As 1913 entered the middle of its year, Bruno found himself deployed away from home for the first time in a very long time. Since the end of the Russian Civil War, he had more or less operated primarily out of the Central Division of German High Command, meaning he was no more than an hour’s commute back and forth from his home.
For the better part of a year now, Bruno had been given command over the 8th German Army, a unit of some renown, especially during their newest commander’s past life, where they had been responsible for the victories at Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes.
The conclusion of these battles had more or less cemented a German victory in the east, even if it took the Russian Empire another two years to fully capitulate. In this life, however, Russia was an ally of the German Empire, and thus Bruno was not sent to East Prussia to guard against a potential Russian invasion.
Instead, he was sent into the Balkans, specifically to the borders with the Kingdom of Serbia. The German 8th Army combined with the Austro-Hungarian 5th Army, as well as the Russian 1st and 2nd Armies, combining into a force of roughly one million men in total.
These armies were equipped with the latest weaponry employed by the three European nations within the United Imperial Powers and had deployed to the easternmost territories of the Austro-Hungarian Empire as security concerns in the region became increasingly present. To put it simply, the Second Balkan War had already begun and was nearing its end. The Kingdom of Bulgaria was losing, badly. And in their efforts to claim Thrace for themselves, Bulgaria had managed to effectively antagonize all of its neighbors into declaring war on them.
Whether it was Serbia, Montenegro, Greece, the Ottoman Empire, or even Romania, which, as a result of Bruno’s grim warning, had tried its best to stay neutral until now, Bulgaria found itself beset on all sides by a coalition of enemies who under any other circumstances would be just as likely to fight among themselves as they currently were with Bulgaria.
Even if Bruno had some form of inexplicable desire to aid Bulgaria in its defense, doing so now served no practical purpose as the war, which was meant to last no more than two months, was already nearing its completion.
Because of this, Bruno had been dispatched to the southeasternmost portion of Austro- Hungary with 300,000 men in tow under the guise of joint-security operations within regions of Habsburg rule that were showing revolutionary sentiment.
As for the roughly 500,000 Russians, they were set upon their own borders, which neighbored the belligerent nations of the Balkans, under a similar fa?ade. The very act, while seemingly hostile to the world, had some validity in the eyes of the public, as recent attacks by partisans, ethnic militias, and religious extremists against other such communities warranted some kind of Gendarmerie response.
Although many foreign political and military analysts concluded that the overwhelming number of troops sent into the Balkans by the three European nations of the United Imperial Powers was a pretext for far more sinister plans, such as an outright and total invasion of the independent nations within the region.
And while Kaiser Wilhelm II, Kaiser Franz Joseph I, and Tsar Nicholas II assured the world that this was most certainly not the case, instead insisting that they had simply sent such a large force not only for the sake of peacekeeping operations within their own borders.
But also as a deterrent to the ongoing participants of the Second Balkan War, as a means to prevent them from unlawfully invading the borders of the three Empires. Few who understood the complex nature of the region bought such a line.
Because of this, the citizens who lived in the Balkans were rather on edge. Bruno currently sat within a small café operated and owned by a local family within the city of Sarajevo. The family was ethnically Serbian, as Bruno could tell by the distinctive cross pendant worn by the waitress, who rather anxiously tended to him.
She poured some fresh coffee into Bruno’s cup as he enjoyed a local delicacy, all while gazing at his rather distinctive uniform with only a limited understanding of what it represented. Bruno expected the sheepish lass of questionable age would not dare speak to him, that is, until she finally gave voice, after standing frozen in spot in front of the foreign military official for some time.
“I… I never thought I would see the day when German soldiers marched through the streets of Sarajevo… You’re an officer… right?”
Bruno looked up at the young woman, who could not possibly be older than eighteen, and placed his fork and knife down-an act that caused the girl to flinch, until he put on a gentle smile and took a friendly tone in response to her question.
“A General, actually… You’re speaking with the man in charge of the three thousand German soldiers who are currently marching through your streets… What is your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”
The young woman was too shocked by the admission that the man sitting in front of her was in charge of the German troops deployed to the region under the guise of security operations, and was quick to drop her mouth, forgetting her manners entirely as she blurted out her thoughts, rather than answer Bruno’s attempt at friendly conversation.
“You’re a general? But… But you’re so young!”
The girl had mistaken Bruno’s age as that of a man who had yet to reach his mid-twenties. He, after all, had rather exceptional genes when it came to the process of aging-or at least the appearance of it. This caused Bruno to chuckle and shake his head as he corrected the young waitress’s misunderstanding.
“Though I am most certainly the youngest man to hold my position, I assure you that I am older than you think… I turn thirty-four in December… So rather than question me on my rank, how about you come out and ask the question that is really bothering you…”
The young woman looked around, almost as if she were searching to see if anybody was listening in on their conversation who shouldn’t be. After confirming that no such thing could be detected, she sighed heavily in relief before transitioning back to a nervous expression, damn near trembling as she voiced her concerns.
“It’s true, isn’t it… The war that is being fought in the area… It’s about to turn into something much greater, isn’t it? I mean, that is why you are all here, right?”
Bruno could tell that the waitress was incredibly worried about the future. And why wouldn’t she be? The lives of not only herself and her family, but everything she held dear were clearly hanging in the balance. It was one moment away from being completely annihilated by the
flames of war.
And because of this, Bruno did not lie to her. He was quick to speak the truth, albeit in a gentle manner, hoping to ease some of the poor young woman’s overwhelming anxiety.
“Yes… That’s right… At the request of His Majesty Franz Joseph, the German Reich has dispatched its 8th Army to the border of Bosnia and Serbia. Not only are we here to quickly dispatch these unlawful brigands who have taken advantage of the chaos east of these lands to cause some unnecessary trouble.
But we are also here to ensure that if war does break out within the coming months, it does not make its way here to the peaceful city of Sarajevo. However, you needn’t worry to the extent that you are currently suffering from.
I assure you, there is a reason that despite my age, I am the youngest GeneralOberst in the long and prestigious history of Germany and its many constituent states. I promise you this: I will burn Belgrade to the ground before I ever allow the armies of the Balkan League to step a single foot within the city limits of Sarajevo. You have my word…”
Bruno did not say another word after this brief but intimidating statement. He didn’t need to. Such a promise was worth more than its weight in gold. And with him acting as Bosnia’s defender against the Serbian Army and any invasion they might have planned for the region.
There was a higher chance that God himself would descend from the heavens with the sole purpose of ending this conflict before it truly began than there was a possibility that Serbia would emerge victorious in the opening exchanges of the Great War.
Thus, despite the bold, grim, and intimidating words that Bruno had just spoken to the timid young maiden, she felt nothing but calmness and relief following his departure. She was shocked to find a rather excessive tip, in addition to payment for the meal he had just eaten. A tip that was accompanied by words of wisdom she would urge her family to follow: “Though I am confident in my ability to repel any invasion the Serbian Army might attempt into these lands, modern artillery has significant range and is entirely unpredictable. Use this gift to get yourself and your loved ones far away from this city and the upcoming war.”