Holy Roman Empire
Chapter 391: Opportunities in War

War is cruel, especially for the civilians caught in the crossfire, who live in constant fear for their lives. The people of East Prussia know this all too well. Ever since they were occupied by the Russians, their good days have come to an end.

Ficks is just an unremarkable little town, but it has not escaped the devastation. The well-connected nobles and merchants have all fled, leaving only the poor behind. And even they could not escape the Russians’ heavy hand. Since they couldn’t squeeze any more wealth out of the town, the Russians decided to conscript manpower instead.

Now the town’s only church is filled with people.

A middle-aged man with a furrowed brow asked, “The Russians just sent someone over, demanding that the town provide 500 laborers. Father, what should we do?”

The church might be the only area spared. Out of respect for God, the Russians did not plunder the town’s only church.

Now that the town’s prominent figures have fled, among those remaining, Father Bragg, who has the highest prestige, is the only one the townspeople can turn to for help.

As a man of the cloth, Father Bragg cannot and does not need to flee. The influence of European religion is significant. The church will not be harmed by the Russian troops, even if it is a Protestant church.

Father Bragg said regretfully, “My child, I am aware of this news as well. I have just negotiated with the Russians, and they demand payment of 20,000 rubles to exempt us from labor.

The Russians have issued a warning that if the required number is not met within a week, they will resort to killing.”

Father Bragg had not considered raising the money. If those nobles and merchants hadn’t left, perhaps they could have gathered the sum, but it was no longer possible.

It wasn’t that the town lacked 20,000 rubles; the issue was liquidity. While the nobles and merchants had left, their properties remained, but the Russians demanded cash.

No one wanted to fight against their own country, but under the current circumstances, people had to yield.

The Russians were not easy to negotiate with. Since they mentioned killing, they would definitely carry out the threat. The young man who initially attempted to resist the Russians now had his head displayed on the town’s flagpole.

If one resisted, the whole family was killed; if anyone failed to report partisans, they were killed; those who attacked Russian soldiers meant everyone within 200 meters faced a one-in-five execution; if a group of more than ten resisted, the entire town was massacred...

Under this high-pressure situation, the local people dared to be angry but not to speak out. With the war ongoing, numerous villages and towns in East Prussia had already been massacred by the Russians.

As for international condemnation? Sadly, the Russian government is already used to being vilified, and the debt-ridden nation has little to fear.

Moreover, the Russians were not fools. How could they possibly admit to such actions? Without evidence, the most that could happen was criticism in the newspapers, which the Russians simply ignored.

During this era, cameras were too bulky and the quality of the photographs was poor, making covert photography ineffective. The Prussians could not produce convincing evidence.

These were all excuses. In reality, all countries were powerless against the Russian Bear. And it’s easier to just look the other way than risk damaging their own reputations.

“What should we do then? Let’s run!” someone suggested. Serving forced labor on the battlefield is no easy task, especially when it’s for the Russians.

Word has already spread that the Russian army likes to use forced labor as cannon fodder. This was a lesson they learned from the Near East War. Capturing laborers on the spot to use as cannon fodder can reduce troop losses.

An elderly man asked, “With Russians everywhere, where can we run to?”

Escaping is not as simple as it sounds. With families to take care of, no money in their pockets, and Russians searching for them, how far could they really escape?

A young man questioned, “But we can’t really fight for the Russians against our own army, can we?”

The old man scolded, “What do you know, you foolish kid? All the young and able-bodied men in our town combined aren’t even five hundred.”

The key issue is not whether they are willing or not, but that the task simply cannot be completed.

The town’s population was not large to begin with, and after the outbreak of war, many young and able-bodied men were conscripted. Now, in the town, there aren’t even five hundred of them left.

……

Watching the crowd argue, Father Bragg felt very troubled. These are his devoted believers which he had nurtured, and if they are gone, he too will lose his livelihood.

“My children, please remain calm before the Lord. I will go to Königsberg and ask my friends to see if there is any other solution.”

Königsberg is the closest city to the town, and if the Russians are conscripting locals, they won’t target just one small town.

Seeking help in the city is a faint hope for Father Bragg. Not all the nobles have fled; a significant portion of the nobility in East Prussia has stayed behind.

Some have chosen to organize guerrilla resistance against the Russian invasion, while others may have wanted to flee but didn’t manage to escape and are now mostly gathered in the city.

Europe doesn’t have a tradition of killing nobles, provided they don’t wander off alone. If it’s just one person, they might be killed, but no one would know.

If everyone gathers and sticks together, it’s different. The Russian army won’t harm them. This is an unwritten rule, and it applies to the Russians too.

To save time, Father Bragg rode his horse to Königsberg. What greeted his eyes was desolation. The once bustling streets were now devoid of the usual hustle and bustle. The few pedestrians would quickly avoid Russian patrol teams whenever they encounter them.

As a man of the cloth, Father Bragg was not stopped and questioned by the Russians. Of course, he didn’t approach the Russian soldiers either.

Normally, the Russians wouldn’t harm religious figures, but that doesn’t mean they wouldn’t dare to. In these chaotic times, a few deaths were nothing to them.

Wasting no time, Father Bragg went straight into the city’s cathedral. In this era, Europeans from all walks of life had connections with the church.

There was a saying that said, “If you want to replace someone, just wait at the church entrance.”

He is greeted by a well-dressed middle-aged man, James, with whom the pastor is casually acquainted.

“Father, what brings you here in such haste?”

The words were spoken by a middle-aged man dressed in luxurious attire, who had met with Father Bragg a few times. The two could be considered acquaintances.

Meeting an acquaintance and eager to inquire about news, Father Bragg’s face showed a hint of surprise. He asked hesitantly, “Mr. James, haven’t you left?”

Given the current situation, the wealthy have fled to escape the war. Under normal circumstances, someone as well-informed as Mr. James, a businessman, would surely have known about it in advance.

James replied, “I just finished a deal and returned. The Russians arrived just after. But I recently obtained citizenship of the Empire, so the Russians won’t dare to cause trouble to me.”

The “Empire” naturally referred to the Holy Roman Empire, which, even with the added word “new”, remained the only empire recognized in Germany.

The Russians weren’t stupid and naturally wouldn’t invite trouble by targeting foreigners, especially merchants from allied countries.

Father Bragg exclaimed in surprise, “God be praised, Mr. James, you are indeed fortunate to have avoided this calamity.

Now the Russians are plundering everywhere. In my town of Ficks, because they couldn’t produce the money, they were threatened by the Russians to conscript five hundred laborers.”

This information naturally couldn’t elude James, as a successful businessman, being well-informed is crucial.

At this time, his return to Königsberg was to make money. Austria’s colonies lack labor, and transporting immigrants to the colonies is also a business opportunity.

James seized the opportunity presented by the war. He had already signed labor export contracts with several companies in the Austrian colonies and now returned to recruit people.

If one were to organize immigrants to go elsewhere, the Russians might interfere. But going to the Austrian colonies posed no problem at all. The loan from Austria wasn’t provided for nothing.

On this trip back, James had also consulted with the colonial government. As long as he could persuade people to go to the colonies, the Austrian Foreign Ministry would be responsible for resolving issues if any arose.

James feigned surprise and exclaimed, “Good heavens! Five hundred laborers, won’t Ficks be in big trouble?”

Father Bragg nodded with a bitter expression and said helplessly, “Indeed, that is the case. That’s why I came seeking help.”

Just then, Bishop Bernard walked over with seven or eight priests accompanying him. Judging by their expressions, it was clear that something unpleasant had occurred.

Father Bragg repeated what he had just said. Bishop Bernard responded with helplessness, “I’m afraid I cannot be of assistance. Everyone is facing this dilemma.

I’ve visited the Russian military officers on behalf of the church. Regrettably, I didn’t even get past the front gate before being driven away.”

Unsurprising, really, the Russians, being Eastern Orthodox, have little tolerance for Protestants like the bishop.

Encountering heretics without persecuting them could already be considered a gesture of goodwill, so expecting a friendly reception was out of the question.

Seeing the downcast faces of the crowd, James knew an opportunity had arisen.

“Bishop, if you wish to avoid the Russian labor conscription, I suggest organizing the people to leave Königsberg and return after the war.”

Bishop Bernard shook his head and said, “Mr. James, your plan won’t work. The Russians have set up roadblocks on key routes and won’t let anyone leave.”

James gave a slight smile and responded, “Under normal circumstances, of course, passage would be impossible. But we can replace alternative routes. Two years ago, Russia and Austria signed the ‘Labor Employment Treaty’.

We can sign short-term employment contracts with Austrian companies and then take a ship to the Austrian colonies for refuge. After the war, we can return to Königsberg.”

This is pure deception. It’s easy to enter the Austrian colonies, but leaving is another matter.

The cost of immigration is not something ordinary people can afford. By the time they earn enough money to return, will there be a place for them to return to?

While Bishop Bernard was still deep in thought, Father Bragg couldn’t help it anymore, “Mr. James, can this truly work?”

James responded confidently, “Of course! Since we’ve signed the treaty, the Russian military officers will definitely abide by it. Otherwise, causing a diplomatic conflict between Russia and Austria is not something these middle and lower-ranking officers can bear.”

Without hesitation, Father Bragg said, “Alright, I’ll go back and talk to the people, and let them decide freely whether to leave.”

Bishop Bernard interjected, “Father, this is a serious issue. We must consider it carefully.”

He was acutely aware that if all the townspeople left and Königsberg turned into a ghost town, what value would the church still have?

Come back? That can only fool those who are naive. Once they go to the Austrian colonies, if a third of them manage to return, it would already be considered lucky.

Father Bragg said nonchalantly, “Bishop, things can’t get any worse than they are now. I can’t just stand by and watch the children kill each other.

The Russians are recruiting young men as cannon fodder. Can you tolerate them fighting against our own army?”