Rather surprisingly, after the attempt on Bruno’s life, and the propaganda used to depict it as an attack by the Red Army. It was not just the Russian Army’s forces who were bolstered by mass recruitment.
When the news reached the shores of the German Reich, tens of thousands of men were up in arms. Declaring their intention to join the Iron Brigade and put an end to the Bolsheviks once and for all.
There were chants for war in the streets of Berlin, as veterans and civilians alike demanded the blood of the Marxists who had dared to do something as cowardly as attack their General in the streets of Saint Petersburg.
Naturally, the outcry for war, and the tens of thousands of men who rallied in support of it had the French sweating bullets, as they realized they were incredibly lucky that their attack was mistaken for one conducted by the Red Army.
This, however, was far from the truth. The German government knew all too well the French were behind the assassination attempt. And were preparing for a swift and brutal retaliation against French Military Leadership themselves.
But for the time being, they allowed the people of the world to believe the masterminds behind this attack were the Bolsheviks, as it furthered the current goals of the German Reich, which was to bring an end to the ongoing Russian Civil War.
As a result, the Iron Brigade began accepting more and more members. Causing the German Arms industry to begin the manufacture of more weapons to support the number of foreign volunteers participating in the Russian Civil War.
Machine Guns, artillery, rifles, and grenades were manufactured to meet the demand. While the Iron Brigade established proper training centers where one could learn to march, shoot, as well as perform basic infantry tactics.
Whether this meant urban warfare training, trench warfare training, basic combat medical training, or the use and operation of heavy weaponry such as machine guns and artillery. Over the course of the months following Bruno’s injury, an additional 19,000 men were armed, trained, and sent to Saint Petersburg to fight as a part of the Iron Brigade.
Of these 25,000 men, 15,000 operated as infantry, and 4,000 were trained for use in artillery regiments.
Meaning that with Bruno’s current 5,000 Infantry, and 1,000 artillery, The Iron Brigade now had an entire division composed of 4 Infantry Brigades, and 1 entire brigade’s worth of artillery. Thus changing the name of the Volunteer unit from the Iron Brigade to the Iron Division.
This was not exactly within Bruno’s expectations. But as a result, he happily accepted the volunteers from the Fatherland into his ranks. Bolstering the forces who planned to attack the Red Army at Tsaritsyn by 19,000 men, 400 machine guns, and 144 field artillery pieces.
Bringing the combined total number of the Iron Brigade to 25,000 men, 500 Machine Guns, and 180 75mm Field Guns. Bruno also could have easily added mortars to the Division, but that would have been overkill, and exposed a valuable secret to the world.
Because of this, he elected to simply use these weapons. Which would be more than enough to annihilate the Red Army in its entirety, let alone the 100,000 men defending Tsaritsyn.
This was also combined with the Division from Russia, which was composed of infantry, cavalry, and artillery. As a result, Bruno would be marching on Tsaritsyn with 50,000 men in total. Which though half the amount of the enemy, had significant advantages over the Red Army who would be defending the city which they now occupied.
After spending the remainder of the winter ensuring everything was in place to transport these 50,000 men to the Volga Region, Bruno gave the order to march. Trains would transport the majority of the men, and their equipment to the nearest Tsarist occupied rail station to the city of Tsaritsyn, where the rest of the men would march from there.
Because of the established railways, it made the journey much smoother. As Bruno sat silently in his own secured car while watching the Russian countryside pass him by. It would have been a rather comforting journey if the end destination wasn’t a battlefield, one taking place in a city that was bound to be laid to waste by the campaign.
But Bruno had long since learned to enjoy the simple things in life while he could, and peaceful moments such as this. Because of this, he simply smoked in silence, and enjoyed the view. A view he hoped he would never have to gaze upon again.
Because Bruno knew if he did so, it meant that he would be back in this part of Russia for the same purpose he was now. War…. And that was something which he, for obvious reasons found to be undesirable.
Of course, he also knew that it was damn near unavoidable. In ten years’ time, he would see this exact landscape. Assuming the Tsar and his army didn’t croak by the time he made it to Tsaritsyn. Because of that, Bruno was curious about how the area would change by then. If it even would at all.
At the end of the day, nothing stayed the same forever. Such was a sentiment on Bruno’s mind as the train finally made it to the last stop. Where he stepped out of the car, put on his great coat and load bearing equipment, and attached his helmet as he walked into the Russian country side during the start of spring.
Plumes of smoke blew in the distance, no doubt from the factories that at this moment were being used to manufacture weapons and munitions for the Red Army. Weapons and munitions that would soon be used against Bruno and his men.
But that was not a concern for Bruno. Instead, he waited for the remainder of his army to arrive. Which would no doubt take a considerable amount of time. Because of this, Bruno decided to take up temporary residence at the local inn.
As the commander of this army, he was after all expected to arrive before the rest of his men. Or such was the mentality which Bruno followed. He would be the first to arrive to every battlefield which he made his mark upon, and the last to leave its desolated grounds.
Or such were the ideals which he aspired to. Practicality often got in the way of such lofty determination. For example, if God forbid the enemy managed to overrun him and his army, as a general whose importance to the war was far greater than the average soldier. Bruno would have no choice but to evacuate at the first given opportunity.
—
The Bolshevik commander chosen to lead the Red Army at Tsaritsyn was none other than a young Yakov Sverdlov. Yakov was a Bolshevik revolutionary and leader, who had been given command of the Red Army at Tsaritsyn after Leon Trotsyk’s death at the hands of Burno.
He was several years younger than Bruno, currently at the age of 25. And was archetypical for the Tsarist anti-communist propaganda. Insofar as he was from a Jewish family of some prominence. With his father being an engraver who forged documents for the Bolsheviks.
He was also an atheist, and antireligious. Thus only adding to the fuel which the Tsarist propaganda machine used to combat the Bolshevik revolution. Of his six siblings, five of them were involved in the revolution to some capacity, with their parents also playing a part.
Quite Frankly, Bruno would just assume the sixth siblings were guilty and have them all hanged at the end of the war if they managed to survive until then. The young man had no real military training.
But because of his family’s prominence in the Bolshevik movement, and because he had spoken out of turn, he was given the task of dealing with the Wolf of Prussia and his march on Tsaritsyn.
The man gazed in the distance from the safety of Tsaritsyn, and watched as the weeks went by, and the enemy army began to build their fortifications outside the city. An elaborate trench system was dug around Tsaritsyn. Where field guns of varying size, and capability were emplaced within them.
In addition to this, the Tsarist trenches were filled with hundreds of machine guns. Only furthering the notion that the German Reich had spent years amassing such weapons. It was unknown just how many machine guns were currently in the German Army, but judging by the fact that they managed to send 500 to support a division of alleged volunteers it must be a lot.
Because of the fact that the enemy had prepared to such an extent for this siege, Yakov was quite nervous. Resorting to excessive drinking as he watched and waited for the first attack to begin. And it was at midnight, while everyone slept peacefully within the city walls that the echo of artillery fire awoke the citizens of Tsaritsyn.
360 guns of various caliber rocked Tsaritsyn with their bombardment. And would continue to do so throughout the remainder of the night throughout various bombardments. By the time the sun rose in the east, a tenth of the city would lie in ruin.
