The organization, equipment, and deployment of the Iron Brigade was something that would take several months to organize. Which Bruno had anticipated well in advance. After all, there was a reason he proposed its creation in October of 1904, rather than waiting for the following spring when the Bolsheviks would have already occupied Saint Petersburg and its port.
As for the Tsar, he was quickly alerted to the formation of the Iron Brigade, and that roughly 6,000 German Volunteers, consisting of an Infantry Brigade, and an attached Artillery Regiment would be sent to Russia to aid in the war effort.
The numbers seemed rather lacking as far as the Tsar was concerned. Especially when the enemy’s numbers were quickly approaching the 100,000 mark. And showed no signs of slowing down, but at the end of the day any help was welcome.
In addition to this, the Kaiser also promised to send more “volunteers” should the enemy continue to grow in size and scale. It was unknown exactly the extent to which the German Reich was willing to help the Tsar retain his throne. But from the sound of it, the Germans were willing to send far more than they were initially deploying to the Russian Motherland.
However, a matter of contention appeared when the Kaiser announced who was going to be leading the so called Iron Brigade. With the Tsar questioning the sanity of his cousin for sending the man who had caused these problems to begin with.
Nevertheless, the Tsar received the Kaiser’s guarantee that Bruno would make up for his actions in China and Manchuria. And that he would prove to be a valuable asset in the field. One which the Tsar could use as he pleased.
Ultimately, considering Bruno’s fearsome reputation, the Tsar relented, making a promise to the Kaiser hat he may end up regretting. Insofar as stating that should Bruno actually play a significant role in his victory, then the man would not just pardon the German general for past crimes against the Russian Empire, but also would reward him handsomely.
As for Bruno, he wasted no time. Making a list of the soldiers, officers, and equipment he desired for use in the ongoing Bolshevik Revolution. He also drafted a uniform for his volunteer brigade. In the 19th century, during the Napoleonic wars, there was a Prussian Unit of Freikorps with a uniform that had the colors of black, red, and silver.
Which coincided with another infamous unit from German History, one that if Bruno had his way would not come into existence within this timeline. Even so, Bruno had taken inspiration from these two units for his new uniforms.
Ones which borrowed this color scheme, and some symbolism from the two of them, while applying it to the uniforms used by German soldiers in the early years of the Great War.
However, Bruno did not issue his troops the Pickelhaube, rather making use of the “kratzchen feldmutzen” field cap. Like the uniform, its primary color was black. The band around the bottom of the cap was also black, but with a red lining. As for the symbol embedded in its center, it was the infamous Death’s Head, or Totenkopf used by Freikorps units, and Hussars in the past.
Above the Totenkopf, on top portion of the cap was the Reichs-Kokarde which was a small circular badge in the colors of red, white, and black which symbolized the unified German Empire. Officer variants had a black leather visor and a matching black leather strap.
In addition to this, Bruno’s uniform had the collar tabs of a German Generalleutnant, but rather than being gold embroidered, they were instead in silver. As well as the red stripes on the sides of his black slacks that were commonly found on the uniforms of German generals.
Over all, the uniform was black, with red embellishment and silver fittings. In addition to this, there was an armband worn on the right side that was in the colors of the German Empire’s national flag. Similar to those worn by some colonial soldiers.
As for Bruno’s load bearing equipment. Officers like himself would wear a black leather belt, with a cross strap, as well a holster for his pistol, and several magazine pouches. The belt buckle was made of silver, and had a Totenkopf on it which was the symbol of this newly formed Iron Brigade.
Meanwhile, the soldiers, and NCOs who carried Gewehr 98 rifles would wear an actual web harness based on the designs that Bruno had made to replace the current issue German load bearing equipment whenever the Gewehr 43 entered service.
The difference being their magazine pouches had instead been replaced with k98k style pouches for the use of stripper clips. It was also made of black leather, rather than the brown leather that would later be standard issue to the German Army.
All in all, the uniforms of the Iron Brigade would be different enough from those of the Imperial German Army to be able to avoid confusion, while still German enough in design that nobody misunderstood who they were, and where they were from.
After making sure the new uniforms were designed, and the basic organization of the Iron Brigade was settled. Bruno would spend his days at the Central Division of German High Command, aiding in recruitment efforts from among the Ranks of the German Army and Navy.
Unsurprisingly, Heinrich and Erich immediately volunteered to join Bruno’s escapades. They had always had the man’s back in the past, and despite this venture not officially being a part of the German Army, they knew this would be a good chance to gain a promotion.
However, shockingly, there were two other faces which Bruno was familiar with who joined the Volunteer Brigade. Which happened to be his two older brothers, Ludwig and Kurt who were also still in the Army, albeit towards the end of their careers.
When the two men approached Bruno in order to ask his permission to join, no doubt the man was skeptical. However, the reasoning they gave him was satisfactory. With Ludwig surprisingly being the first to bow his head and ask for forgiveness.
“Bruno… I’m sorry, Generalleutnant! I’d like to apologize for what I have done over the years…. It shames me to admit it, but I have always been jealous of you. And what you have been able to achieve despite being my younger brother. But… It wasn’t until we were at the most recent family gathering where I finally understood this.
Seeing you gain such praise from not only our family, but so many powerful figures. It made me realize that this stupid medal pinned to my chest is worthless compared to what you, my younger brother have accomplished.
I mean, everyone who was in service at the time was rewarded with one of these. But when the opportunity to go to China came up, I passed on it. Yet you didn’t. You who were fresh out of the academy volunteered to go off and fight in a foreign land, and in doing so, you made a name for yourself. While I’m still a nobody. Simply the 8th son of a powerful nobleman.
It was my lack of determination that prevented me from doing the same. If you will have me, I would be honored to fight by your side in Russia so that we can put an end to these filthy peasants and their revolt against their rightful monarch once and for all!”
Although Ludwig had misunderstood the reason why Bruno hated these Marxists so much as to “resign” from his position as a general, and instead volunteer to fight in a foreign war just to eliminate them all. The fact that he was willing to apologize and admit his mistakes was good enough of a reason to let the man join him in this one last campaign.
After all, Bruno knew his brothers were nearing the end of their military service, and unlike him they didn’t appear to wish to make an entire career out of it. Because of this, Bruno was more than welcome to let the man prove to their family that he too was capable of winning glory.
At the same time, Bruno wanted someone else in his family to understand that war was far from as glorious and honorable as they imagined it to be. Only his father somewhat understood what Bruno had been through. And because of this, Bruno was more than happy to accept Ludwig’s support.
“I trust that you have at least retained some memory of how to operate in the field from your days at the Academy. If so, I am willing to put aside any past grievances we have had as brothers, and allow you to prove yourself in battle.”
Ludwig immediately saluted his younger brother, having not expected the man to actually forgive him, or grant him this one last opportunity for the glory he so desired. As for Kurt, he seemed to be mulling over whether or not he should actually apologize as well.
Which, of course his silence caught Bruno’s gaze. In the end, he too lowered his head, and with a heavy sigh made a heartfelt apology. Once he had done so, Bruno too accepted him into the ranks of his volunteer brigade, while also taking a moment to remind his brothers of what they were getting into.
“Though I am more than happy to let bygones be bygones, and let you two prove your worth to our family. I must remind you that this isn’t some camping trip we will be embarking on. This will be war. And a civil war, no less. You should know that the most brutal, bloody, and inhumane wars ever fought in history have been civil wars.
What I will ask you to do will test your humanity. For the undertaking we are about to engage in, I will require monsters, not men. For to defeat the evil that is Marxism, we will have to abandon our morality, and become an even greater demon to our enemies.
If you can not find it within yourself to follow my orders without question, no matter how cruel and ruthless they may be. Then you should leave now while you still can. Because once you sign up for the Iron Brigade, there will be no leaving it until the war has been won…”
Bruno gave his brothers a fair warning. After all, he planned to show no mercy to the Bolsheviks, or anyone else who professed to adhere to such a toxic ideology. Much in the way that the reds had shown such disregard for the lives of the Tsar and his entire bloodline in Bruno’s past life. Or the hundred million plus people who followed them to the grave in the name of Marxism over the course of the next century.
To put it simply, Bruno had no sympathy, no empathy, and no remorse for Marxists. They were as evil as the devil himself in his eyes. And such evil needed to be replaced with death. When it came to Vladimir Lenin, Leon Trotsky, Joseph Stalin, Maxim Litvinov, and the other leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution. There would be no leniency granted to them.
Rather their deaths would be so cruel, so vicious, so ruthless, that by the time this war had been won in favor of the Tsar, Bruno would earn himself another nickname that would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies for years to come.
