Alexey Glazyrin - Empire on fire. First year of war 1914

The paleologist knows well that he pronounces false and empty words, since France has not yet fulfilled any of her allied duty, but, on the contrary, has done and is doing everything to force Russia to implement the plan of military operations that will be beneficial to France and not at all beneficial to Russia.

“On the fateful day, when the unscrupulous enemy declared war on Russia,” the ambassador exclaims pathetically, “my government did not hesitate for a single moment…”

“I know, I know… I always believed the word of France…” Nikolai interrupted the ambassador. In choosing words, the king slowly and pensively expresses the hope that with the combined power of the Entente in three to four months the Middle Empires will be defeated.

The paleologist agrees with the sovereign, but skillfully translates the conversation to the dangers that threaten France. The Germans have not yet launched an attack on Paris, they are marching around in Luxembourg and are stuck at the Liège forts in Belgium, but the ambassador spares no effort to push the not mobilized Russian army to the fortresses of East Prussia and Thorn in order to pull the German corps to the east.

“My dear ambassador, do not worry so much,” Nikolai responds to the panic tirade of the Paleologist. – As soon as the mobilization is over, I will give the order to go forward. My troops are eager for battle. The offensive will be conducted with all possible force. You, however, know that the Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaevich has extraordinary energy…

The ambassador is pleased. He received the assurances of the autocrat, about which today he will report with an encrypted telegram to Paris. In addition, he has reason to talk about it in all salons. The result is not bad, and the Paleologist is happy to chat about this and that. The conversation didn’t bring much pleasure to Nicholas, but he supported her by demonstrating his knowledge of military equipment, the available strength of the German and Austro-Hungarian armies, the positions of Turkey and Italy…

Suddenly, Nikolai falls silent, hesitates hesitantly and suddenly wraps the ambassador in his arms.

“Mr. Ambassador, let me embrace my dear and glorious France in your face.”

Also, suddenly the king releases the ambassador, and it becomes clear to the paleologist that the audience is over.

August 4, 1914 The East Prussian operation began.

August 5, 1914 The Battle of Galicia began.

August 7, 1914 Counter battle between the Russian and German armies near the city of Gumbinnen.

On August 8, 1914, the battle at Charleroi begins – the English and French waxes retreat.

August 9, 1914 Battles at Namur and Mons

August 10, 1914 Russian victory at Frankenau in East Prussia. The Lublin-Kholm operation began, the offensive of the 4th and 5th Russian armies of the South-Western Front against the 1st and 4th Austro-Hungarian

August 11, 1914 British and Belgian troops begin a retreat from Mons

August 13, 1914 Germany defeats Russia at the Battle of Tannenberg in East Prussia

August 17, 1914 Germany captures Amiens.

August 24, 1914 Battle of the Masurian Marshes, East Prussia. German units were repelled by Russian troops.

August 26, 1914 Lviv battle. Russian troops occupy Lviv, the fourth largest city in Austria-Hungary.

On August 31, 1914, the offensive of the French and English armies continued on the River Enes in northern France.

Student Golovin Alexei Mikhailovich externally passed the final exam for the full course of applied mathematics at Moscow University and the other day received a diploma from this very institution. Actually, this was nothing out of the ordinary, except for one circumstance, the young man who graduated from the University was nineteen years old and this promising student managed to finish his studies in three years instead of the prescribed five. Its teachers, associate professors and professors could not help but rejoice at a promising student who grasps any educational material on the fly, and predicted a brilliant scientific career in the future.

Yesterday, the young child prodigy himself was full of plans for his scientific career, and really hurt his scientific work was quite impressive, and most importantly promising.

And just half an hour ago, everything collapsed. No, nothing has changed in his scientific career, his desire to do something at all has changed, the young man wandered the streets of a noisy city in a depressed state, not noticing anything around him. Despair settled in his soul.

He was unceremoniously expelled from the house of a professor, his beloved teacher, and for that because he dared to speak negatively about the war. No, he was not a pacifist, and wholeheartedly wished victory for Russian weapons, but he intuitively felt that this war would end for Russia in great disaster, which he expressed in public. As a result, he was accused of cowardice and almost of betrayal of the Fatherland. And most importantly, his first and so far only love, Verochka, the daughter of a professor, scornfully expressed to him that while Russian people pour blood for him, he dares to talk about the defeat in the Russian war. And made a contemptuous remark whether the German spy, Mr. Golovin, was really German.

His despair knew no bounds, shame and resentment prevented him from concentrating and pulling himself together, he wanted to scream, you people just didn’t understand me…

In the pocket of the student’s frock coat, a hand groped some kind of letter, it popped up in my head as an assistant professor Kislitsyn at the exit from the house slipped an envelope to him. Alex recalled the words of support of the associate professor, in the heat of the ears, that they say he believes in him and that they say Alex will prove that he is not a coward and not a traitor, but that he, his good friend, will do him a favor. Here is a letter of recommendation on the address envelope, upon presentation of this letter he will be helped to join the ranks of the defenders of the Fatherland.

So stop, all of a sudden, unexpectedly, as it always happened to him, insight and understanding came that he became a victim of intrigue. The whole picture has developed, well, what a fool he is. This associate professor has long and hopelessly courted Verochka. And today he actually provoked him into frankness about the war.From the very beginning, Alexei did not like the patriotic hat-making fervor permeating Russian society. And not once among his acquaintances he spoke critically about this, but today he was caught as a boy.

Well, the decision is made, I’m going to join the ranks of the defenders of the Fatherland, everything is better than being known as a coward. As the saying goes, I’ll put on the uniform of the imperial army. I’ll go to the professor’s house, then we’ll see what Verochka will say. But my answer will be unequivocal, I’m going to lay my head for Russia, let this patriot cheer…

Alexei did not think what would be said and made yesterday by his love, it became easier for him from the decision, and he somehow unexpectedly briskly walked to the specified address. Parting on the go with all his dreams, plans, thoughts, and his civil life yesterday, he even felt a kind of exciting feeling of imminent change.