I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 258

< Propaganda (4) >

The generals at the Sevastopol Fortress headquarters were bewildered upon hearing about Gennady’s desperate suicide attempt.

Suicide? Why?

At first, they thought he had taken extreme measures to avoid a disgraceful dismissal and preserve his honor.

However, after hearing the whole story, they became even more confused.

“Was Commander Gennady such a true commander who cared about his soldiers that much?”

“I don’t know. He went to the Asian side, so I don’t know him well…”

“Saying that soldiers shouldn’t be expendable for the Emperor’s pride… He said something he shouldn’t have unless he was truly ready to give up his life.”

“And so he actually gave up his life.”

After getting promoted through connections and doing nothing but foolish things day after day, he suddenly started making sense.

Admiral Nakhimov widened his eyes in disbelief and asked.

“What? Don’t tell me you’ve been moved by Gennady?”

“Admiral, you weren’t there. Not only me, but all the officers who were there must be thinking the same thing.”

“What? No, wait. Of course, he might have done that out of genuine patriotism, but don’t you realize what will happen if this gets out among the soldiers? You should have thoroughly silenced the people who were there!”

“Of course, we did. But Admiral, there were war correspondents with our troops at the scene. Do you think the reporters will write articles in the same tone as before after seeing that scene?”

“You crazy fool! Then you should have banned all reporters from entering! No, kick out all the reporters in the military right now!”

The Russian army had not been bringing reporters to the military for very long.

It started after they received information that the British army was bringing reporters to the military and producing various articles.

At first, they ignored it, but their effects were beyond imagination.

When a flood of articles criticizing the reality of the war poured out, all of Europe began to unite against Russia.

Seeing this, the Russian leaders also proposed putting reporters in the military to write articles, and Nakhimov followed the Emperor’s orders without complaint.

Of course, even if they wrote articles, it was completely different from the Allied forces’ method.

The Russian reporters followed strict reporting guidelines, so what they wrote were propaganda articles about how bravely the Russian army was fighting and how miserable the Allied soldiers were.

Until now, it had clearly been effective and helped boost the morale of the military.

But what if those reporters suddenly went crazy and started writing the truth….

“You mean you let them in knowing that!”

“Admiral, to be honest, this is an opportunity.”

“What? An opportunity?”

“Yes. Originally, we should be negotiating to guarantee our safety in exchange for surrendering. The reason we can’t surrender now is because the capital ordered us to fight to the death, isn’t it?”

“You don’t mean…”

Wasting soldiers in a battle with no chance of winning is something a commander should never do, as Gennady said.

It would be better to lose the battle than to waste the troops due to wrong judgment, which is no different from selling the country’s future.

“If we surrender here, we will become traitors who have disobeyed His Majesty’s orders, but if we lose control of the soldiers due to the reporters’ incitement, it won’t be a surrender.”

“And the failure to control them is not our responsibility, but because of the war correspondents ordered by those higher-ups. A very clever excuse.”

Of course, they wouldn’t have changed their minds because of Gennady’s noble sacrifice for his subordinates.

They just wanted to end the war as soon as possible because they were extremely selfish and afraid of what might happen to them if the battle dragged on.

However, Admiral Nakhimov could not simply dismiss his subordinates’ demands.

Frankly speaking, he had been holding onto the Allied forces because of the Emperor’s orders, but he was starting to get sick of it.

How would the nobles, who were eating white bread, warm soup, and juicy meat in the capital today, know the horrors of the battlefield?

Fight to the death? They should send their own sons to the front line first before arguing about that.

“I didn’t hear anything here today. I don’t know what the war correspondents are thinking, and I don’t know what you’re up to by not stopping them, so do as you please.”

“Thank you, Admiral. Of course, we don’t know anything either. The higher-ups ordered us to deploy the reporters, so we will believe that they will write articles favorable to our side and stay still.”

“Okay, then do that.”

Now that Admiral Nakhimov had declared that he would become a blind and deaf vegetable, there was nothing else to hold them back.

“No supplies are coming? What the hell are you talking about! Are you telling us to just fight here until we die and waste time?”

“Isn’t this British propaganda? Those bastards only tell lies when they open their mouths.”

“Hey, the Asian commander who was captured as a prisoner shot himself in the chest, begging us not to let us die! The officers and reporters all saw it, so what propaganda are you talking about!”

“You crazy fool! So no reinforcements are coming? Those bastards are going to let us all die here!”

Until now, the Russian soldiers had firmly believed in the announcements that [reinforcements were on their way], [supplies were plentiful], and [victory was assured].

In fact, all the newspapers that the reporters brought into the military contained such content.

But until now, all of that was a lie.

Moreover, after hearing that one commander had committed suicide with a pistol, leaving a desperate plea not to ignore this terrible reality, they had no choice but to lose control.

Bang!

“I really can’t do this anymore, you bastards!”

“How long do we have to fight!”

“If you have so many supplies, give us some meat, damn it!”

“Do you see us as bullet-dodging scarecrows, you sons of hell!”

It is easier to spill water than to fill it, and it is easier to cut a knot than to tie it [proverbs meaning it’s easier to destroy than to create or fix].

A small spark was enough to open the lid of the soldiers who had already reached the boiling point.

The officers who were still loyal to the Emperor tried to fix this, but it was like pouring oil on a raging fire, and the soldiers beat down all the officers who were executing the rioters and rose up.

“Send us home!”

“We want to live!”

“Commander, tell us the truth!”

The British army, realizing that the inside of the fortress was not going well, did not miss this opportunity and immediately attacked… but only fired two cannons.

That alone was enough.

“Ugh, ugh! The British are attacking!”

“The British are launching an all-out attack!”

“Damn it, I’m not fighting! Why should I fight and die! Raise the white flag! Raise the white flag, you bastards!”

With the military command system already collapsing, the news that the Allied forces were launching an all-out attack spread, and the soldiers defending the fortress immediately threw down their weapons and gave up fighting.

In fact, there were even units that arrested officers and expressed their intention to raise the white flag and surrender among themselves.

As the situation became like this, Admiral Nakhimov had no choice but to make a decision as if he was being pushed from behind.

“The headquarters promises to negotiate with the Allied forces so that our soldiers can return safely.”

This is not a surrender, but an inevitable defeat.

The impregnable fortress, which had stubbornly endured for more than a year, collapsed and self-destructed from within just three days after Gennady’s suicide.

* * *

-We will hand over the fortress and disband the army, so please guarantee the safety of the soldiers.

As the proposal, which was virtually a complete surrender, flew in, the atmosphere in our army heated up.

“Of course, we have to accept it. I thought it might take another year if we’re unlucky, but if they surrender, what can’t we do? I’ll send a reply right away saying that we’ll take responsibility and make sure every soldier returns home safely! Is that okay?”

“Of course. And don’t forget to include a phrase expressing respect for the Russian soldiers and Admiral Nakhimov who have worked hard so far under unfavorable conditions.”

“Of course. But if we’re going to say that, wouldn’t it be better for Your Highness to do it yourself? After all, Your Highness is the highest-ranking person in our army right now.”

Wow, look at that smile. Is he that happy?

His mouth is about to reach his ears.

I understand how he feels because we occupied the fortress much faster than expected, but I wish he wouldn’t look at me with such a loving expression.

It’s only burdensome to be looked at by a middle-aged man with such eyes!

But whether he knows my heart or not, Marshal Fitzroy kept talking, looking at me with honey dripping from his eyes.

“To capture the Sevastopol Fortress is no different from occupying the Crimean Peninsula. Now that we can occupy the entire Ukrainian region without any resistance, this war is virtually our victory. We must announce this good news as soon as possible!”

Even Admiral Parker, who would usually shout that this was all thanks to the Royal Navy, nodded and quietly agreed with the Marshal’s opinion for some reason.

“Let’s telegraph this news right away. It will take a long time for the news to reach the capital with the Russian bastards’ inferior information network, but if our troops facing the enemy know this news, the enemies will naturally notice it.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea.”

“When Your Highness went to Asia, I wondered if we really needed to go all the way to Asia, but I never imagined that you would bring a decisive means to end the war in an instant.”

“It’s not like I was aiming for it.”

Gennady, who staged the suicide show, was secretly transferred to the rear and replaced with a corpse with similar physical conditions without anyone knowing.

Of course, we told the Russian side that he had died, announced that we would bury his body in the Black Sea according to the deceased’s will, and threw the coffin into the Black Sea in front of everyone.

After our side guaranteed safety, Admiral Nakhimov immediately disarmed and opened the gates of the fortress, and I once again prepared for [a photo opportunity] with reporters and photographers.

This is not just about showing off my achievements.

If we spread this photo far and wide, our Allied soldiers who are still facing the Russian army will gain strength, and those Russian bastards will no longer be able to deny reality.

Vladivostok and Sevastopol.

Since I left photos of my footprints on the key points of Asia and the Crimean Peninsula, everyone will admire how busy I was moving around.

“Now this damn war is finally coming to an end.”

The soldiers who occupied the fortress were easily seen everywhere, shouting wildly, waving flags, and dancing.

It’s not just because they occupied the enemy’s stronghold, but because they know that this victory will soon end the war, so they’re showing such a sight.

Relief, hope, and joy that the day to go home is not far away are clearly felt in every gesture.

Marshal Fitzroy and Admiral Parker, who heard my mumbling close to a soliloquy, also exchanged words of blessing with faces filled with emotion.

That’s right. The end of this long war is finally approaching.

At this point, even the Russian Emperor, who shouts that there is no such thing as surrender, will not be able to hold out any longer.

He won’t come to the armistice negotiations himself, so I won’t be able to see that bald eagle face in person, but he has to pay the price for what he did, right?

I watched the touching sight of the soldiers hugging each other while shedding tears of joy from afar and strengthened my heart once again.

I’m not going to just take a reasonable amount of compensation and move on.

I’m going to suck you dry.