Throughout all of human history, few rulers received as bad as a reputation as Tsar Nicholas II had. Not because he was particularly brutal, ruthless, and despotic. But rather due to the sheer incompetency he displayed during his reign over the Russian Empire.
To call the Tsar horrifically misunderstood would be the understatement of a lifetime. The sad truth of the matter is he had been thrust into power long before he was fit, or capable of ruling over a small town, let alone one of the world’s largest empires and pre-eminent powers.
And this was the fault of his father, a man who had simply performed his role as a monarch poorly, who appeared to be more interested in repressing his people than actually grooming his heir to take over the throne after he had died.
Which was rather sudden at that due to a bad case of kidney inflammation. Which at the time was often fatal. Furthermore, Nicholas was deeply paranoid about the people after having been forced to witness the gruesome assassination of his grandfather at a young age.
Whose last words were essentially a warning that he, too, would be killed by the very peasants he ruled over. These words were almost prophetic in a way as Nicholas and his entire family were eventually murdered in cold blood by the Bolsheviks after losing the Russian Civil War during Bruno’s past life.
It was because of this that Bruno particularly pitied the Tsar and the House of Romanov, even if they were bound to eventually become enemies of the German Reich in the forthcoming Great War.
It was because of this that the Tsar who was currently hiding in Siberia as his generals, or more specifically, Bruno, fought the Bolsheviks on his behalf. He was, for the most part, left entirely out of military affairs.
That is, except for the parts he took particular interest in. Such as the design of a new steel helmet for the Russian Army. Tsar Nicholas II was perhaps what one might facetiously refer to as a “man of culture.”
So much so that the man had during Bruno’s past life chosen to neglect properly manufacturing and distributing steel helmets to his soldiers because they did not match his sense of aesthetics.
Even with the French offering 15,000 Model 1915 Adrian Helmets during the Great War as material aid, the Tsar was hesitant to have his soldiers make use of them. This stubbornness to put appearance over protection had prevented the Russian Army from addressing the issue of severe head trauma until very late in the war.
Of course, this issue had appeared much earlier in this life as a result of Bruno’s intervention in the timeline. And because of this, the man was being harassed by his generals to provide a solution to this problem that all other Great Powers were currently working overtime to address.
For example, a study showed that during the Siege of Tsaritsyn, Russian Soldiers suffered significantly more casualties, usually non-lethal ones at that as a result of not being adequately equipped with head protection than the members of the Iron Division who shared the same trenches as them.
This was not because the Red Army’s Artillery targeted locations primarily with Tsarist Units, but rather specifically because the Stahlhelm was optimal at preventing shrapnel and fragmentation from harming the head and the back of the neck of the German volunteers.
While the cloth hats which the Russians wore did nothing to impede the projectiles from harming the wearer.
After significant pressure from his generals, and a statement written by Bruno himself which declared the intent to equip the Russian Army, or at least those units who served by his side with Stahlhelms, to protect them from shrapnel and fragmentation. The Tsar was forced to concede on the issue.
Bruno was not going to take no for an answer, the amount of Russians who were wounded either in minor, or serious fashions as a result of poor preparations for a modern conflict was significant.
And quite frankly, unacceptable. Especially since Bruno already knew that the moment he sent the Iron Division to Russia, or as it was known then as the Iron Brigade with Stahlhelms, the rest of the world would replicate them.
So long as the Russians were fighting alongside him against the Marxists, then Bruno wanted to minimize casualties. Not only because it was expedient, but because it was also the right thing to do.
And hence why the Tsar was currently standing in his refuge in Siberia, meeting with stylists to discuss the adoption of a new helmet for his soldiers, along with a new uniform to match. While Russia was slightly better than the rest of its rivals, where previous uniforms were concerned. Adopting a forest green uniform for the majority of its infantry.
The more drab and earthly tones currently in use by the German Army, as was revealed after the deployment of the Iron Division to Russia, was all the rage. Everyone was working towards adopting some kind of uniform that was not so vibrant, saturated, and easily spotted.
The British had already deployed colonial uniforms in their distinctive khaki uniform and were beginning to replicate them at home. While the French were… Well, they were the French. Sticking with a blue-greyish tone for their uniform, which while better than the outright vibrant blue and red uniforms currently in use.
It was by no means a significant improvement. As for Austria Hungary, in Bruno’s past life they had first adopted a similar blue grey uniform as the French, only to replace it a few years later with a stone grey, and finally just simply copying the distinctive feldgrau which the German Army made use of.
Because of Bruno’s interference in the timeline, introducing the more modern 1915 pattern uniform to the German Army, the Austro-Hungarians simply began copying the German Uniform, albeit making some slight changes.
In doing so, they would ultimately end up with their own feldgrau uniforms, with the m1916 pattern Stahlhelm that were almost identical, if not entirely so, to the ones they wore at the very end of the War in Bruno’s past life.
To put it simply, only the Russians would have a uniform in this life that was distinctively different compared to the ones they fielded in Bruno’s past life. Currently, the Tsar was discussing this design with a stylist who specializes in military uniforms.
“Personally, I think a more drab green would be ideal. As compared to the darker forest green currently in use. As you know, earthly tones are in fashion right now. In addition to this, I do not necessarily like the look of the German Stahlhelm that the Iron Division is wearing. It’s so… Aggressive looking!”
The Tsar nodded his head at the stylist’s comments, seeming to agree with everything said. That is, until one of his servants interrupted the Tsar entirely. The man rushed into the room and handed the man a letter.
In the letter was a statement from the Russian Chief of Staff. Who had made a decision on the matter of new uniforms and steel helmets well in advance of the Tsar? The letter was addressed as follows:
“Dear his majesty, Tsar Nicholas II,
I write to you today to inform you that Tsaritsyn has fallen back into our hands. And is once more yours to command. Generalleutnant Bruno von Zehntner has once more achieved a significant victory. So much so that we are currently working to root out and eliminate any Marxists that may remain in the Volga region.
As per the Generalleutnant’s recommendations, I am currently authorizing the immediate replacement of the current issued uniforms to a design more suited to the modern battlefield. I have no doubt you have your hands full with where you are currently at and have extended this courtesy with this taken into consideration.
I look forward to the day the rebels are buried beneath the soil, and you can return to your home in Saint Petersburg.
-Your faithful servant, General of the Cavalry Fyodor Palitsyn.”
The Tsar couldn’t help but pull off his winter cap, which kept his ears warm and stomp on it as he screamed his innermost thoughts aloud.
“God fucking dammit! Do they even see me as their Tsar anymore? Have they really gone out of their way to establish a new uniform for the Russian Army without thinking of my sensibilities? These bastards better pray they lose this war, because if they win, I will rip them a new one!”
The stylist simply closed his book of sketches and sighed heavily as he shook his head in defeat. The uniform selected with the recommendation of Bruno in this life was none other than that used in the Great War of his past life.
Albeit with the removal of the cloth hat, and instead replaced with the Tsarist Russian variant of the Model 1915 Pattern Adrian Helmet. Which the Tsar seemed to have despised. Whether this was a deliberate attempt by Bruno to have fun at the Tsar’s expense?
Or simply something done on his part due to the rapid demand for new uniforms and helmets. Only he would know. Either way, the Tsar would throw a hissy fit in front of his servants before calming down and forgetting about the whole affair within a week. Such was his personality, after all.
