From:

His Imperial Majesty The Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias Nicholas II
The Winter Palace
St. Petersburg

To:

Emperor of Austria and Apostolic King of Hungary Franz Ferdinand I
Hofburg Palace
Vienna

Your Majesty,
I write today having received the shocking and saddening news of the death of your Uncle, and I hope you will accept my deepest condolences for you loss on behalf of myself and my family, as well as all of my loyal Russian subjects. May God help you and give you strength. Please know that I have commissioned an appropriate memorial to his memory to be placed in Lviv in Galitsiya near the Imperial Army's barracks there.

With Regards,
Nicholas

[Guinness]

February 1900

A letter sent to all the world's major military powers:

His Imperial Majesty The Emperor and Autocrat of All the Russias Nicholas II petitions you to join him in the Hague at the end of the summer to discuss matters of international martial law and the honorable conduct of War. Major topics are to include the pacific settlement of disputes, Laws and Customs of the Wars on Land, Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva Convention of 22 August 1864, Prohibition of the Discharge of Projectiles and Explosives from Balloons or by Other New Analogous Methods, Prohibition of the Use of Projectiles with the Sole Object to Spread Asphyxiating Poisonous Gases, and Prohibition of the Use of Bullets which can Easily Expand or Change their Form inside the Human Body such as Bullets with a Hard Covering which does not Completely Cover the Core, or containing Indentations.

Signed

Count Vladimir Nikolayevich Lamsdorf, Foreign Minister to His Majesty, Emperor Nicholas II

OOC note: I'm making the dangerous assumption that the Hague Convention of 1899 never happened, and that we might instead want to hold it a bit later.

[Walter]

OOC note: I'm making the dangerous assumption that the Hague Convention of 1899 never happened, and that we might instead want to hold it a bit later.

I think it should not be a problem to delay it by 1 year for RP purposes, so...

Though I have a bit of a problem with this...

Prohibition of the Use of Projectiles with the Sole Object to Spread Asphyxiating Poisonous Gases

... because according to the CBR tech, we only have access to "Blankets with smallpox, trebuchets with dead animals." and there is nothing gas-like that we can use according to the rules. Why prohibit something that does not exist let alone projectiles made to spread that that does not exist?

... now to figure out a name for the person(s) to send...

[Guinness]

Well, I'd say that dangerously noxious gasses are well known by 1900. What hasn't (yet) been established is the best ways to manufacture them at scale and weaponize them.

OTL, the delivery of chlorine gas was proposed as early as the US Civil War, but the Union didn't take up the offer.

[miketr]

The Kaiser und Konig thanks the Tsar for his kind words.

[Guinness]

February 1900 (in the new calendar)

Matti Tarkula's feet were tired. As he'd done for the past two winters, he'd been out clearing snow from the streets and sidewalks of Helsinki. The previous night had brought a heavy fall, followed by seasonably cold temperatures. Only 25 degrees below zero celsius he thought. Not too bad.

Matti normally would have walked the 2 kilometers north from the market square past the Helsinki Cathedral and it's statue to Tsar Alexander II, to his destination in Kallio, but today he dug around in his pocket for the few penniä he needed to board a horse drawn tram. The tram's conductor was babbling in Swedish. Apparently they were going to electify this line in the spring.

Matti's destination was only a few steps from the tram line: a new 3 story apartment block. It was relatively modest, as most of the buildings in Kallio were, certainly when compared to the buildings going up in Ullanlinna to the south. At least it was well heated. Matti couldn't say the same for his apartment.

Having climbed the stairs to the 3rd story flat, Matti heard the familiar sound of arguing. The door was unlocked, as usual, so he entered and took hung up his coat by the door.

"Matti! How is the snow?" Ali asked. "It's in the Baltic now, as always. I wish I could get the job driving that boat in circles all day!" Matti replied, referring to the Finnish method for keeping an area of the Baltic Ice open in the winter.

Aleksi offered Matti a coffee, which he happily accepted, and a seat. He waved a copy of Marx' Das Kapital. We were just discussing this he said, before throwing it down on the table. The other men shared a knowing look. Despite Aleksi's lack of formal education, Matti and Ali both knew he was by far the brightest of the three.

He went on: "Marx has it all wrong. Too much theory. People who are truly free of their oppressors will organize themselves." Aleksi had been on an anarchic streak lately.

Ali knew when to play along. "Yes, if only we could show the Russians they don't own Finland. If only we could get organized to strike back!"

Matti chucked. He'd once been Sergeant Tarkula of the Russian Imperial Army. His Ali and Aleksi were young and rash. He didn't mind too much. Aleksi's sister was no less smart than her brother, but better looking.

"Should we wait to discuss revolution until Teemu gets here? Where is he anyway?" Matti asked.

Ali waved dismissively. "Late coming from the factory, I guess."

Matti sat back and sipped his coffee. "I worked right in front of the Kamppi baracks this morning. They post less guards when it's cold, and they spend a lot time warming themselves and considerably less time minding their posts."

Aleksi looked up. "They do, huh?"

Ali filled Matti's cup again. Then he got up and fished in the pocket of his overcoat hung on the hook. "They don't seem to inventory these," he said, and presented a single stick of dynamite. Ali was working for a company that was blasting a through the rocky spine of the Helsinki peninsula in preparation for the laying of new water lines in the spring. Once the rock is hard enough to need blasting, it didn't really matter if they did it in winter or not.

Matti looked at him sternly. "This is good to know, but you will go early tomorrow and put that back. I don't think we're ready yet."

Ali looked crestfallen. "I'm not sure you'll ever think we're ready."

[Guinness]

May 1900

Active elements of the Russian Northwestern Front's 6th Army (Headquartered in Lublin), and the Southwestern Front's 3rd Army(Headquartered in Cherntivitsi) are ordered to vacate their Winter encampment areas and move toward the Austro-Hungarian frontier and dig in.

The Austria-Hungarian attache is informed that this is a planned exercise, but his Russian counterparts privately note that "such things should be expected, under the circumstances." He notes in his report to his superiors that reservists are not being mobilized, other than the usual brief springtime mustering at armories throughout Russia.

[Guinness]

May 1900

"2 corps? That's what, 100,000 men? It's an invasion!"

Major General Yakov Zhilinskiy, squirmed in his chair slightly to look at his his superior, Lieutenant General Viktor Sakharov. Zhilinskiy weighed his words carefully.

"It is an appreciable number of men. However, at this time, we don't have any reason not to take the Germans at their word. Our sources confirm that they are heading south, not East."

"Still, we should be ready, no?"

"Of course. Fortunately you already authorized the expanding the normal spring exercises. I've taken the liberty of modifying the exercise orders." Zhilinskiy handed Sakharov several sheets of paper.

"But you have them rallying on the Hungarian frontier, not the German frontier?"

Zhilinskiy nodded. "Yes. This is in agreement with the revised general defensive orders, no? The static defenses in Poland will slow the Germans down should they change their minds and move East. And if they do, we'll be in position to threaten their flanks. If this is all just a ruse to mount an invasion through Hungary, we'll already be ready."

Sakharov wasn't so sure. "I want you to go to the Hungarian frontier and supervise personally."

Zhilinskiy stood. "My bags were already packed General." He saluted crisply and asked to be excused.

Sakharov turned to pen and ink, drafting an update for the Emperor.

[Guinness]

Zhilinksiy had made it as far as the outskirts of Minsk when he received the cable at a watering stop. He took the time to decode it personally.

HUNGARIANS ON OFFENSIVE STOP HAVE PUSHED INTO AND POSSIBLY CONTROL MORAVIA STOP YOUR ORDERS ARE TO TAKE CHARGE AND ORGANIZE REINFORCEMENT OF BORDER STOP FORTRESSES ON NORTHWEST FRONT ARE TO BE MOBILIZED STOP RESPOND WITH DETAIL OF POSITION ONCE YOU HAVE TAKEN COMMAND STOP SAKHAROV

Typical of Sakharov, though Zhilinskiy. If this boils over across the border, I'll take the blame. I wonder if the Emporer will want us to move into Moravia. I should probably make ready in case he does. Damned railroads! I should have been there by now.

[Guinness]

After 6 hours of walking, Zhilinksiy arrived at the depot at Krakow. He found masses of soldiers with seemingly no where to be. A surprised sergeant, noticing his uniform saluted.

"Sergeant! Where is your commanding officer?" Zhilinskiy barked. The sergeant was momentarily dazed. "He's... Sir! My platoon's Lieutenant was on another car. I've not yet found him here."

"Yes." Zhilinskiy glared at the mad crush of men around him. "How could you. Give me a hand sergeant." Zhilinskiy had the sergeant help him climb to the top of a rail coach alongside the platform. He peered out. The depot was packed full with men. He spotted what looked like an officer standing on the step of a coach several cars up and ran along the roof in that direction. He came to a stop at the end of the car, not sure if he could make the jump. Instead, he decided to try another tack.

"Officers!" He bellowed. "Men! Pipe down. Officers, make yourselves known. I am General Yakov Zhilinskiy, and I am taking charge here. Where is the ranking officer."

Men barely heard him. Zhilinskiy began to draw his sevice weapon, but thought better of it. The Sergeant had climbed up with Zhilinskiy, sensing he might be of further service. Zhilinskiy turned to him. "Sergeant, can you get from here to locomotive?" he asked.

"Yes General."

"Good, then have the engineer blow the whistle for as long as he can." The Sergeant leaped to the next car and carried forward.

The deafening shriek of the whistle took several minutes to come. Men plugged their ears with their fingers, as did the General. When it finally ended, he, anticipating his change, bellowed again. "Officers, make yourselves known. I am General Yakov Zhilinskiy, and I am taking charge here."

This time heads turned. A few officers raised their hands, then a voiced called out "On who's authority?" It was a Colonel.

"Colonel, what is your unit?"

"I am Colonel Lavrov, 15th Division."

"Colonel Lavrov this situation is a disgrace. You are relieved of duty." The Colonel just stood mouth agape.

Zhilinskiy climbed gingerly down from the coach, and men parted before him as he strode to the head end of the train. He had everyone's attention now. What to do?

"First, we must muster out of the depot, men, so this train can return up the line and bring more of our brothers in arms."

"But sir, we have no orders of where to go next!" One of Lavrov's staff officers.

"You are?" The general asked.

"Captain Tkachenko."

"Captain, it is now your job to figure that out. The 15th division and any other division here should make camp by brigades and companies. Find some paper, make a map, and get on with it. Do you have your order of battle?" Tkachenko shook his head no. "Well, how do we even know who's here?"

The Sergeant, still at the general's side, whispered in his ear. "Perhaps the railway has manifests, sir!"

"Good thinking Sergeant! What is your name, anyway?"

"Sergeant Zotov, sir!" He saluted.

"Zotov, you are reassigned as my personal valet for the time being. Please escort Captain Tkachenko to find some manifests. Let's untangle this not now!"

The two saluted in unison and went in search of the depot master.

[Guinness]

May 29, 1900 (new calendar)

Cable from General Zhilinskiy, Commanding Officer of the new Hungarian Front (though he doesn't know that yet) to General Sakharov, Chief of Staff, Russian Imperial Army:

SITUATION IN KRAKOW A DISGRACE STOP UNITS SENT TO AREA WITH NO ORDERS OTHER THAN TO BOARD TRAINS STOP RAILWAY WITHOUT CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS STOP HAVE HAD TO MARTIAL FORCES BY BRIGADES EVEN COMPANIES HERE AM NOW SENDING BRIGADE SIZED UNITS TOWARD BORDER ON FOOT TO RESERVE ROLING STOCK FOR MOVING MORE MEN HERE STOP EXPECT FOUR DIVISIONS TO HAVE BEGUN DIGGING IN BY JUNE THIRD OR FOURTH AT LATEST STOP ZHILINSKIY

Sakharov put the cable down, then dashed his own note off to the Emperor

Your Highness,

I'm pleased to report that after some initial confusion among a small number of our units, that the movement of your Third and Sixth armies are an schedule to begin fortifying the Hungarian frontier no later than June Third or Fourth.

I fear that we may need to enter Hungary. In accord, I am preparing plans for more mobilizations which I humbly request your highness review at your nearest convenience. Please find them enclosed with this communication.

Your Humble and Obedient Servent

General Sakharov

[Guinness]

June 4, 1900 (new calendar)

Zhilinskiy was tired. Still, as he sat in his private rail car, he was satisfied. The men of the 6th Army had reached their positions that morning, and his last order before leaving the scene was that they should alternate between digging in and rest. There was no immediate danger on the border, and the near disaster on the way to those positions wasn't the men's faults. He'd even refused Colonel Lavrov's resignation on behalf of St. Petersburg, and after a thorough dressing down, had given him back command of the 15th Infantry.

But now the next part might be even more taxing. He looked again at the cable:

ORDERS FOR HUNGARIAN FRONT ARE TO CROSS TISZA NO LATER THAN JUNE 10 STOP OBJECTIVE BUDAPEST STOP EMPEROR ORDERS THAT HUNGARY MUST REMAIN INDEPENDENT STOP SECRECY PARAMOUNT STOP WILL NOT NOTIFY AUSTRIANS OR THEIR COMRADES BEFORE OPERATION STOP EXPECT LIGHT RESISTANCE SAKHAROV

Zhilinskiy looked at the map. He had some of his best available troops in Lviv and Cherntivitsi, and they were already on the move. This time, matters were more delicate. If the Austrian's spies sited grenadiers getting off trains in Chop too early, the situation might well spin out of control.

Chop, that was the key. The railway there could supply them as they marched on Budapest.

"What are you up to up there in St. Petersburg?" He spoke aloud to no one in particular. "Are we to annex Hungary?"

[Guinness]

On the Morning of June 5 (new calendar)

The following was communicated to the German Ambassador in St. Petersburg, and to other key diplomats separately. These included the French and Italian ambassadors:

Troops positioned near the German and Austrian frontiers in the area of Silesia have been moved there as part of summer exercises planned well before the current events in Austria-Hungary. Russia, of course, being a peaceful nation has no intent to violate the sovereignty of Germany. While these exercises were scheduled to conclude after a fortnight, His Majesty the Emperor has seen fit to extend their time near the frontier as part of prudent security measures, in light of current Austro-Hungarian instability. His Imperial Majesty expects that His Majesty the Kaiser will understand the necessity of such measures.

[Guinness]

June 29, 1900 (new calendar)

Ambassadors in all the applicable capitals, including Rome, Berlin, and Vienna, deliver, on some shape or form, this message:

Russia understands that Franz Ferdinand has no legitimate claim to the Hungarian throne, and accordingly, at the request of the rightful claimants, has come to the aid of those loyal to the rightful claimants agains the outsiders who seek to secure for Franz Ferdinand, illegitimately, primacy over Hungary.

Russia declares that Hungary has a right to exist, independently, and guarantees that right. Let it be known that the Imperial Army has entered Hungary, is hosted peacefully in Budapest, and will defend Budapest and other Hungarian cities and Hungary's people if necessary.

His Majesty, the Emperor of All Russia, Nicholas II calls upon German, Italy, and Austria to end this aggression upon Hungary, and to withdraw from Hungary, including Moravia and Slovakia immediately.

[Guinness]

June 29, 1900 (new calendar)

Observers in Warsaw will likely have noticed a pronounced increase in comings and goings in and around the HQ of the 2nd Army.

Rumors have also reached Warsaw that the 3rd Cossack Cavalry Division rode out of their encampment at Bialystok the previous evening.