German Red Prince

Page 159

Thanks to this article, Poland's high-ranking officials have undergone a near-complete reshuffle, with almost all the nobles now being German. There are a bunch of German nobles on Polish soil.

With the territory under complete military control, it was tantamount to Germany completely occupying Poland. The resistance movement could only go underground. Previously, it was led by Dzerzhinsky, who had fled Russia. I don't know how it is doing now.

The Polish uprising exposed many problems, and other countries have learned lessons to varying degrees. The resistance forces in Ukraine are clearly the strongest among these Eastern European countries. On this land, people of different ideologies and classes are resisting German rule.

Skołopádsky attempted to form a broad government but failed to unite the various moderate parties in Ukraine under his rule. In order to form a new government, Skołopádsky appointed a cabinet mainly composed of pro-Germans and conservatives, as the regime continued to stabilize its rule.

The long-standing problems of Nestor Makhno's Ukrainian revolutionary insurgents in the rural areas of eastern Ukraine have become more than just a local concern.

During the crackdown on the insurgency, the Skołopádsky regime continued to restore order in other parts of Ukraine, but this was not very effective. The uprisings became more localized, with radical agricultural socialists in rural areas organizing peasants to rise up in rebellion.

In Russia, around the end of summer 1924, their leaders held a grand meeting in Ufa to decide the future of the anti-Bolshevik forces. Despite initial skepticism, the Ukrainian government still sent representatives to the meeting.

This meeting demonstrated the Ukrainian government's position: a pro-German, anti-communist government. It was because of this that the left-wing resistance forces in Ukraine united, and anarchists fought alongside Bolsheviks.

With the support of German military equipment, and as the first wave of well-trained German recruits went to the battlefield, Skołopádsky launched a campaign against Makhno's Black Army and the remaining Soviet forces in Ukraine, calling them "Bolsheviks and anarchist terrorists who have broken away from the country."

Makhno's strategy was quite clear: fire and run, often using surprise attacks to seize German and Austrian supplies, such as artillery and machine guns.

These raids were quite successful for the anarchists; Prisovsky's offensives were repeatedly repelled, the peasants sided with the Black Army, and the government's encirclement and suppression efforts had little effect.

After several failures, the Ukrainian government relaxed its crackdown on them, as there were still many things for them to solve. With the intensity of the crackdown decreasing, the Black Army also established its own base in eastern Ukraine, and Makhno himself began to promote his own anarchist system in the area.

The people strongly support these policies, and Makhno's policies are clearly more humane than those of the Ukrainian government. However, there are still some things that continue to trouble him.

Some people have oversimplified the principles of anarchism. Many have mistakenly interpreted anarchism as meaning that there is no need for a government, and have done many wrong things as a result.

Maintaining the Black Army cannot rely solely on personal prestige; they also need their own program. Anarchism is not about doing whatever one pleases, so he is currently trying to find a solution.

The good news is that recently, many people have joined the Black Army's revolutionary ranks, including quite a few intellectuals, and these people are all quite professional. Makhno is also puzzled as to why so many theorists have suddenly appeared in this period of time.

The recent public opinion situation in Ukraine has also made Makhno feel uneasy. There are more and more dissenting voices in the country, and suddenly even farmers in the countryside have begun to pay attention to national affairs, as if someone is deliberately guiding things.

However, this is also a good thing. Some time ago, the Bolshevik representative invited him to join forces to launch a revolution in the eastern regions far from the German and Ukrainian governments, expand their influence, and liberate Ukraine as soon as possible.

The current situation is clearly more favorable to them. With the guidance of public opinion, they will encounter less resistance, and the people will be more supportive of their actions.

Looking at the map on the table, Makhno had a bigger idea: he wanted to create a true anarchist state in eastern Ukraine, to establish an anarchist government.

327. Program

Makhno's Black Army mainly operated in eastern Ukraine. In fact, since the defeat of the Bolshevik forces in the Russian Civil War and the subsequent separation of Ukraine, various forces have been vying for control of eastern Ukraine on the right bank of the Dnieper River.

Since its independence, Ukraine has never truly controlled eastern Ukraine, where powerful factions are deeply entrenched. After Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland gained independence, Russia was actually the most resentful.

These countries traditionally belonged to the Russian Slavic sphere of influence, but now they have all been occupied by the Germans, so they are not on good terms with Germany in some aspects.

Although Russia is now largely under German control, they still cause some trouble for Germany.

The region east of the Dnieper River is a power vacuum in Ukraine, and the Ukrainian government has never been able to completely control it. After the Bolsheviks were defeated, a large number of remnants of their forces arrived in eastern Ukraine, where armed forces clashed with the Ukrainian government army.

There was more than one Bolshevik force here. Kaganovich, as the former head of the Ukrainian Soviet, continued to fight against the White Army with his partisans in eastern Ukraine.

The advantage of the eastern Ukrainian region is that if faced with a large-scale encirclement and suppression campaign, these guerrillas can flee to Russia, wait out the storm, and then return.

Many Slavs sympathized with these partisans because that was their sphere of influence, and fighting against them was weakening Germany's control.

Many Slavs still believe that they can one day regain control of Ukraine and Belarus.

Makhno's Black Army mainly operated in the Kherson region, from Golaya Priestan to Novolakalekseyevka, an area that was within the Black Army's sphere of influence.

This region was chosen because Kherson is a key investment project for the Ukrainian government. It has a developed shipping industry and a thriving railway network, with massive amounts of resources being transported out of the region every day, making it a natural supply point for the Black Army.

However, it would be difficult to capture Kherson with the current strength. As the Ukrainian government increased its investment in Kherson, a large number of troops were sent there, and the counterinsurgency war gradually escalated. In order to preserve the strength of the Black Army, Makhno knew that he should relocate.

In the coastal region, if Makhno's army were surrounded on three sides, he would certainly not be able to escape, so he decided to move eastward to the vicinity of Zaporozhye.

Zaporozhye, located east of the Dnieper River, has the river as a natural barrier, allowing them to receive immediate warnings of any approaching armies. The region is also rich in resources, with numerous villages that form the Black Army's base. By controlling the vast majority of these rural areas, the Black Army can rapidly expand its influence.

At the same time, Makhno could also look out for the Bolsheviks here. Although he himself did not have much affection for the Bolsheviks, it was time to unite all forces that could be united, including the remaining Bolshevik forces in eastern Ukraine, whose enemy was the current reactionary Ukrainian government.

Although I don't have a good impression of them, I have to admit that the Red Army guerrillas developed much better than them.

The Red Army forces, based primarily in cities, had the support of workers, and their armed forces and firepower were stronger, making them the main force in fighting the White Army. Although Maher's Black Army had a large number of members, most of them were recruited through his prestige.

Compared to the Black Army, the Bolsheviks' system was clearly more advanced. They had a mature theory and some rules within the party, while the Black Army was more casual. Most of their so-called rules were just customary conventions, lacking the rigor and professionalism of the Red Army.

They need a mature, working set of rules and order, otherwise the Black Army's fate will only be destruction. Mahno is the soul of the Black Army, which is unanimously agreed upon by everyone, but he himself does not want to be this "soul".

Compared to people, an effective system should obviously be the soul of a nation.

He had previously invited some Bolshevik experts to help him create a set of "rules".

Because the two sides have different theoretical systems, the drafting of this program document has been very slow. However, recently, for some reason, more and more people have joined them.

Unlike those who joined because of Makhno's reputation, these people are rare intellectuals. It is a good thing that so many intellectuals have joined. Their army is currently lacking such people, and the Black Army must have its own political work force.

Thorne's program in Eastern Europe was very effective, especially for intellectuals. Many scholars in Ukraine also learned about the domestic resistance forces. Anarchist groups in Ukraine integrated into the Alarmist Union and reached an agreement with the Makhno faction to send people to participate in the cultural and educational work of the Makhno army.

The left-leaning peasant party also called on peasants to support Makhno's Black Freedom Legion movement, and for a moment it seemed that the revolutionary situation had suddenly become much better.

The decision to relocate to Zaporizhzhia was absolutely correct, because shortly after the relocation, the government forces of the Kingdom of Ukraine began their campaign against the Kherson region. The Black Army had always treated the farmers very well, and their troops received a warm welcome at the farms in Zaporizhzhia.

Mahno helped them drive out the landlords, established a self-governing committee, and formed a worker-peasant-soldier alliance to redistribute the land. Here, he was about to officially begin realizing his dream: an anarchist kingdom of freedom.

No system in the world is perfect, and Makhno's vision of anarchist society will not be so easily realized.

"Those Bolsheviks all said that taking a step back is to take two steps forward. If they cannot take a single step towards the communist society they envision, can we take a single step towards the anarchic society we desire?"

As more and more scholars participated in the formulation of the program, Makhno had to admit that it was unrealistic to achieve the establishment of an anarchist society in one step, and there was still a long way to go.

"The Bolsheviks' ultimate goal was to establish a communist society, so why can't our goal be to establish an anarchist society?"

"We must be realistic, down-to-earth, and achieve our dreams step by step."

Inside the room, the scholars were discussing the drafting of a program document. The Black Army urgently needed such a program to ensure that the force could continue fighting.

"Our ultimate goal is to eliminate the top-down social model, and to dissolve the organization on the spot after seizing power. I don't think anyone would be willing to accept this behavior."

"Our core idea is also very simple: we oppose all rule and authority, including the government, advocate self-help among individuals, focus on individual freedom and equality, and eliminate any authoritarian relationship with the government, society, or the economy."

"So, the problem is how to make the government collapse on its own without seizing power. It seems we've done it now, but it's all thanks to Makhno's personal prestige, which has brought together a large number of talented people. This approach has too many flaws, and we can't guarantee that everyone in the future will be like Makhno."

Anarchism opposes authority, but the Black Army is able to unite because of Makhno's personal authority, only he has not demonstrated it. If someone with ulterior motives were to come in, the Black Army would immediately lose its faith and become a band of thugs.

"I agree with your ideas. In order to achieve the ultimate goal, we can make appropriate concessions, but the bottom line is that individual freedom must be guaranteed."

Makhno finally revealed his thoughts: making appropriate concessions is acceptable in order to achieve the ultimate ideal society, but these concessions should not be a reason to back down.

328. Senussi

“Nearly ninety years ago, our great Prophet Muhammad ibn Ali Senussi established the Senussi Order, and soon our Senussi Order gained dominance in the Cyrenaica region, where we took root and flourished.”

Brück doesn't find being stationed in the desert particularly difficult. Although there are some minor challenges, he can handle them, considering it a free trip.

Here he learned about a culture completely different from Germany and saw many different landscapes. The harsh environment of North Africa made the scenery here extremely beautiful, and Brück had fallen in love with the place.

This trade route through the desert is very long and fraught with danger. Roaming bandits used to rob this caravan, but now, it will take skill to rob it.

Regoyer thoroughly enjoyed the process. As a journalist, it was wonderful to personally experience such a unique way of trading. He had already compiled his experiences in North Africa over the past few days into a travelogue to send to Germany, and he could imagine the sensation it would cause there.

The people of the world's most powerful nation are full of curiosity about every corner of the world, and the Germans have left their mark all over the globe.

On the road, the caravan leader was telling stories, which Brück and Regoye loved to hear. Every boy has a dream of adventure when he is young, and now they are like desert knights-errant.

"This land is the birthplace of the great Senussi Order. The green mountains of Cyrenaica and the deserts of Nacou are the home of the Senussi Order."

“O pilgrims passing by, please pause your journey, the great Senussi Order, he vowed to drive away the imperialist wolves, he was only concerned with liberating our Muslim brothers, and he was determined to revitalize our great sect.”

"Imperialists call me barbaric and use swords to spread their religion, but I say I am the God of Allah. What harm is there in swords?"

Hussein, riding on a camel, recounted the epic tales of the Senussi Order and the history of Cyrenaica's struggle, spanning decades.

The "Cenusi Order" has also become synonymous with Cyrenaica, the region they govern.

Although the Senussi Order was theoretically still part of the Ottoman Empire, and the Turkish urban elites in Benghazi were increasingly penetrating the Green Mountain region, the Senussi Order managed to maintain a de facto state of independence for nearly a century by relying on its influence.

From the Vadai Desert to the Siwa Oasis, successive Papacy leaders fought against the despicable imperialists, leading one offensive after another against European invaders.

When Italy invaded Tripolitania in 1911, the Senussi Order fought alongside the Caliph and repelled the powerful Italian army. However, when the Ottoman Empire surrendered Libya a few months later, betraying its Arab brothers, the elder of the order, Mukhtar, chose to fight the Italian invaders to the end.

"The great elder led the guerrillas to fight the Italians in the desert, defeating these arrogant Europeans time and time again, and bringing light to the Cyrenaica people."

Through his understanding over the past few days, Lübeck had basically figured out who Hussein was talking about: Omar Mukhtar, an elder of the Senussi Order who led guerrillas in fighting the Italians in the desert. After Idris fled to Egypt, it was this elder who insisted on continuing the resistance in Cyrenaica.

Cyrenaica's relationship with Turkey was always complicated. Despite fighting alongside the Turks twice, in 1911 and 1915, the Ottoman Empire was clearly unwilling to maintain an "administrative body" within its territory that was not under its control.

The Ottomans had considered annexing Cyrenaica, but after the World War, this regime, which had overextended itself and was bankrupting its domestic treasury, had to admit that it could not shake the postwar status quo established by the Senussi Order.

The Ottomans were forced to send officials to Benghazi, which had returned to imperial rule, to exercise nominal control in order to compete with the Senussi order, expand their influence, and vie for actual control of the region.

Thorne made his decision because he saw the complicated relationship between Cyrenaica and the Ottomans. Although the Ottomans were now using the slogan of Muslim brotherhood, everyone knew how much weight those words carried.

The Ottomans refused to lower their stance and merely shouted slogans, which was not enough to win over the people. The Arabs were well aware of this, as evidenced by the Franco-Austrian War.

What Thorne needs to do now is not to control Cyrenaica, as controlling this region would not benefit them at all, and the Rhine Kingdom's sphere of influence could not possibly extend that far. Therefore, what they need to do is simply to make Cyrenaica stronger.

North Africa needs a strong Arab power to counterbalance neighboring countries and to use it as a springboard to extend its influence across Africa. Although Egypt is a strong country in North Africa, Thorne will not consider it. The country has too deep roots and complex internal forces, and it would take a lot of effort to get involved.

Cyrenaica is different. As one of the few sovereign states in North Africa, the Senussi Order has a strict organizational system, making them the undisputed rulers of Cyrenaica.

The Order controlled everything in Cyrenaica, from education and religion to military and economic security. This meticulous and rigorous organizational system gave them a tremendous advantage in the war against the Italian invaders, ultimately enabling them to defeat the Italian army and drive them into the sea with ruthless means. This inspired all Arabs from the Maghreb to Mashrik.

With considerable influence in North Africa and a relatively simple structure of organizations and factions within the country, Cyrenaica's successful independence would have a profound impact on the entire Arab world.

This could also be an opportunity for Thorne to leverage the Islamic world, allowing Cyrenaica's success to encourage all Islamic countries to dismantle the rule of imperialists in Asia and North Africa, laying the foundation for complete liberation in the future.

Since the end of the war, Cyrenaica had remained stagnant, lacking both the will and the conditions to change the status quo. Now, with the Germans joining the fray, things are starting to look up.

Lacking sufficient funds, Cyrenaica's development was slow, but the Kingdom of the Rhine was willing to invest heavily in it. After discovering oil, they readily fulfilled their promises, distributing the profits to Cyrenaica. Houses were built, roads were paved across the oasis, and the lives of the Cyrenaica people were changing.

Not only that, the Kingdom of the Rhine also helped them establish a regular armed force. In North Africa, it seems that there is no concept of nation or ethnicity yet. Most of them are tribes that fight their own battles. They occupy a few oases and may only unite when they encounter major problems. Otherwise, they are likely to break out into conflict over water resources.

The scholars sent by the Kingdom of the Rhine also put in a lot of effort to solve this problem. It was indeed very difficult to instill the concepts of nation and ethnicity in the minds of these people, but they could start with the next generation.

New textbooks have been distributed to the Senussi Order's schools to help children develop a sense of national identity. Many of the previous tribal conflicts were due to resource allocation issues, and the Rhine Kingdom has begun to address this through unified integration.

Only when there are sufficient benefits will these people come together. The Kingdom of Rhine also knows this. Tribes that are willing to cooperate are gathered together to develop. From small to large, from tribes to villages and towns and then to cities, they gradually form the concept of a country. Perhaps one day these people will eventually eliminate their differences, but it cannot be denied that this process is really complicated and difficult.

As long as the war between the Ottomans and France continues, the situation in North Africa will become increasingly uncertain. Not long ago, the French army suffered a major defeat, which dealt them a heavy blow. If the Ottomans press on, they may very well march directly to Algiers, and then Pétain will have suffered a loss instead of gaining an advantage.

Both countries are vying for de facto leadership in North Africa, and Cyrenaica may be able to make its move when the time is right.

Cyrenaica now has a regular army trained by the Kingdom of the Rhine, and its weapons are up to date. When Mukhtar resisted Italian colonization, many of his men were still carrying spears, but now some of them are equipped with submachine guns from the Kingdom of the Rhine.

This trade route through the desert was fraught with danger. Hussein suddenly sensed something. Nearly twenty years of trading experience made him very cautious. He heard noises coming from the desert.

The caravan stopped, and Brück released the safety, raising his gun and aiming forward. The caravan's machine gunner was also ready. The camels knelt on the ground, and the vehicles stopped. The machine gunner, who was lying on the roof of one of the vehicles, put his hand on the trigger. He was also eager to know just how powerful this new machine gun was.

329. Desert Modernization

Cyrenaica's economy is essentially nonexistent; it relies neither on industry nor agriculture, and its less than 5% arable land is insufficient to support the entire country.

Since it did not rely on agriculture and industry, commerce became the foundation of the nation.

Arab merchants began their great exploration a century ago, and trans-Saharan trade became the lifeblood of Cyrenaica's economy.

The oases of Fezan and Prannoyha served as rest stops on the way to Satler, while the coastal towns of Tripolitania were guides on the route from Egypt to West Maghreb.

The arrival of European powers and the Ottomans' failure to actively intervene in their Arab territories dealt a heavy blow to this trade route.

In an effort to gain more influence and define spheres of influence in Africa, the French colonists in the west closed their borders to Senussi merchants, and the Senussi Order's influence in Chad and Niger was met with punitive expeditions by the local French garrisons.

Fortunately, the difficulties were only temporary, and the French Revolution and the subsequent English Revolution revitalized the trade route.

Although the French fled to North Africa, their influence was greatly diminished, allowing the Senussi caravans to resume their journeys along this route.

The Germans were actually a good presence in the eyes of the North African Arabs because their influence never extended into North Africa. During the war, the Arab territories were controlled by the Ottomans, and the Germans were allies at the time.

The trade route ended in the territory of Central Africa, which was under German control and was happy to provide smuggling assistance to these people in order to "relieve the existing British and French colonies." The Germans were also an enthusiastic customer of the black market arms trade.

This trade route was important to Cyrenaica, not only economically but also politically, as the Senussi Order played a central role in the country's administrative system as a mature emirate.

The Senussi Order is a Sufi order founded by the great Senussi in the early 19th century. Senussi and his followers held a radical anti-imperialist stance, and through numerous preaching points known as "Zaviya," the Senussi Order's maxims resounded throughout much of Africa.

These missionary sites not only provided theological education and spiritual guidance to believers, but also served as rest stops on the trans-Saharan trade routes, providing protection for local communities and often becoming important economic exchange centers. Through these Zaviya along the trade routes, the Senussi Order's influence expanded from North Africa to Central Africa, which is why the French were so vigilant in guarding them.

If these people spread radical anti-imperialist ideas and their thoughts get out of hand in the colonies, then the French should make room for them and try to find their good brothers in North America.

Since the war between the Ottomans and the French began, this trade route has become much more dangerous than before. Cyrenaica, as a vassal state of the Ottomans, was also a target of attack, and the French would allow bandits and soldiers to rob their caravans.

Hussein had already ordered the caravan to stop. Years of trading had given him ample experience, and he had sent a small group to scout the situation and see whether they should take the initiative or retreat in the opposite direction.