The feast was prepared well throughout the day, so that the evening time came, food was on the tables, and beer was served in a multitude of glasses of varying sizes. Being a man of culture himself, Bruno would not settle for any cup smaller than a liter.
As the representative of the Kaiser, Bruno was given the honor of sitting with the Habsburg family. However, there were a few generals who he took note of sitting at other tables. All of which wore extravagant uniforms of the latest design. Thanks to Bruno’s influence on the timeline, nations had begun adopting earthly tones for their uniforms as far back as the winter of 1904.
Which was around the time the German Army began displaying their signature feldgrau uniforms. The Austro-Hungarians had rather wisely simply copied the German color palette when it came to their new uniforms, even if the uniforms themselves were of their own distinctive cut and style.
See, Bruno wanted to take advantage of this opportunity the Kaiser had sprung on him to establish friendly ties with the Habsburgs. And of course, there was a very good reason for this. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a complex nation, one that would inevitably collapse on itself, even if Bruno brought victory to the Central Powers during this time.
Like the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarians suffered from two very distinctive weakness, ones that were shared by the collapsing democracies of the west during the 21st century that Bruno had lived long enough to see them all enter their final days during his past life.
And those weaknesses were the fact that both the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarians were multicultural and multi-ethnic societies. Which throughout history had proven to be among the weakest and least stable societies ever built.
Especially when one considered that the Austro-Hungarians had built their empire on the powder keg that was the Balkans. A region well known for its fierce diversity of cultures and rampant ethnic nationalism.
While Bruno was highly approving of ethno-nationalism, and was a major supporter of it, especially within the boundaries of the German Reich. He did so under the condition that it existed in an ethno-state.
The problem was that this ethno-nationalism in the Balkans primarily took place within multi-cultural and multi-ethnic societies. Thus, it had the exact opposite effect as it did in Germany, for example, where the nation was an overwhelming majority of the same people, culture, language, and heritage.
While Germany was strengthened and bound together by this unity. The Austro-Hungarians were torn apart by their differences. As these various nationalistic minorities all competed with one another, and the majority in power.
Which itself was the primary reason multicultural and multiethnic societies never lasted long. Tribalism was engrained in human DNA. Even in modern western society, which had tried to manipulate its people and breed out the notions of nationalism over decades of brainwashing.
You could still find tribalism around every corner of society, even if it was now expressed through one’s favorite sports teams, or their favorite form of entertainment, rather than their national and ethnic identity.
People would commonly verbally harass and violently fight one another over whether their specific sports team won or lost. And that was over some nonsense that had no actual effect on one’s life or living standards.
Imagine what would happen if these same people directed that tribalism towards their culture, religion, and ethnicity? It usually had very bad results, especially in the long term. Like the Austro-Hungarians and Ottomans would very soon find out.
And like how Bruno suspected the world he came from had ended soon after his death. Whether in a matter of years or decades. It was his belief that this was the inevitable and bloody death that Western Nations would face, and at the hands of their own making no less. Or shall we say the making of a very small portion of their population who held all the power and wealth?
It was because he was so certain that the Austro-Hungarian Empire would inevitably collapse in this life, even with a victory in the Great War, that Bruno wanted to get close to the House of Habsburg.
Why? Because if he was on friendly terms with Franz Joseph’s successor, then he could potentially help convince the Habsburgs to agree to annexation into the German Reich when their own empire finally fell apart.
Hence why Bruno was being so friendly with one man in particular. Karl Habsburg, a man who would succeed the Kaiser of the Austro-Hungarian Empire halfway through the war in November 1916. Karl Habsburg was the son of Franz Ferdinand’s younger brother, Archduke Otto Franz Joseph.
The line of succession was frankly complicated, but with Franz Ferdinand’s death, it would be Karl who would end up as the next Kaiser when Franz Joseph finally kicked the bucket in 1916. Karl was barely an adult. In the current year of 1906, he was roughly 19 years old. Or he would be turning nineteen in a matter of months within August.
Still, he found the tales of war which Bruno regaled him with to be a matter of deep fascination. Bruno, of course, did not bullshit the man, enlightening him to the harsh reality of war and with rather descriptive language at hat.
“Though I understand your desire to earn honor and glory on the battlefield. As I myself once had such lofty and fanciful thoughts towards war. I should warn you, your majesty, war is not what you have been told throughout your youth.
It is ugly, nasty, and miserable. I assure you that the closest thing to hell that mankind has ever brought upon itself here on Earth in the mortal world is war. If war was not a matter of necessity, then I would never have chosen to take up arms in the first place.
It is an experience I hope my son never has to endure, and God forbid my daughters. But, because I come from a military family, it is almost certain that my son will one day be sent to witness the horrors that I have come to see.
And if you think for one moment, I am lying to you, or merely exaggerating. I want you to know that no matter what shiny crown you may wear on your head.
In the face of artillery, a King or an Emperor can just as easily end up in a pile of meat paste as the peasants he looks down upon and sends to fight in his stead. On the battlefield, neither your wealth nor status can save you. Only God can do that, and you would best remember that when the day comes that you send sorry sods like myself to die for you.”
Karl, though young, was still an adult. He had enough sense to know when a man of experience and age was parting wisdom to him. Wisdom that caused all the Austro-Hungarian generals to glare at Bruno as if he was corrupting the young archduke with his “pacifistic words.”
However, Karl either ignored the old men, or did not witness their gazes cast towards him and the German Kaiser’s guest. Instead, he asked with a rather deflated sense of tone, a question which caused Bruno to laugh.
“So, if war is so miserable for everyone involved. Why do you fight? I mean, by now you have earned enough glory for yourself, right? Couldn’t you just retire to a life of peace if you hate it so much?”
Bruno chuckled when he heard this and shook his head. Gazing upon the lavishly decorated palace and its halls with an almost bittersweet smile on his face. Though he didn’t realize it, his words would stick with the future Austrian Kaiser for the rest of his days.
“I fight so that my family does not have to witness what I have endured. War is a natural part of life, and wherever there are men in power, they will inevitably send the young and poor to die over their petty disputes.
God has given me a gift, as heinous as it is, I would use this gift to ensure that war never reaches the borders of the German Reich nor disturbs the peaceful life which its citizens live. And if I may use my talents to preserve the lives of the men beneath my command, or at the very least limit their suffering, while at the same time sending millions of the Kaiser’s enemies to meet their maker, then so be it.
The motto For God, Kaiser and Fatherland is more than just words, your Majesty.”
Bruno didn’t realize it at the time, but his words had attracted the attention of more than just those old Austrian Generals who were exactly the kind of men he had condemned in his speech to the young archduke. In fact, the Austrian Kaiser himself, as well as several of his children and grandchildren, listened to every word that Bruno had spoken.
Some silently condemn the man and shook their heads, while others reflected upon them. But Bruno’s words would have a lasting impact not only on the young man they were addressed to but also on one of the granddaughters of the Austrian Kaiser, who instantly began to venerate Bruno as if he were some kind of martyr of the German people.
