Re: Blood and Iron

Chapter 262: The Price of War



While war waged across the world, Germany, or more specifically the fatherland, was in a state of more or less tranquility. United together in its stand against the world, things functioned more or less than they normally had.

In Bruno's past life, the war had taken a toll on Germany by the end, with a lack of food becoming a serious problem for the German people. Starvation was rampant, and medical supplies were scarce. Even the soldiers found their rations becoming less and less frequent.

It was a similar thing in the war that followed. By 1943, supplies could hardly find themselves at the front with German units running out of fuel and ammo before they could finish off the enemy. It was the reason the Soviets won in Stalingrad, and the United States at the Bulge, despite sustaining significant losses prior to the collapse of logistics.

In this life, such a thing wasn't a worry. At least not for Germany. Not only were they only actively being pressed on one front, but they had Novorossiya to supply them with all the grain they needed. As well as fuel from the Russian oil fields in the Caucasus.

This could also be said for Austro-Hungary, which had its own surplus of raw materials. Food, medicine, and weaponry could freely be exchanged between the three nations who had each taken the burden of holding onto one of the three major fronts of the war.

In her personal journal, Heidi would remark how other than her husband once more being at war, the world didn't seem nearly as chaotic, or filled with despair as the foreign papers painted it to be. At least not in Berlin.

Berlin functioned as it had for the entirety of her life, and perhaps even better as the war, and by extension the alliance Bruno had built for it brought a major economic boom to the nation. And with casualties being less than 50,000 sustained so far, both in terms of deaths and wounded, Germany was not exactly suffering a major shortage in morale, or manufacturing capability.

Still, if there was one thing that had changed, it was security regarding their family. Each and every member of Bruno's family had their own bodyguards and their own armored vehicles to escort them in.

Bullet resistant automobiles were not exactly a luxury most people expected and was a concept that would only really come later down the line. Or it should have, but with Bruno's paranoia, he ensured that his family's vehicles, which were driven by professionals, were more or less resistant to the common munitions of the era.

All while having the sleek design of the wealthier brands of the era. Heidi in particular was well looked after by armed security, as she was more or less venturing out to charitable venues to look after the sick the wounded, and the abandoned that had resulted from this unfortunate war.

War was a natural part of humanity. It would never disappear. Not truly... There were a variety of reasons for this, but none of them were important to what Heidi was doing, as she sat in the back of her armored limousine with two of her younger children.

Thanks to Bruno's mass investment into a wide variety of brilliant minds and scientific fields. Medicine was advancing at a rapid rate. And microbiology was a major field Bruno had invested in. Anticipating the potential outbreak of the Spanish Flu, as it had done in his past life towards the end of the Great War. Bruno had long since set many of the better minds geared towards the task of researching and developing vaccines and vaccination technology. Recently there were major breakthroughs in two different vaccines. Diphtheria, and tuberculosis. Both of which would have begun testing in the 1910s and 1920s of Bruno's past life. And these two vaccines were now approved for mass production and distribution. Heidi was taking her two youngest children, who had yet to receive the vaccine to the doctors to receive them. And the children, of course, not being alerted to what they were about to undergo, were more than happy to sit beside their loving mother.

Soon enough, the car arrived at the parking lot, and the armed guards opened the doors to the vehicle. Escorting Heidi into the building as they kept an eye out for potential threats to their charge. Things went without a hitch as Heidi got her two youngest boys vaccinated for the potential threats to their lives, while ensuring that they were well behaved.

After which, the doctor took her aside and spoke to her with a humble tone in his voice.

"I just wanted to take a moment, to thank our great saintess for her hard work. You have no idea how much you and your husband have helped us treat those who so desperately need it. At a time like this, where the world is at war with itself, priority for medical supplies would often go to the military.

But we have such an abundance thanks to your family's efforts that everyday citizens are able to get the healthcare they need, and with no serious inconvenience. You are truly a walking example of what everyone should aspire to be, and words cannot truly express the gratitude we all owe you!"

Heidi was not one easily won over by mere flattery, and she found the idea that these people were calling her a saintess to be bit absurd when she thought about it. She was far from selfless and charitable enough to be called such a thing.

Even so, she thanked the man for his kind words before getting back to her car.

"Your words honor me, but are a bit excessive. Even so, I hope one day I can properly live up to your expectations. I am afraid, however, that I need to return to my home with my children. If you or your staff need anything that my family can provide, you can always give me a call and I will see if I can help..."

After saying this Heidi walked away, while the doctor sighed heavily, thinking about how lucky the man who married her must be. And how different the two were in their nature. Bruno was, at best, a sword to be wielded against the enemies of the Reich.

While Heidi was the healing hand that saved those affected by the cruelty of the world and mankind itself. It was truly a bizarre couple when he really thought about it.

Speaking of swords, Bruno was in his office where a group of men stood before him at attention. These men wore helmets which had the infamous Totenkopf of the Iron Division emblazoned on them, and were thus recognized as stormtroopers.

Taking the spirit of the now defunct Iron Division, German Stormtroopers had begun adopting their symbols. Not that Bruno could complain. Martial tradition and heritage were important in the military.

Seeing how many of the veterans of the Russian Civil War were among the first stormtroopers, it made sense for such elite units to claim to be the inheritors of that legacy. However, these men were also clearly stoic as they waited for Bruno to go through the reports they had given

him.

After a long and heavy sigh that sounded as if it were deliberately drawn out for dramatic effect, Bruno stared coldly at the men before explaining what had happened.

"So... Let me see if I'm understanding the situation correctly here... A group of Bosniak militants of the Islamic variety attacked an Austro-Hungarian patrol outside a small town. And you lot decided that you would avenge their deaths by sending the entire village to greet them in the afterlife?

You are aware that deliberately attacking civilians is considered a violation of the rules of war, right? It would be one thing if the militants were out in the open and were using the town

as a hostage. Simply shelling the target and disregarding civilian casualties could be

explained.

But massacring the entire village and lighting it aflame in the aftermath? It's inexcusable! What can I possibly say to his majesty when he comes to me, and asks whether or not I

condoned such savagery?!?!

Obviously, I did no such thing!?! But then... If I did not command you to do this, and you did it anyway, how does that reflect on me as your Generalfeldmarschall? Where is your commanding officer? I need to speak with him right this instant!"

Bruno was angry, and rightfully so. Sure, he had threatened to do exactly this to the Serbian leadership in order to intimidate them into surrendering. But massacring entire villages of innocent people in retaliation was not exactly something he had any desire to do.

Not only that, but it generally had one of two effects, it either emboledened the people to support the insurgents, or it broke their will to fight. But it would only break their will to fight after you had killed a large percentage of their entire population.

And that was out of the question for Bruno. Again, he had no qualms with civilian casualties,

which resulted from annihilating the enemy. Such was the price of war after all... As for what happened at Belgrade. Protecting people who were close to him, or even loosely related to him, was a serious matter.

One that took precedence over his own moral code. The Black Hand had made the mistake of deliberately targeting people Bruno had associated with, and they had only done so because their attempts to harm him personally, or God forbid his family had been trounced.

Bruno had ignored these attempts in the past because they had failed. But seeing someone he knew, even in passing, killed because they were loosely associated with him, and brutally so. It triggered the demand for blood, and to set an example for which ultimately the home of the perpetrators ended up paying the price for.

This, however, was a different situation entirely. His troops had acted on their own, and had massacred innocent village folk, not even knowing if the militants were within the town in question. Such a thing could not be justified whether to the Kaiser, or an international court of

law.

Especially when one considered these were subjects of their Habsburg allies. No, an example had to be made. And because of this, Bruno sighed and shook his head. Breaking out his pack of cigarettes where he instantly took a smoke. It was not until he stood up with the device in his mouth, did he finally give his orders.

"Take these men out back. I want the entire city of Sarajevo to realize what happens, when you disregard my authority and instead choose to go out and commit war crimes on your

own..."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

What would follow after would be a public execution of elite German soldiers that would serve to strengthen ties between Bruno, the House of Habsburg, and the Bosnian people. While also, serving to reinforce his authority over his own troops, who had begun to perhaps learn improper lessons from that mad dog he kept on a leash.