Chương 17: An Opportunity for Promotion

A rather shocking event followed the victory at Mount Cangyan. Though peace had finally settled in the region which Bruno's unit was responsible for the occupation of. Especially with the threat of the Boxer Remnants eliminated.

Controversy immediately arrived. As the military police arrested several soldiers, both Non-Commissioned Officers and Commissioned Officers were implicated in a plot to assassinate Bruno.

Among these conspirators included Captain Mueller who Bruno had frequently feuded with over petty matters. However, despite this sudden turn of events. Bruno was not entirely surprised.

His actions thus far had definitely made many enemies. However, what did astonish him was the fact that an officer within the military police approached him, and whispered something to him that seemed significant even if Bruno was unaware of it.

"Your friends in the Information Division send their regards…"

Friends in the Information Division? Bruno was naturally aware of what this organization was. It was essentially the department of Military Intelligence for the Imperial German Army. But why exactly was someone in the Information Division watching his back? As far as he was aware, he had no contacts in such an important organization.

Still, Bruno simply acted as if he knew what the Military Police officer was talking about, putting on a stern façade, and nodding his head as he thanked the man for his efforts.

"You and the boys back at the Division have my thanks. If you ever need anything that I can help with, you know where to find me…"

It didn't hurt to establish ties with the Military Police and the officers within it. Especially since the Military Police seemed to have a good impression of Bruno as a man of justice like many of its members were.

And because of this, the Military Police officer nodded and assured Bruno if he needed his support, he would come look for him. After which, the conversation ended. As the Military police had far more important matters to attend to.

After a list of Officers, and Senior NCOs were dragged off to await their Court Martial and sentence. The Lieutentant Colonel in charge of the battalion in which Bruno was a part of approached him and apologized on behalf of the unit.

"I'm sorry Captain. I was unaware that the men beneath my command were conspiring against you. You have proven to be an exceptional member of this unit, and to think they would reward your merit with such treachery. I'll make sure that the new officers who replace them are well aware of the consequences of such behavior!"

Bruno nodded his head and accepted the Lieutentant Colonel's apology. It's not like he could tell the man to go fuck himself because he was ignorant of such a conspiracy against one of his officers. I mean, hell, Bruno was ignorant of it as well.

Still, he was curious why the Information Division was protecting him. Who within their ranks had he impressed to such a degree. Bruno couldn't possibly know that it was his wife Heidi who had used her connections with the other half of her family, which she was more friendly with to keep an eye on him and anyone who might be moving against him.

Nor could he know that his actions so far had thoroughly impressed military leadership, who once they became aware of this conspiracy, would make moves to protect Bruno. After all, if he continued on such a path of success and innovation, then he was a future general worth fostering.

The next two weeks were relatively peaceful. The battalion which Bruno was attached to continued their patrols, to ensure that the countryside within their area of responsibility was both pacified and stable. But with the Boxers in the area having been fully wiped out at Mount Cangyan, there was no trouble to be had on their patrols.

Instead, Bruno was approached by his Battalion Commander, and sequestered in the man's office for a private conversation. Which immediately made Bruno suspicious. It was rare for him to have a private conversation with the Lieutentant Colonel, and after recent events he suspected it would be a serious matter.

"Please sit down, I have an important matter to discuss with you…."

Bruno did as he was told and waited patiently for the Lieutentant Colonel to begin the conversation. But the man seemed more concerned with making Bruno comfortable as he reached into his cabinet and pulled out some distilled spirits that had been brewed by the locals.

It was part of his private stash, which, after pouring a glass for himself, he gave one to Bruno as well. Bruno initially rejected the offer with a motion of his hand, but the Lieutentant Colonel seemed unusually insistent as he commanded Bruno to drink with him.

"Drink, I command it…. Believe me, you're going to want to loosen up for this conversation…"

Considering the severity of his statement, Bruno did as commanded and downed the whole glass of alcohol in a single gulp. Surprising the commander who thought that Bruno's sobriety was a sign of his feebleness towards alcohol.

Bruno was not the least bit intoxicated. He was an experienced drinker, after all. Having his fill of beer, wine, and distilled spirits after becoming an adult. It was a natural part of noble celebrations and feasts to drink to your host.

After seeing Bruno had drank the alcohol, the Lieutentant Colonel sighed before getting straight to the point.

"Let me just come out and say it. The French have requested our aid in the territory which they are occupying. They have suffered small losses over these past few months. And apparently word has reached their ears that we have already pacified the area under our responsibility.

Because of this, they are requesting armed support. And since you are the man who has proven to be most capable of combatting the rebels. I have decided to dispatch you and your company to advise the French on how to defeat their adversaries.

No doubt this will put you in needless danger. And you have more than proven yourself here in China. So much so, I am making an unusual exception by allowing you to reject my request if you simply desire to sit back and relax at the base for the rest of the winter.

But I will have to dispatch someone else to take your place, and with Captain Mueller and several of the other officers having been arrested for conspiracy of assassination. I am left with very limited options."

Bruno remained silent for a short while as he thought about what was happening. It was January 1901, after several months spent besieging Mount Cangyan and the Temple which the Boxers were hiding within. The end of the German occupation was rapidly approaching.

Through his actions, Bruno had sped up the German victory in China, and it was entirely possible that within the next few weeks the East Asia Expeditionary Corps would be disbanded, and its volunteers would be returning home to the fatherland. Something that was supposed to happen in the Spring according to his previous life's history.

If he went home now, he would have more than made a name for himself, that would allow him to gain favorable positions in the Army going forward. But, if he took up this offer to advise the French, he may be left behind longer than the rest of the Battalion.

Even then, acting as a military advisor to the French, and proving himself capable in such regards, may very well open the door to a similar role in a few years when the Russo-Japanese war broke out. With these ambitions in mind, Bruno ultimately decided to accept the position.

"Lieutentant Colonel, you don't have to worry. I will have the Boxer remnants defeated by the time the Snow melts, and the leaves bloom from the trees."

It was an arrogant promise. After all, it was currently January, and Bruno did not know the exact nature of the French situation right now. But he had more than two months to fulfill his promise, and as far as he was concerned that was all he needed.

The Lieutentant Colonel smiled when he heard this and was quick to respond to Bruno's bold claims with a promise of his own.

"If you really accomplish that, I will personally send a recommendation to the Central Division that they make an exception and consider accepting your application to the Prussian War College after this war is over."

Bruno was surprised to hear this, but it gave him even more motivation to accomplish the task within the time frame that he had boasted. Admission to the Prussian War College was highly selective. Normally, one would require a minimum of five years' service as an officer just to be able to apply for the exams. Which themselves had a high failure rate.

Of course, exemplary performance on the battlefield had a way of hastening one's promotion. Wars weren't exactly something that happened every year. One could go an entire military career without seeing combat. And even a few months of battlefield experience gave Bruno an edge over his competitors who had stayed out of the Boxer rebellion.

Still, only a hundred applicants would normally be admitted to the Prussian War College, and after three years' worth of education and exams. Those who graduated were between five and eight in total. Such an attrition rate was comparable to special forces selection in the 21st century.

However, those who graduated from the Prussian War College were permanently posted to fill vacancies in the General Staff. Meaning that if Bruno succeeded in this endeavor, he would become one of the youngest generals in the history of the German Empire.

Meritocracy was the name of the game, and since Bruno had proven himself an exceptional officer in the field, despite only being commissioned for roughly half a year. He may very well get his wish. Of course, there was an equal chance someone higher up in the ranks who was jealous of his rapid rise would block his attempts to enter the Prussian War College.

Meaning he would have to slog on for another few years, before meeting the minimum requirements to apply again. Either way, there was plenty of time until the Great War began, which was when Bruno needed to become a General by if he were to change Germany's destiny. And hence he had plenty of time to prepare.

Either way, Bruno accepted his new post and was quickly transferred along with his unit to advise the French on counter-insurgency tactics.

---

Captain Leon Sinclair was a French military officer, he was a few years older than Bruno, and had served in the French Army for four years prior to the outbreak of the Boxer Rebellion. He was among those units who were first to fight in the conflict, and had taken part in multiple battles so far including the Battle of Peking.

Still, his unit had suffered these past few months from repeated ambushes and other skirmishes with the Boxers. While the Boxers were primarily armed with swords and spears. Believing their inner Qi could protect them from bullets. Making them easy to deal with. There were those among them with a more realistic approach to warfare.

These units would hide behind cover, and making use of firearms and explosives to deal with the French. The casualties which the French army sustained so far were minor, but no less than two dozen of Leon's own soldiers had either been wounded or killed in action.

Meanwhile, the Germans had already dealt with the Boxers in all the areas which they occupied. As a result, the General in command of the French occupational forces requested support from the German Army, something that was humiliating to even think about for many of its soldiers.

Leon's father was killed in the Franco-Prussian war. And as a young boy, he watched as the Prussians and their allies marched into the French Palace of Versailles and declared themselves a new Empire, which they boldly stated was the new and supreme authority over Europe. Thus ending French hegemony in the continent.

To say he fully supported French Revanchism was an understatement. Leon hated the Germans and the humiliation they had caused him, his family, and his nation. He would never forget, and he would never forgive.

Thus, it was no surprise when the ruddy-haired man spat on the ground in front of Bruno's feet when he came face to face with the advisor who the Germans had sent to aid them in their efforts to put down the Boxer Remnants.

Leon was not afraid to speak his mind, however he did so in French believing that the Germans couldn't understand him.

"To think our general would stoop so low as to ask the Boche for help? What a coward!"

Bruno simply smirked when he heard the disrespect coming to him from the French officer. He spoke in perfect French, shocking Leon and his troops as he insulted the French Army.

"Perhaps if you baguette munching surrender monkeys were remotely capable of performing your jobs, we wouldn't be here to teach you how to properly wage war…"

The silence that existed after this was deafening. As the French stared at Bruno with wide, and hateful eyes. Needless to say the tension between the two units immediately reached a breaking point.

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Chương 18: Attache to the French Colonial Army

The term which Bruno had used to insult the French soldiers was one taken from his past life. Whether it was invented or merely popularized in the late 20th century, Bruno was not entirely aware. But its origins lie in with the French surrender in 1940, a mere six weeks after the conflict with Germany began.

This was something that Americans had never let the French forget, despite actually being allied with the French Resistance throughout the remainder of the war. And naturally certain more nationalist leaning Germans had picked up on the term.

Because Bruno had his memories from his past life, he was quick to shove the insult in Leon's face after the man had blatantly disrespected him, first by spitting in his direction, and then by using a French derogatory term for the German people.

He had not provoked the man at all, but the revanchist sentiment was strong among the French population following their defeat in 1871. And this hatred for the Germans would continue for decades to come.

Culminating in their declaration of war against the German Reich in 1914, as well as the imposing of the abominable treaty of Versailles in 18, which due to the punitive actions taken against the German Empire, for literally no reason other than French pettiness, ended up being a direct cause for the Second World War a mere two decades after the fact.

No doubt Leon would be one of the men lining up in 1914 to fight against the Germans, and assuming he stayed in the French Army until then would probably be a high-ranking officer by then. Far more powerful than he currently was.

But Bruno would not let the Germans be defeated in this timeline now that he had been given a chance to change the future. Hell, he had already changed the timeline with several minor actions in the Boxer Rebellion.

As for Leon, he naturally took the term Bruno had used as an insult for the French surrender in 1871, despite just now hearing it for the first time in his life. And was damn near ready to attack Bruno for his words, despite him himself starting the dispute. That is, until the French General who invited Bruno and his men stepped in and defused the situation.

"What is going on here? Captain Sinclair, I hope you are not causing trouble with our new advisors?"

Leon was forced to cease any further hostilities he had planned when Major General Henri-Nicolas Frey stepped forward to personally welcome Bruno to the French occupied territory. He immediately threw up a salute to the French General, as did Bruno and his men, as a sign of respect for the man's position.

"General, I was merely introducing myself to the German Captain!"

Although General Frey eyed Leon with suspicion, being well aware of the man's prejudices towards the Germans. He did not say anything further, instead stepping past his own officer to greet Bruno, and was quite friendly in his introduction.

"Major General Henri-Nicolas Frey, it is a pleasure to meet the man who is responsible for the victory at Mount Cangyan. I must say, a tricky situation you found yourself in. The enemy holding up in fortified temple complex with only one entry point, exposed to enemy fire, and a steep cliff above full of snow preventing you from striking it with artillery?

I don't know how you managed to eliminate the rebels without a single casualty, but assuming we have the time I would love to hear the details of your strategy!'

Bruno was surprised how well versed the General was in his victory that took place not too long ago. However, he would not dare reveal how he emerged victorious, as to do so would be to leak a powerful advantage the German Army was now preparing for future conflicts.

Man-portable mortars had the ability to change the nature of WWI. After all, when they came into prominence, especially in WW2, they had pretty much replaced the nature of heavy static machine guns, which trench warfare in 1918 relied heavily upon.

Bruno also had plans to implement better machine guns, but he would need to rise through the ranks of the German army, and further exploit his father's connections to the Land Army and Fortifications committee if he wanted to implement these designs into service.

Thus, he simply responded cordially, dismissing the French General's request in the politest way possible.

"I'm not one to boast, but if the General wishes to hear about the victory at Mount Cangyan in more detail, I'm afraid it will have to wait until after we have solved your insurgency problem.

My men are more than willing to provide support wherever needed, but I do want to make it clear we are here in an advisory capacity and do not intend to be thrown into position as a replacement for your own soldiers."

General Frey laughed at Bruno's words. He was indeed surprised the man could speak so fluently, and with a dialect that made it seem he was like a native Parisian. Nor did he take Bruno's last remarks seriously, as he assured Bruno his soldiers would not be seeing any actual combat during their patrols and punitive expeditions.

"Not to worry lad, I assure you my men are more than up to the task of fighting these damned rebels. But your insight on how to best deal with them would be most welcomed."

After this, the General left his captain behind, while taking Bruno, as well as the Platoon commanders beneath Bruno's command to a more sheltered area where they discussed at length the best way to draw out and eliminate the rebels. Following a similar path that the Germans had used to thoroughly annihilate the Boxer Remnants in their area of occupation.

And before long, Bruno found himself, interestingly enough, on horseback riding beside the French General who deployed his battalion into the snowy countryside to hunt down and eliminate the rest of the boxers.

Bruno's company was in the rear, protecting himself, and the General, alongside the artillery which would be used to pound the enemy positions when spotted. As for General Frey, while he and Bruno smoked cigarettes on horseback, he was quick to ask Bruno's opinion on the war, and the region in general.

"You're young, younger than a captain ought to be. I heard about that nasty business with the Russians. I presume the fact that you wear the insignia of a captain on your shoulders means that you replaced the blathering fool who tried to reprimand you for standing up against violations of the Hague.

Just because the Chinese did not sign or ratify the convention, does not mean that we who belong to nations who had done so should not be expected to abide by them. It's a sickening loophole, and I'm glad someone put a stop to it."

Bruno was surprised that the French General was in agreement with him in this regard. Initially, he was callous towards the plight of the locals. Believing that they themselves were to blame for not signing the Hague Convention of 1899.

Despite this, Bruno quickly shifted his opinion when he actually witnessed the atrocities committed in front of him. Reading about War Crimes that had happened in the past, and witnessing them in person, were two completely different things.

At that moment, his conscience wouldn't allow him to simply stand by and watch as War Crimes were committed in front of him. Sure, he had suffered quite a bit because of what he did. But at the end of the day, he didn't regret it. And he was quick to give voice to this sentiment.

"It was moments before we stumbled across the ransacked village that I rather coldly stated to one of my fellow officers that there was simply nothing we could do about such things.

That we weren't powerful enough to compel others to follow the same standards that we ourselves adhered to. To force others to abide by our values and how conducted ourselves in a time of war.

And yet, no more than five minutes passed before I came across the scene of the Russian soldiers and the crimes they were committing. I was aware that these things were happening, and I didn't care until I was confronted with it. Forced to witness it with my very eyes.

I'm not a sentimental person, nor an empathetic one. Had the boxers used the village as a stronghold, I would have ordered it to be shelled without hesitation or remorse. Even if the entire town's civilian populace died in the barrage.

But there's a big difference between being ruthless in the pursuit of victory, and being sadistic towards those who have already surrendered. What the Russians did was wrong, and my conscience did not permit me to simply walk away and pretend it wasn't happening.

The consequences of my actions are no doubt more severe than I currently understand them to be. And may very well lead to future friction with the Russian Empire. Yet at the very least, they helped put an end to the needless suffering that was taking place here.

After everything that happened, I came to te realize that despite being a mere lieutenant, my actions have more power than I could have possibly imagined when I first landed in this country."

The French General remembered every word that Bruno had spoken. At first, he had assumed the man was the sentimental type for the way he treated the locals.

But when Bruno revealed he had no qualms shelling a position held by the enemy, even if civilians were doomed to be caught in the blast, he began to realize that the young German Captain in front of him was a man of significant fortitude.

Bruno wasn't a monster. He had no desire to inflict suffering on anyone could it be avoided. At least not based on what he had just said, and the actions he had taken so far. But he was by no means a saint. If given the chance to engage in evil for the sake of victory, he would disregard his soul and take the path of least resistance to triumph.

Given the chance to rise to a prominent position in the German Army, Bruno would be a formidable enemy in the years to come should Germany and France find themselves at war. And because of this, General Henri-Nicolas Frey made a mental note of the name Bruno von Zehntner.

The French General would be keeping a close eye on the Bruno's exploits during the years that followed. Let alone the next few months as they fought together to put an end to the Boxer Rebellion, or more specifically those remnants who still dared to take up arms.

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