Es Geloybte Aretz - a Germanwank

[carlton_bach]

Wikipedia states her as completed in June 1905, commissioned October of the same year

Even with the inevitable delays ITTL, that would make her ready by mid-1906. Five Borodinos, then.

 

[Admiral Matt]

I'm well behind on this, but thoroughly enjoying it. If I had to be specific, I'd say the best part is probably Faeelin's exasperated outbursts. They really do serve as a great punch line to, well, more or less everything the Russians do.

 

[carlton_bach]

26 May 1906, near Borga on the Finnish coast

Mud squelched under Captain Valentin Berezik's boots as he tried to make his way towards desultory rifle fire that marked their front. The last few days had turned the ground around their camp into an enormous pubble of boot-socking, clingy, gooey mud with hardly a chance to dry. Berezik knew he looked like a tramp, and most of the other ranks were perpetuially covered with the reddish-brown muck. He idly wondered if they would have a chance to clean their uniforms before they made it to Helsingfors.

Correction: If they made it to Helsingfors. The idea that this could be in doubt had seemed ridiculous when they marched out of Viborg, banners flying and bands playing. It did not look that outrageous now, after five days of staring at the same set of trenches and brushwood. It still surprised the captain how innocuous the whole thing looked from a distance. He had expected something that dangerous to be more impressive, have brooding walls and rust-streaked black steel cupolas of the kind he had seen at Ivangorod. Instead, he was looking at a few kilometres of mounds of fresh earth, the occasional palisade. A man might jump over it. If he could reach it alive, that is. Hundreds of Russian soldiers had already died trying.

Memories of military school came back to his mind as Berezik gingerly walked to the area of field fortification that his company had been placed in. “Guarding the front” was all fine, but he doubted the Finnish rebels would try to charge them with bayonets. He was beginning to become much more concerned over the layout of the camp. So far, they had bivouacked en route without much care, and he remembered with a guilty conscience finding shelter in farmhouses away from his men. Left to their own devices, the men would pitch tent any old how. It did not matter when you left the next morning, but they had been stuck here for a while now, churning the soil into mud with their boots, and the mud was decidedly beginning to smell.

Sergeant Lentinov met the captain as he climbed down into the improvised trench, saluting and offering a hand. “Any news, Sir?”

“Nothing.” Berezik replied unhappily. “The cavalry will be scouting inland, but it looks like our best chance is to bring up more artillery. We won't try to flank the position again.”

The sergeant nodded. First time had been costly, and while it was obvious that the approach had to work at some point – the defenses did not extend that far inland – it was far from clear how many men they would have to expend to succeed. Lentinov, like many other ranks, did not fancy being expended.

“Well, that will mean another few days. I'll tell the men, and we will try to build more huts to keep out the rain. Where are our ships, anyway? They ought to be plastering the buggers with naval guns, then we could just walk over them.”

Berezik shook his head. he was not privy to the inner workings of the Russian General Staff, but he assumed the answer was quite simple. Perhaps nobody had bothered to telegraph Kronstadt.

 

[Faeelin]

Berezik shook his head. he was not privy to the inner workings of the Russian General Staff, but he assumed the answer was quite simple. Perhaps nobody had bothered to telegraph Kronstadt.

Given the pressure I'm now under, I now can't wait for this to end.

Although if Russia manages to become a non-communist state that only loses Poland, Finland, and (maybe) the Baltics, doesn't this place end up a Russo-wank by 1960 or so?

 

[Monty Burns]

Although if Russia manages to become a non-communist state that only loses Poland, Finland, and (maybe) the Baltics, doesn't this place end up a Russo-wank by 1960 or so?

You could have them loose a lot more and still get a Russo-wank compared to OTL.

In any case, the Finnish trenches are interesting. They foreshadow trench warfare even more, thus the German instructors learn a lot, and the Russians might be slowed down enough that at least parts of Finland are still rebel-held when Germany enters the war.

What do you think: If Russia conducts atrocities in Finland, attacks Germany, France stays out, Britain is at least benevolent-neutral, would Sweden enter the war against Russia?

 

[mikegold]

Given the pressure I'm now under, I now can't wait for this to end.

Although if Russia manages to become a non-communist state that only loses Poland, Finland, and (maybe) the Baltics, doesn't this place end up a Russo-wank by 1960 or so?

What makes you think the Ukraine and Transcaucasia are going to remain out of the German and Ottoman orbit ITTL?

Also, there's the whole Geloybte Aretz - the natural place for it is eastern Poland and western Belarus (Bialystok, Pinsk, Chelm, etc.) Does anyone have a good demographic map of Yiddish-speaking pluralities in 1900-14?

 

[Faeelin]

The loss of both them in OTL was pretty random, and they weren't envisaged as territories the Germans would take until Brest-Litovsk.

 

[mikegold]

The loss of both them in OTL was pretty random, and they weren't envisaged as territories the Germans would take until Brest-Litovsk.

Fair enough; on the other hand, this Russia's domestic conditions BEGIN at early 1917 levels, and Russia has no major allies. That could mean a short, victorious war; or it could mean the dismemberment of the Russian empire.

 

[carlton_bach]

03 June 1906, Daressalam

Further, I must protest in the clearest of terms General Ludendorff's misappropriation of funds and misuse of colonial levies. The allocations he is using to pay for unemployede Askari to instruict and drill his native mercenary force were intended, and should rightly be considered reserved, for the support and subsidy of loyal chiefs and their fighting men. By so misappropriating them, General Ludendorff not only wilfully abandons a proven means of policy, he further endangers our good relations with the locals in the interest of a short-sighted military expansion. It has specifically been brought to my attention that native warriors join his auxiliary troops in return for food and plunder, and the distant prospect of becoming a member of the paid core forces. This may produce short-term benefits in the suppression of unrest in the Rufiji basin, but it concerns me greatly what we are to do with this ragtag band of semi-disciplined fighers once peace again prevails. The general himself hasd happily disavowed all responsibility for this, declaring his own task to be military in nature only, and affects a warlike demeanour not out of place in the members of the late and little lamented Congolese Force Publique.

(letter by Governor Solf to Berlin)

 

[carlton_bach]

You could have them loose a lot more and still get a Russo-wank compared to OTL.

In any case, the Finnish trenches are interesting. They foreshadow trench warfare even more, thus the German instructors learn a lot, and the Russians might be slowed down enough that at least parts of Finland are still rebel-held when Germany enters the war.

I am going on the assumption that the Finns read about Lublin and the Wieprz and decided to fight a delaying action, too. these are the best they have - veterans of the Russian and Swedish armies guided by German instructors. And the Germans are just waking up to the idea of trench warfare, but they are methodical about it. It won't stop the Russians for too long, but the inertia of their leadership means that whenever the army encounters something they can't push over the traditional way, they need to pause and collect their thoughts.

What do you think: If Russia conducts atrocities in Finland, attacks Germany, France stays out, Britain is at least benevolent-neutral, would Sweden enter the war against Russia?

I have no idea. Of course it would be nice to get a bit of territory back now they've lost Norway, but Finland is a poor candidate for annexation, and the Kola peninsula is mostly just cold.

 

[mikegold]

I have no idea. Of course it would be nice to get a bit of territory back now they've lost Norway, but Finland is a poor candidate for annexation, and the Kola peninsula is mostly just cold.

Well, there's always the Alands. But I think Sweden would mainly enter to ensure Finnish independence and Swedish influence in Finland, possibly even a personal union.

 

[Faeelin]

Fair enough; on the other hand, this Russia's domestic conditions BEGIN at early 1917 levels, and Russia has no major allies. That could mean a short, victorious war; or it could mean the dismemberment of the Russian empire.

Ask yourself whether France and Britain really want to see Germans on the Dnieper.

 

[Lord Insane]

Well, there's always the Alands. But I think Sweden would mainly enter to ensure Finnish independence and Swedish influence in Finland, possibly even a personal union.

At this point, the Ålands and an independent Finland would be more likely goals than annexing (the rest of) Finland. As to whether Sweden would join... well, there was a pro-War/Central Powers faction in our Great War, and while it was rather weak there, it would probably be a fair bit stronger with Germany more 'in the right' and France and Britain neutral (especially if Finland hangs on until the War begins).

 

[mikegold]

Ask yourself whether France and Britain really want to see Germans on the Dnieper.

Assuredly not! OTOH, the Brits especially were always rather sympathetic to the victims of Tsarist persecution, at least in the abstract. If the Ukrainian people rise, it just wouldn't seem fair to deny them their hard earned freedom, and this sovereignty would require a great power protector...

On the plus, I think this will be much more a "Mitteleuropa of the Nations" then the classic Wilhelmine exploitation economy.

 

[Monty Burns]

Well, there's always the Alands. But I think Sweden would mainly enter to ensure Finnish independence and Swedish influence in Finland, possibly even a personal union.

I've always thought about Sweden participating out of some "Scandinavian solidarity" to fight for Finnish freedom. A result of that war that's acceptable for Sweden should also be acceptable for Britain...

Ask yourself whether France and Britain really want to see Germans on the Dnieper.

In a sense, they might get that. Britain wouldn't mind if the Russians are not on the Dnjepr. So independent states formed on formerly Russian territories is ok, I guess. Nevertheless, any of those independent countries will turn to Germany for protection and trade...

Anyway, the Germans must be really careful to not win this war too decisively and to demand too much.

 

[Lord Insane]

I've always thought about Sweden participating out of some "Scandinavian solidarity" to fight for Finnish freedom. A result of that war that's acceptable for Sweden should also be acceptable for Britain...

Technically speaking, not likely. Nordic solidarity may be another matter, however ("Finland's cause is ours").

 

[Monty Burns]

Technically speaking, not likely. Nordic solidarity may be another matter, however ("Finland's cause is ours").

Why not? Sweden would want to set up the Baltics and either annex Finland or keep it independent. And independence in the Swedish sense would not be the form of independence Germany IOTL had in mind for its vassal states there (even though German monarchs are likely - but that's just following tradition: if you need some royal house for some new country, take a German one).

 

[Lord Insane]

Why not?

Because Finland is not Scandinavian, it is Nordic. Thus, technically speaking - solidarity for Finland may well contribute to Sweden entering the war on Germany and Finland's side, it just wouldn't be *Scandinavian* solidarity as such.

 

[carlton_bach]

05 June 1906, Essen

“I am sorry, I don't see that this is possible.” Walther Krupp von Rathenau spread his hands over the papers that covered his desk and looked at Major von Seeckt imploringly. The officer nodded slowly. “It is not a question of money, strictly speaking. It is that we cannot obtain any more ammunition because there is no more to be had. You know that the Gewehr 88 does not take well to the new bullets, and they are all we are producing. All everyone hasd been producing for the past few years. Literally the only institution that still has a significant stock of ammunition for the Gewehr 88 is the army.”

Von Seeckt made a series of quick notes. “I'm afraid any further surplusing of extant stocks is out of the question.” he said, anticipating Rathenau's request. “We have already given up supplies that were supposed to be retained for use by the Landwehr, and the current situation in Russia is making the General Staff very nervous.”

Rathenau nodded appreciatively. It was rare to find a military officer who could follow his way of thinking. Seeckt seemed to be the type, a man with a head full of numbers, ratios and trends, someone who understood the usefulness of forecasts and plans instinctively. He was selfishly glad that General von der Goltz had picked him to serve on the Polish project, though the damage this could do to the major's future career prospects was considerable. “I was surprised by the estimates of war stocks, too.” he pointed out. “the Poles have been using up bullets much faster than we anticipated.”

Seeckt looked up. A moment of recognition flashed in his eyes: here was someone he could talk to.

“You are right. Our initial estimates were based on experience from previous wars, and we have had to revise them downward quite heavily in the light of recent events. The National Army is using ammunition as though it was horse fodder. Now, we initially thought it would be advisable to instil greater fire discipline, but our instructors corrected that picture very soon. The ammunition expenditure of the NA was found entirely justified. It appears that this is what modern war will increasingly be like.”

A brief flash of panic crossed Rathenau's mind as he considered the capacity of his munitions factories. Did this also apply to artillery shells? There would not be good data, given the antiquated tubes they had given the Poles. But the prospect was daunting. if there were a war – and he was increasingly coming to the conclusion that nothing but a war would sort out the mess that was Russia – the German army would be very short of the things it needed. He made amental note to address the issue. Then, he turned back to the matter at hand.

“Unfortunately, that does not help us to ease the shortage that is looming for the Poles.”, he said. “I have had suggestions from General von der Goltz's office to equip them entirely with Mondragon rifles chambered for our new bullets.”

Major von Seeckt smiled apologetically. Not everyone in intelligence had a realistic appreciation of supply management, and many requests by advisers on the ground went through IIIb unfiltered.

“If you owned a Gewehr 88, Major, where would you go to buy ammunition?”

The question came out of the blue. Von Seeckt pondered it for a moment. You didn't buy ammunition, it was issued... but of course, Rathenau had a point. There were hunting rifles that chambered military rounds. There had to be – a lot of the theft that went on was for hunting and poaching. Presumably, hunting supply shops would carry legal supplies, too.

“Hunting supplies?”, he ventured. ”I don't think all the hunters that bought rifles chambered for the M88/I threw them away when we introduced the new cartridge.”

Rathenau's face brightened. “Major, that is an excellent thought. I will make enquiries, I am sure there is spare capacity in the market. It may not solve all our problems, but it will do for the moment.”

 

[Faeelin]

So, let's think:

This is a Germany with probably a healthier military budget than OTL.

A Germany with only one front to fight on.

A Germany that's aware of the munitions problems that modern war entails.

A Germany led by a kaiser whose response to a description of a tank in some scifi work would be, "Build a thousand. But add rocket boosters."

(And given the armored trains the Poles used, *somebody* has thought of a tank in the German military, IMO)

A Germany whose officer corps is arguably more meritocratic than OTL's and open to more talent than OTL's.

Against a Russia whose reaction to 1905 is "well, we lost to the weakest great power and are in the middle of a nigh-civil war. Let's invade the most industrialized state in Europe, because we haven't heard what happened to the Argentine generals after the Falklands War."

It's a shame that things are unlikely to get so bad in Russia that the Tsar ends up in the dock.