NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27
I joined the army led by Pyotr Wrangel and went into each recaptured city to comfort the Russians.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness. We couldn’t stop the Bolsheviks from killing the Tsar. Huhuh.”
Those who followed the Tsar until the end looked at me and cried, confessing their sins.
They lamented how they were too inept to prevent the Bolsheviks from daring to assassinate the Tsar’s family.
“No, it’s not your fault. It’s the consequence of our incompetent imperial family that oppressed you. Thank you instead for still believing in the Romanovs.”
I comforted them by holding their hands directly.
When asking why there were no Bolsheviks near Moscow, the answer was simple.
According to the information Pyotr Wrangel gathered, many Bolsheviks were currently gathering in Moscow.
At least in this area under our influence, the Bolsheviks couldn’t run rampant, but citizens loyal to the Tsar in other regions were being executed by the Bolsheviks.
Yet, there wasn’t a single Bolshevik here.
Like ebb and flow. They would retreat only to return as a raging red tide to confront us.
We must succeed in the battle for Moscow.
I instinctively felt it.
If we do not win this battle, we will truly fail to end this civil war even by the time of World War II.
I do not know how long the support from the great powers will last, but in the worst case, we might be pushed as far as the Far East by the Soviets.
As I advanced toward Moscow, many thoughts flooded my mind.
Though I still perceive my identity as a Korean, I cannot help but tremble at the reality that history is diverging because of me.
Moreover, I thought that simply making it this far meant I had done all I needed to do.
I came all this way to finish the battle, yet putting my life on the line is a daunting task, especially considering my past life.
I, with no ties to Russia, had become the idol of the White Army and made it this far.
Once I start, I must see it through to the end, but it feels as though the spirit of death is consuming my body.
“Your Highness.”
Perhaps my face gave away my feelings, for Pyotr Wrangel had suddenly taken up guard beside me.
“Baron Beria.”
“It seems you’re worried about this battle.”
“How could I not be? This will be a major fight to rectify what the imperial family has ruined, and the Bolsheviks are also Russians, former subjects of the Tsar. The thought of us spilling each other’s blood as kin is…”
In truth, I simply wanted to live, but I must keep up the pretense.
“That’s what war is. Ultimately, you must steel your heart. We will definitely protect you, Your Highness, and proclaim to the world that the rightful rulers of Russia are still the Romanovs.”
Yes, we have the advantage.
My strategy is in place, so our White Army is larger and better equipped than the historical record, and our morale is high.
Conversely, the Bolsheviks are not as fortunate.
The odds are overwhelmingly in our favor.
“Yes.”
“The Bolshevik army has appeared ahead!”
Finally, we faced the Red Army of Moscow.
—
Near Moscow.
The Bolsheviks seemed to be playing some sort of music to raise morale in their camp.
Ah, I’ve heard this song a lot.
It’s a song I listened to on XTube before the world ended.
The Red Army is indeed powerful. It sounds like the music was from that song. I liked it enough to hit like on the video.
I remember checking when it was made. Is it already being played now?
I think it was around 1920. Ah, that military song premiered in 1920, right?
I wonder if the lyrics are the same?
After a short wait, I could hear singing among the Bolsheviks.
Белая армия, чёрный барон
The White Army and the Black Baron
Снова готовят нам царский трон.
Are preparing the Tsar’s throne for us again.
Но от тайги до британских морей
But from the taiga to the British seas.
Красная Армия всех сильней!
The Red Army is the strongest of all!
Так пусть же Красная
So let the Red
Сжимает властно
With powerful hands
Свой штык мозолистой рукой,
Press down with their bayonets.
И все должны мы, Неудержимо
And we must all, unrelentingly
Идти в последний смертный бой!
March to the final death battle!
—
As expected.
The enemy troops are proclaiming that the Red Army is the strongest.
What a bunch of pretenders. Unlike real history, they’re not even holding the advantage.
They’ve been defeated multiple times and are defending Moscow, yet shouting about the taiga to the British sea. What nonsense.
The taiga to the British sea means all of Russia.
It’s ridiculously arrogant for some little Reds to sing when they have no claim to it in the Far East, Siberia, or Southern Russia.
Well, it is good in a way.
That song is indeed nice to listen to.
Unfortunately, it’s not a military song of the White Army, so I wonder how it will turn out in this world.
Still, whether the Black Baron is powerful or not, the lyrics mention him, but it’s ironic considering history.
By singing in chorus, they seek to dampen our spirits.
No, it might just be a ploy to raise the morale of the Red Army.
Hmm, that Red Army song is certainly well made.
It seems they are preparing for battle along with their war cries.
So, it’s like they are solidifying their resolve for battle through song.
Regrettably, if this battle ends in a victory for the White Army, that song will only be heard in hell.
Music soon began to play from our side as well.
It seems some perceptive fellow has started it.
Боже, Царя храни!
God, protect the Tsar!
Сильный, державный,
Strong and sovereign Tsar,
Царствуй на славу, на славу намъ!
Reign in glory, for our glory!
Боже, Царя храни!
God, protect the Tsar!
Сильный, державный,
Strong and sovereign Tsar,
Царствуй на славу, на славу намъ!
Reign in glory, for our glory!
Царствуй на страхъ врагамъ,
Reign to instill fear into the enemies,
Царь православный!
O Tsar of the True Faith!
Боже, Царя храни!
God, protect the Tsar!
The White Army sings the Russian Empire’s national anthem, “God Save the Tsar.”
I feel like the unofficial anthem during Catherine II’s reign was much better.
Well, this is the official anthem, so maybe it’s better after all.
“People of the Soviet! Will you once again suffer under the tyrannical rule of the Tsar? Or will you join under the red flag of the workers? Behold! Those reactionaries, the White Army, still trapped in nostalgia for the past, have come to ensnare you! They seek to oppress you and impose cruel rule under the double-headed eagle once more!”
“The Military Council calls you to the battlefield! Let’s fight! Let’s crush them and show the world that imperialism will ultimately fall! If you retreat here, they will kill you and your families and ravage everything! Let’s stop those reactionaries! Urraa!”
The enemy in the defensive line charges at the White Army with a war cry.
What a bunch of nonsense. Just ridiculous.
They are completely incapable of holding power without incitement.
Now that they feel like they might be losing, they just dissolve the Duma and seize power.
I really don’t understand why there are Soviet supporters when you line up the events from the birth of the Soviet Union to Stalin’s reign.
They massacre their own workers because they don’t listen to them, right?
Isn’t it just like what happened during the Tsar’s time?
The only difference is Nicholas II was terribly incompetent.
If Stolypin had still been around, there wouldn’t have been a Soviet Union at all.
“How long will we let a blind and hypocritical mob of Satan tempt the subjects with sweet words and grasp the Third Rome? Oh, great White Army of Russia! Uproot that army of Satan and reclaim the Third Rome!”
Uraaa!
Pyotr Wrangel’s White Army advances with tanks leading the charge to crush the Bolsheviks.
“There’s the reactionary’s leader, Princess Anastasia! Kill all the White Army reactionaries who can’t regain their senses under the folds of her skirt! Soviet Ura!”
“God! Protect the blessed Saint Anastasia Tsarina of All Russia! Long live the Great Russian Empire! Ura!”
The earth trembles with cries of “Ura” from all directions.
The White Army and enemy forces collide head-on.
In this place, there was no intervention from foreign troops.
Neither the US military, the German army, nor the British or French forces were anything but observers under their respective authorities.
Let’s just overlook the presence of Mutaguchi Renya.
Despite their cheer, the enemy troops’ quality was quite poor.
However, it seems Trotsky did reform the military somewhat, as the enemy troops were indeed wearing uniforms, although not all of them. Those that did wore a Budyonovka hat with the red star, over long coats.
Trying to reconstruct their military, they hastily outfitted their soldiers like that.
The Budyonovka is a type of hat. It was famous when the Finnish army openly took down Soviet soldiers who wore it as target practice during the Winter War.
It’s said to be named after the famous Semyon Budyonny.
Bright color and terrible design.
It makes one think of Mongolian-style garb.
A very poor-looking outfit.
The White Army also wore coats, but they were black and of a Western style.
The steel helmets had yet to appear, but you could clearly distinguish who was doing well and who wasn’t just by looking at both sides.
Even the weapons differed.
The Soviet troops were armed with captured weapons from World War I or mostly Mosin-Nagants.
The Tokarev automatic rifles could be seen occasionally, but they were quite rare.
On the other hand, the majority here were modified Tokarev rifles.
The most significant difference, though, was…
Kurururu.
This side has tanks.
And rather than suspiciously Russian-speaking tank divisions, these are proper Russian tank divisions that can actually speak Russian.
Most of the foreign tanks are still here, but the Soviet tanks A-1 were produced under German support.
The ‘A’ was derived from the first letter of Anastasia.
“It seems these will be very effective in capturing the Reds.”
Mikhail Drozdovsky was excited about capturing fellow Russians.
Well, why wouldn’t he be? The Reds are essentially satanic. They’ve earned the nickname of irredeemable cockroaches.
They should be mindful of their own faults.
The Soviets do have some tanks, though.
But they seem to have captured them or disassembled British tanks without any assistance to recreate their own.
The massive battle for Moscow begins.
The enemy is on the defense, but they know they’ll stake everything on this fight, charging head-on into the approaching enemy forces.
Both sides’ artillery roars into action.
The Bolshevik artillery is relatively inferior.
Meanwhile, our weapons are diverse due to support from various countries, and in terms of performance, they are overwhelmingly superior to anything the Bolsheviks can muster.
The range and destructive power are unmatched.
The commander’s skill is important, too, but those guys are lacking in that department and have subpar weapons.
“Your Highness, please move back. This place is too dangerous.”
“Many soldiers are dying because of me. If I cannot fight directly with guns, I at least want to boost the morale of the soldiers from here.”
Therefore, I will fight from here.
Look at those Reds.
Is the cockroach leader, Lenin, out in front? No.
Is Trotsky out there? No.
The so-called ‘elite monster,’ the butcher from Georgia, isn’t worthy of stepping out front either.
Of course, formally, Pyotr Wrangel is the supreme commander.
Then who is in charge of the enemy’s defense now?
It’s Mikhail Frunze.
In actual history, Pyotr Wrangel led Southern Russia and threatened the enemy but ultimately had to go into exile with military personnel and civilians due to the offensives of Mikhail Frunze.
Thus, Frunze is the one who was instrumental in defeating Wrangel in actual history.
In that timeline, Wrangel didn’t have much of an army under his command, making him at a disadvantage.
—
“That’s strange.”
“I believe the enemy has cavalry. However, I don’t see any cavalry.”
“They might be trying to flank us.”
Even though the emergence of firearms has made cavalry less effective than before, cavalry still existed in this era.
The Bolshevik enemy cavalry was one of them.
If they value this battle highly, they should appear as well. I wonder where they’ll pop up from.
If they get the chance, they might strike when our White Army tries to break through the Moscow defensive line.