Yakov Sverdlov could hardly believe what he had witnessed after his soldiers returned to him battered and bloody from their failed assault against the Russo-German fortifications outside the city of Tsaritsyn.
His plan to use the fog as cover to conceal his advance so that his troops would have a fighting chance against the enemy artillery and machine guns had been seen through. Only after advancing a mere hundred meters had the enemy began to open fire upon the Red Army.
Though they made it to the Russo-German trench line and valiantly fought in close quarters combat, it was his men who suffered most previously. With more than half of what remained of his army being either wounded or killed in action during the attempted assault.
Meanwhile, the Russo-German army suffered at most one tenth of the casualties which the Red Army had sustained. If even that… It was becoming clear that there was no hope of victory here in Tsaritsyn. The enemy had encircled them and blockaded the city.
In doing so, they prevented supplies and reinforcements from entering Tsaritsyn. Meanwhile, the artillery barrage had begun again after the Red Army’s assault had concluded. With even now shells falling nearby, and shrapnel flying through the air.
Yakov didn’t realize it, but his forehead was bleeding after a piece of shrapnel had grazed him. He did not realize this until a medic ran up to him and immediately began to treat his wound. He was in shock after having witnessed his army cut to pieces by the enemy.
How was this even a war? Saint Petersburg had been a complete and total disaster for the Red Army who laid siege to it. The moment the Germans entered the fray and brought with them machine guns it was almost like a cheat code had been unlocked.
The former leader and founder of the Red Army along with 80,000 of his men lie dead at Saint Petersburg, with Trotsky being shot in the streets like a stray dog, meanwhile his corpse was left to be torn apart by the hounds of the Black Hundreds militias.
At first Yakov had thought that the overwhelming numbers of his troops here at Tsaritsyn would allow him to easily repel the enemy. But as far back as the first day of the Siege, everything had gone horribly wrong for him, and continued to do so.
Not only were the majority of his siege guns destroyed, but his supplies kept dwindling due to repeated sabotage, which occurred every night. By the time he was finally able to gain favorable conditions for a siege, half of his army was already dead, or so grievously wounded they were incapable of performing the operation.
Because of this, he charged an enemy army that was equal in number, and superior in terms of firepower, resulting in a devastating result. It was a surprise that he was left with roughly half of his forces. But then again, they were repelled by the Russo-German army within trenches after only five to ten minutes.
It was a humiliating defeat, and now his only option was to either sit here in Tsaritsyn and be starved to death, launch another assault which would result in a similar disaster, or surrender and be executed on the spot by the German commander, who did not even consider Marxists as being human, and were thus unworthy of any rights which society afforded even the most heinous criminals.
There had been no signs of the collaborators within the city walls, or even their identities. And because of this, Yakov could not even vent his frustrations on those who had betrayed him.
It was while the man was biting his own nails in anxiety that he heard a dreadful sound. A whistle blew in the distance, as 25,000 Germans soldiers shouted in unison the official motto of the Imperial German Army. “God with us!”
Having being shouted by 25,000 men at the top of their lungs. It was a thunderous echo, as if the heavens themselves were singing it in the background. And the most terrifying part of all it was being shouted by men hiding in the thick fog that had concealed the Red Army’s charge.
Yakov knew what was happening. After their losses, the Russo-German army had begun a counter charge. Heralded by the artillery barrage that had just now struck the Red Army after fleeing back to their fortifications just now.
Roughly 47,500 men would be charging at the city of Tsaritsyn from all sides. It was a complete and total encirclement. One which the Red Army could not defend against. And sure enough, gunfire quickly echoed in the distance, as the Bolsheviks exchanged shots with the enemy who began assaulting them.
Yakov could see a flood of black and green uniforms as they came rushing forward with rifles in hand. Disregarding their own lives in pursuit of glory. It was clearly the end for him no matter how he looked at it.
—
The battle ended as swiftly as it began. After obliterating over 25,000 men during the Red Army’s failed assault. Bruno’s remaining forces, which outnumbered the enemy two to one quickly encircled them and slaughtered them.
For every loss the Iron Division and the accompanying Tsarist forces sustained it only fueled the survivors with even more fervor as they ran the Red Army through with their bayonets, and shot them in the streets when the cowardly Bolsheviks threw their weapons aside and got on their knees to plead for mercy.
But as the good book said, “thou shalt not suffer a Marxist to live.” Or it would have had Marxism been a thing when the bible was written. Instead, the closest interpretation was “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.” Which as far as Bruno was concerned extended to Marxists by very nature of their similar antihuman beliefs.
Because of this philosophy, Bruno ordered every man who took up arms in the name of the Bolshevik Revolution to be lined up and shot by firing squads in public. Actions undertaken of the Iron Division with the thousands of prisoners they had gained.
All the while Bruno walked through the streets as his orders were being carried out and nodded his head in approval. Meanwhile, he gave the command to have the workers who had volunteered to perform labor for the Red Army in the city’s factories to be thoroughly reprimanded for their treasonous acts.
But not willing to become a villain in the eyes of the Russian people, or the working class in general Bruno gathered them all before him and his men, whose intimidating presence only added further to the fear which these civilians felt. It was there he gave a speech to them all. One which by the end of would gain favor for him.
“I don’t know what drove all of your to collaborate with those who would deny you your faith, your identity, and your motherland. And frankly, I don’t really care. As far as I’m concerned, any man who waves the red banner is the same as a rabid dog. Deserving of the same punishment.
But the Lord is merciful, even to those who blaspheme against him as you all have done so. It is because of this; I have decided to show leniency to those whose crimes consist of merely supporting these godless heathens, rather than directly spilling blood in their wicked ideology.
Because of this, I will spare you all, under the condition that you all reject the Marxist principles which you have been following, and condemn the leaders of this Bolshevik Revolution as the anti-human monsters that they are.
For those of you who refuse to acknowledge your sins, and continue to rebel against your rightful monarch, as chosen by God to lead Russia and its people. Your fate will be the same as the Red Army which lies slain here today. Choose wisely, I assure you, your families would prefer that you repent here today while I am still giving you the chance.”
Frankly, Bruno had not become a religious fanatic, even after coming to some understanding with God that he had rejected in the past. But the Tsar had depicted him in such a light, and he would not deny this image that the Russian people and the Red Army had of him in their own minds.
Especially when it was an effective means of controlling the masses. Victory on this day was not Bruno’s but rather God’s, as the Good Lord had cleansed this city of the Marxist heathens who had dared to taint its virtue. Bruno had been merely the instrument of God’s will. A part he was more than willing to play.
Or so Russian Propaganda would claim. Realistically speaking, the mercy which Bruno had shown these workers was merely practical in nature. If he went around killing every civilian who had helped the Bolsheviks, he would need to kill millions of people.
And what would be the point of that? Especially when one considered that showing them mercy in the name of God was a better way to convince the Russian people that neither he nor the Tsar were the bad guys in this situation. It was, after all the Marxists who had taken up arms against their rightful monarch who caused this war to begin.
Luckily for Bruno, nobody dared reject his mercy, instead all the workers who had supported the Bolsheviks fell to their knees and rejected the ideals of Karl Marx and the evil they purported. All while praying to the Lord God almighty, thanking him for his mercy, and the mercy of the Tsar.
These laborers who had begun to repent for their sins would do so first by condemning the leaders of the Bolshevik Revolution and pointing out exactly who among them held senior positions in the Bolshevik party.
These senior communists were dragged out of the group of laborers they were hiding in. Among them was none other than Yakov Sverdlov, who after seeing his army so swiftly defeated stripped himself of any symbols or clothing that would openly display his allegiance.
The socialist ideals he had fanatically believed in, and spent his life pursuing violent revolution for, suddenly became a symbol of shame when faced with the consequences of his actions.
Luckily for Bruno, not only had he known who Yakov Sverdlov really was the entire time, but the people of Tsaritsyn so viciously threw him to the wolves when an opportunity to save themselves came.
Bruno walked in front of the men identified as senior party members of the Bolshevik revolution, stopping in front of Yakov Sverdlov. There was a cruel and sinister smirk on his face as he leaned down in front of the young Bolshevik Leader and said the words that would condemn the man to his fate.
“I know you! You’re Yakov Sverdlov aren’t you? Yes, of course you are. I wouldn’t mistake your distinctive features for anyone else in this world… Has it been fun? Playing the part of a revolutionary, I mean? Well, do you see the consequences of your actions now?”
After taunting his prisoner like this, Bruno whistled, before giving his orders to the members of the Iron Division who surrounded the group of laborers up until this point.
“The workers who have begun their penance are to be freed at once. As for the senior members of the Bolshevik party who they so generously have pointed out to us, they are to be executed with the rest of the Red Army.
All but one that is… Yakov Sverdlov here will be thoroughly interrogated before he meets his end. Do whatever is necessary to make him sing, you understand? As for what you do with his corpse, I really don’t care, just make an example of him, alright?”
The Iron Division saluted their general before fulfilling Bruno’s orders. The workers would be incredibly thankful for the mercy they had been given. While the Senior members of the Bolshevik party would be lined up alongside their troops and shot in the streets. Buried in a mass grave outside Tsaritsyn.
As for Yakov Sverdlov. He would be brutally tortured until every bit of information that could be gained on the Bolshevik Party, its membership, its supporters, and the Red Army could beg gained.
After being put out of his misery, his flayed body would be hung in the streets of Tsaritsyn as a reminder of the price that would be paid by every Marxist revolutionary leader in this life wherever Bruno would find them.
Thus giving Bruno the nickname of the “Red Scourge”, for which Marxists around the globe of all denominations would know him by.
