273

Episode 273: Dark clouds (5)

Stalin kept the news of Kulik's rebellion in Siberia a complete secret from the Soviet people.

The reason, of course, was to prevent similar incidents from happening in various parts of the Soviet Union.

By nature, humans are animals that are swayed by atmosphere, so when they hear disturbing news, they tend to have disturbing thoughts.

Therefore, for the sake of 'the safety of the people and the prevention of social chaos,' Stalin blocked the railway leading to the Siberian Military District where the rebellion occurred and cut off telephone services.

The fact that a mutiny had occurred was kept secret even from the soldiers. The only people who know the truth are officers above the rank of major.

It was only after arriving in Siberia that the soldiers learned that a rebellion had broken out and that they had come here to suppress it.

The soldiers, who thought it was just for simple training or a matter of relocating the station, were dumbfounded.

A revolt against the Soviet Union. Who started the rebellion?

Reactionaries held in the Gulag? Or Jews? Muslims in Asia?

When it became known that the main culprit of the mutiny was Marshal Kulik, whom Pravda praised during the war, the soldiers' shock deepened.

According to a pre-determined script, German spies approached Kulik and promised him money and power. Kulik, fooled by the Nazis' coaxing, gave weapons to the prisoners held in the Gulag and made them his henchmen. An explanation that there was a mutiny was distributed to the soldiers, but there was no response.

Do you think we are fools? You have to tell lies to a certain extent.

If Kulik was really a Nazi spy, why did the NKVD only now know this important fact?

The script prepared by the NKVD to arouse the soldiers' hostility towards Kulik's rebellion had the opposite effect of only increasing the soldiers' doubts.

Despite the NKVD's crackdown, news and suspicions about the rebellion spread throughout the Soviet Union.

As time passed, the number of people who learned about Kulik's uprising in Siberia increased rapidly.

The Communist Party could not lie and say that it was not news that a rebellion had occurred.

Since the rumor had already spread as quickly as possible, the risk was too great to ignore the rebellion itself.

The oppressors were concerned about how the people they regarded as innocent dogs and pigs would react when they learned the truth.

However, they could not easily admit that a rebellion had occurred.

Therefore, the Communist Party threatened to summarily execute those who spread seditious rumors that bewitch the public.

It was their best compromise, but even this could not prevent the people's suspicion and anxiety from spreading.

Those who reacted most sensitively to the news of the rebellion were the ethnic minorities of Central Asia and Siberia who were fighting against the Communist Party.

Kulik, who knew that his own strength alone was not enough, produced leaflets and distributed them throughout the Soviet Union in order to secure as many allies as possible and slow down the advance of the suppression force.

And he himself appeared on propaganda broadcasts and appealed for the people's support.

"People of the Soviet Union! Stalin and his henchmen are a race of human beings who oppress you and treat you as slaves like dogs! I no longer want to live as their slave, so I took up arms to give you the gift of true freedom. How many people lost their lives under Stalin's reign of terror?

Now is the time for you all to stand up! Let us show the slave owners of Kuybyshev that we are not slaves! For true freedom and peace for the people of the Soviet Union! Long live freedom! Long live the revolution!"

***

November 4, 1943

Soviet Kuybyshev

After the news of Kulik's rebellion broke out, Stalin's mood was low every day.

In particular, reports that Kulik was actively inciting the people and that news of the rebellion was spreading throughout the Soviet Union despite the NKVD's threats made Stalin's unpleasant mood even more unpleasant.

"You idiot!"

Stalin, with all his might, kicked Kruglov in the shin.

Kruglov felt like a scream would burst out of his mouth at any moment, but he gritted his teeth and held it back.

It was better to end it with a few hits like this.

Stalin wanted to purge this incompetent subordinate right away like his predecessor, but he told himself not to do so just yet.

Even if we purge Kruglov now, nothing will get better. Rather, it will only lead to greater confusion.

The purge of Kruglov had to be postponed until after the rebellion had been suppressed, and the first task to be completed was to hang Kulik.

"This time, this is your last chance. If you disappoint me any further, I know you will be hung before Kulik. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, yep! Comrade Secretary General!"

"Get out now. "Because I don't want to see it."

Kruglov hurriedly lowered his head and ran out of the office, running until the soles of his feet were on fire.

Even before the door closed and before Kruglov's back was out of sight, Stalin shouted for everyone to hear.

"You idiot!"

After Kruglov was kicked out, the people who remained in the office trembled. They were even more terrified because it had been a long time since they had seen Stalin this angry.

"What are the trends of the German military?"

Antonov answered Stalin's nervous question.

"Well, other than the increased number of reconnaissance planes appearing, there has been no visible movement yet."

The German army that Stalin spoke of also included the Free Russian Army.

However, the Soviet Union did not officially recognize Free Russia as an official government, and Stalin was reluctant to even mention Free Russia.

"Are you sure?"

"That's right, Comrade Secretary."

"Why?"

"Yes?"

"Why are they staying quiet?"

Stalin was suspicious that Germany did not make any special moves.

Of course, it was better than the German military openly showing suspicious signs, but on the other hand, the lack of unusual movements among the enemies made Stalin, who was full of suspicion, feel uneasy.

"It's unlikely, but they don't know about the rebellion yet… … Or maybe it's because they too are wondering what to do."

"Hmm."

Stalin sat back and thought. According to Antonov's words, there would be nothing better, but the opponent would be Hitler. This is someone you can never feel at ease with.

Of course, Germany may feel burdened by starting another war in the East, having just ended the war with the United States, but the Hitler that Stalin knows would want to destroy Germany's greatest enemy, the Soviet Union, even at the cost of some sacrifices . It was.

The longer the suppression of the rebellion is delayed, even if not immediately, the greater Germany's desire to attack the Soviet Union will increase.

Maybe they are already preparing for war.

The only conclusion was to suppress Kulik's rebellion as quickly as possible and prepare for a re-invasion by the German army.

"Tell Voroshilov and Budony. "It would be best to catch Kulik as soon as possible and bring him to me."

***

November 6, 1943

Near Kalachinsk, Siberia, Soviet Union

Suppress the rebellion as soon as possible, capture Kulik alive, and come to Kuybyshev.

Stalin gave cold commands to his two best friends, as if he had completely forgotten that they were one of his few friends.

He did not hesitate to say that if he judged that the suppression of the rebellion was delayed, he could immediately strip them of their positions and replace them with others.

Voroshilov and Bundy were terrified. If the Kuliks' rebellion cannot be suppressed, Stalin will not leave them alone.

At the very least, he will be demoted, possibly stripped of all his positions, and sent into exile as a barbarian for the rest of his life. I won't kill them since they are my best friends, but... … .

"Still, it's too early to be at ease."

"What do you mean, Semyon?"

"Kova… … "I've been very angry lately."

"That's right."

"If necessary, we can become victims at any time. "Can't you tell when you look at Bukharin?"

Her complaints were mixed with fear.

Voroshilov, who was closest to Stalin, pointed at Stalin and even hit Stalin in the face and got away with it, but Budnyi, who was less close to Stalin, was visited by NKVD agents during the Great Purge.

The head of the NKVD at that time was Beria's predecessor, the bloody dwarf Yezhov.

At the time, Buduni was a middle-aged man of 56 years old, but he fought against young NKVD agents with great force.

While the NKVD agents, embarrassed by Budnyi's strong resistance, hesitated, Budyuni hurriedly called Stalin, and Stalin cleared him of the charges, so he was able to survive.

Despite this, the memory of that day remained an unforgettable nightmare.

Although he didn't show it, he never forgot this.

He knew very well that Stalin was a murderer who could kill anyone with a smile if necessary.

Bukharin was also very close to Stalin, but was ultimately killed by his close friend.

Voroshilov looked around to see if anyone had heard their conversation.

"Watch your mouth. "If Koba finds out that we had this conversation, then it will be over."

Voroshilov warned. Eventually, he turned his gaze to look at the battlefield filled with fire.

It was good that they had started a rebellion with great vigor, but the rebels' armament was poor.

Because all the latest weapons were pushed to the front lines, they, who were in the rear of the rear, had no choice but to be armed with outdated weapons that were only used during World War I and the interwar period.

-Quaaang!

The T-34's 76mm main gun spit out fire, and oil flowed out from the T-26, which had become a ball of fire. In the sky, the I-16 plummeted to the ground, emitting smoke, after being chased by the Yak-7.

"charge! from now on!"

"Death to reactionaries!"

Under the encouragement of political officers holding pistols, the soldiers charged.

The PPSh-41 and PPS-42, which Kulik had scoffed at as unnecessary, demonstrated considerable power in battles between infantry.

While the rebels held the Mosin-Nagant had to pull the bolts one by one, the suppression forces only had to pull the trigger.

However, the rebels resisted stronger than expected.

Morale was not very high because this rebellion was started solely by Kulik on his own without seeking their consent.

However, the soldiers did not feel favorable towards the current system that oppressed them.

Above all, the soldiers fought to the death because they thought that once they had participated in the rebellion, whether willingly or not, they could not avoid going to the Gulag even if they surrendered.

Kulik simultaneously released the prisoners held in the Gulag and gave them weapons to fight for him.

"Comrades! If we are pushed out of here, we will all be dead! Do you think those damn Chekists will let us live?"

"If we're going to die, let's kill at least one more Chekist and die!"

The prisoners, who had been tortured by the NKVD, separated from their families, and endured all sorts of hardships in the Gulag, fought more fiercely than anyone else.

The only weapons given to them were old rifles, grenades, and improvised fire bombs, but their fierce resistance, risking death, confounded the soldiers of the suppression force, who were armed with the latest weapons.

Taking advantage of the opportunity for the tank to pass by, a rebel soldier threw a Molotov cocktail into the engine room of the tank.

The tank, whose engine caught fire, soon stopped, and as the tank crews opened the hatch and came out, a hail of bullets was fired.

When it seemed like he would be captured, a rebel soldier detonated a grenade and became friends with the soldiers who surrounded him.

Voroshilov and Budony broke into a cold sweat.

Stalin had ordered that the rebellion be suppressed as soon as possible and that Kulik be captured and handed over to him.

But it's like this... … .

Will the suppression be able to end in time?

What if Kulik is missed even if the rebellion is suppressed in time? Will our Koba save them even then?

***

November 9, 1943

New Fuhrer's Residence in Berlin, Germany

The suppression of the rebellion in the Soviet Union took longer than expected despite the size of the rebels and their inferiority in armament.

There may be many reasons for the delay in suppression, but one of them was the resistance of ethnic minorities in various parts of Central Asia and Siberia.

Resistance was especially noticeable in Central Asia, which suffered great damage from the anti-religious policies of the Communist Party during the Soviet Union.

I invited Beli Kayum Khan, an Uzbek National Socialist who has been living in Germany since 1922, to the new Fuhrer residence.

Kayum, who was originally from Tashkent and came to Germany to study, refused to return to his communist homeland and remained in Germany. He was sentenced to death in absentia in the Soviet Union in 1926 for his anti-Soviet activities and Turkistan independence movement.

Kayum, an Uzbek nationalist who strongly advocated for independence and unification of Turkestan, was also a strong supporter of National Socialism.

Therefore, in actual history, he received various conveniences from Nazi Germany and was involved in the creation of the Turkestan Corps under the German Wehrmacht's Eastern Unit.

He, who is well-known among Turkestans living in Germany and Europe in addition to his home country of Uzbekistan, requested support for the Turkistan Unification Committee (National Turkistanischen Einheitskomitee) led by him and recognized as an official government.

"If the President supports the independence of Turkestan, I and the Turkestani people will follow you until our death."

He talked about how Central Asian countries, including his home country Uzbekistan, suffered under the Soviet Union.

He also said that if I issued a statement acknowledging and supporting Turkestan's independence, the Soviet Union's control over Central Asia would decline.

"Like you, I also believe that Turkestan should escape from the hands of communists and regain its independence. But it is not yet time."

"You mean it's not the right time?"

"I can't say exactly when, but Germany will remain neutral for the time being. That way the Bolsheviks will feel safe. But, as you said, if we openly talk about Turkistan's independence now, won't the Soviet Union be convinced that we will attack?"

"Well, I guess so… … ?"

"So what I'm saying is that I can't grant your request right now. But don't worry. When the time comes, we will exterminate those communists and bring unification to your country."

Kayum's frightened face brightened again.

An operation to support anti-Soviet guerrillas by receiving volunteers from the Eastern Unit under the Wehrmacht and infiltrating various parts of Central Asia with the Brandenburg and Friedental special forces was about to be carried out.

We have already been promised cooperation from Iran, which is no different from the Axis powers.

The reason I called Kayum here today was to discuss Central Asia's independence and its aftermath.

Many people do not know this, but Central Asia is a treasure trove of resources comparable to that of Russia. Uzbekistan, Kayum's birthplace, is a world-class natural gas deposit and oil producing area, and in addition to oil, it is also rich in mineral resources such as manganese, zinc, and copper.

There are a lot of crops such as fruits and vegetables, as well as cotton.

If the Soviet Union was attacked, it would not receive any more resources from the Soviet Union, so supporting Central Asia's independence and being able to take over the resources abundant in Central Asia would be a significant advantage for the German economy.

Of course, the contract will be concluded in a direction that is 'slightly' advantageous to Germany.

Still, it is not a loss for Central Asians either; if you give them the weapons they need and help them become independent, they will not think that the contract is so unfair.

Germany supports Central Asia's independence, and Central Asia allows Germany to use its resources.

Isn't this a perfect win-win strategy?