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1917-March-14-April-10
We had captured none other than Emir Faisal, the leader of the Arab Revolt. Apparently he had been in the area preparing sabotage operations against the railway in an attempt to take Medina, and the best way to achieve that was by cutting the Ottoman logistical lifeline once and for all by shutting down the railway completely.
We had clearly ruined the entire plan by capturing two of the most important men for the Arabs, although this might only be a setback they would eventually recover from since we obviously were not here to win. At best, we were here to force the British to commit the maximum amount of men and resources to keep us under control.
The offensive against the Suez had worked temporarily, although at the cost of heavy Ottoman casualties. We had recovered the Sinai frontier, which allowed us to fire at ships trying to pass through with relative ease, although the British were now carrying out frequent naval bombardments in an attempt to destroy the batteries firing on vessels crossing the canal.
But the most important thing if this small victory was going to become something more lasting was convincing Emir Faisal of what would happen if the British won because the original reason for the revolt was that the Ottoman Empire had shifted from its tolerant phase that allowed ethnic autonomies into a centralized and Turk-centric phase where severe changes were being imposed on Arab autonomies as part of the empire's modernization and centralization process, even going as far as altering the language used in sacred texts, so the situation was serious on the Ottoman side.
It was not easy convincing someone that the Ottomans were actually the lesser evil since at least the British had spent all their time dangling the carrot in front of the Arabs without them realizing they would eventually stab them in the back once it came time to divide the dying Ottoman corpse.
So I ended up working alongside an Abteilung IIIb intelligence officer stationed in Palestine to create and forge several documents using captured correspondence and orders in order to show the existence of the secret agreement between the British and the French.
How they planned to divide everything between themselves and how the Arabs would simply be trading one master for another because the leash would remain firmly around their necks, only this time controlled by powers completely alien to their interests while extracting the maximum possible profit from local economies.
Which was difficult. Even all the information I could vaguely remember from some history classes about the matter was clearly not enough for the emir to fully believe me until we started holding conversations with Captain Lawrence in the same room because the man actually seemed to know something about what was happening behind the scenes, and the guilt on his face whenever we discussed how the British and French planned to divide influence was enough to make Faisal begin doubting.
That was the entire idea. Even if I failed to convince him completely, handing him over to the Ottomans would simply mean the man would be executed and another Arab would take control of the revolt to place his own lineage as kings of the Arabs.
So the best thing I could do was avoid mentioning we had captured him, show him what would happen if the British won, and make him less willing to cooperate with British interests unless they first gave him guarantees.
Which in the long run would ruin our enemies' plans because they would be forced to throw away their old arrangements regarding how to divide the Middle East, creating problems between them since they would have to start planning all over again based on new promises and guarantees.
''So you're going to let me go?'' Faisal asked while looking at me in surprise.
''As tempting as it is to let the Arabs kill each other over who gets to claim the throne you supposedly negotiated for... we have to consider that now you know the truth and you may cause more problems for the British alive than your death ever would... because I don't particularly care what happens to the Ottomans, but if it ruins British plans then it works perfectly for me'' I said while removing the Arab prisoner's restraints.
''And what about my men?'' Faisal asked while rubbing his wrists.
''I'm going to put a bullet in their heads or their chests depending on what the Ottomans tell me since I'm handing them over. It would look strange if we had a bunch of British prisoners but no Arabs considering they are the core of the army attacking the south'' I answered with a smile.
''Do not think this means I will turn my back on the British in the struggle against Turkish oppression'' the rebel emir replied.
''Fine... do it. Just don't cry later when you have to answer to the British and the French as they shove themselves into your institutions, and who knows what they'll do once they control the two holy mosques... you can leave. Nobody will stop you if you steal a camel loaded with thirty liters of water and food for three days... you're on your own'' I said while gesturing with my hand for him to get out of my sight.
The rebel leader grimaced but said nothing more before walking away. I soon heard a camel groaning and beginning to move.
''Good, we're done here. Nobody talks about the fact that we had the rebel leader in our hands. This serves German interests far better if the man stays alive and knows he was betrayed'' I said while looking at my men who stared back at me in silence.
Very quickly my small camp in the middle of the desert began packing up as we returned to our anti-rebel duties, which for the moment had almost completely diminished.
Apparently most of the attacks had originated from that port where they received their supplies, so all of this slowly transformed our tedious guard duty from shooting saboteurs into simply wandering around the area from time to time while the heat continued to rise.
That was how several more relaxed days passed, simply walking alongside the railway network while the use of the Ottoman trains kept increasing due to the massive flow of supplies being sent to the front.
More news about our control over the Suez continued arriving. Dozens of ships had been sunk trying to cross while enormous fields of wreckage blocked the canal. British attacks and naval bombardments intensified, and the first use of tanks on the Sinai front was reported. But since my anti tank gun was there, the first tank assault on the front also became the first failed tank assault on the front.
So literally most days were spent hiding under the shade, observing the terrain since nothing happened besides the train traffic and some Ottoman repair crews inspecting the integrity of the railway tracks while the Ottomans slowly advanced again around Medina. It was not much. A couple extra kilometers of sand and little truly worth mentioning, but they were still recovering ground.
So while I slowly started getting darker from the sun beating down with the same force as a father swinging a sandal, April finally arrived and my time in the desert came to an end with an impeccable service record, adding a couple dozen dead to my record while the blockade of the Suez still continued for the moment.
So after speaking with General Friedrich and requesting authorization from the pashas to withdraw, there were barely any issues aside from them wanting me to hand over the guard routines to the Ottomans and give a brief overview to the troops replacing us regarding where and how they were supposed to patrol the area, allowing me to leave for home on April third.
We wasted no time boarding the Hejaz railway and beginning the journey home after so much time roasting under the desert sun. Sweating like pigs, we started our return trip.
Several more days passed as we retraced the same route we had taken before while catching trains back home. This time the trip through the mountains of Anatolia was not as cold, although it was still fairly harsh considering we had partially acclimated ourselves to the desert heat.
We stopped once more in Konstantiniyye after crossing through Izmit by ferry, but aside from signing several contracts with the Ottoman state now that they finally had fresh funds to pay for weapons and ammunition, there was not much else to do.
So with a major arms contract secured, I returned toward Ukraine since I was completely out of date regarding everything that had happened during the last three months I had spent away from my area of control.
Arriving in Kiev, I was welcomed warmly by the troops of the Tenth Army who still guarded the railways, although the Austro Hungarian presence had vanished completely, leaving me with almost total control over the eastern garrison zone.
My arrival however was not well received by the Ukrainian politicians who stared at me as if a ghost had suddenly appeared in front of them while I searched for the king of Ukraine.
The governor's palace had been heavily modified into the Rada, and apparently the king now had his offices inside the building.
Passing through the guards who simply opened the doors for me, I found the king staring directly at me.
''Vasyl, we haven't seen each other in months, so tell me... budgets'' I said while sitting in the chair across from the king.
''Things went well with Austria Hungary. Germany sent a bit more too, though not by much'' Vasyl replied while pulling out several documents and placing them in front of me.
''Two hundred million Austrian crowns for my ministries and one hundred forty million marks for agriculture... specifically... eh... well, it's more than last time so I suppose this year will be much better with more tractors... tell me... how are the spirits? Do you think the general mobilization law can survive another year?'' I asked while reviewing the funding I had been given.
''Add another seven hundred million Ukrainian marks issued for your projects so you have even more funds available. I have kept the situation under control and Ukraine has remained calm. Aside from the occasional strike in the factories we have not had problems. The laws you requested have all been enforced so we fulfilled everything'' Vasyl said while producing additional documents.
''And this?'' I asked while noticing there were even more funds assigned to me.
''Money sent for maintaining security operations in Ruthenia and the United Baltic Duchy. It's not much, mostly intended for salaries'' the king replied with a faint smile.
''Ah, I see... by the way, I brought you a contract with the Ottoman Empire for ammunition sales'' I said while handing him the documents containing the agreement.
''Ah... so that's why the Turks were buying Ukrainian marks'' the king said thoughtfully.
''Yes. While I was there I signed many contracts, demonstrated weapons, and managed to convince them to purchase Ukrainian ammunition so we could fully utilize our industrial capacity'' I replied while reviewing the paperwork.
''Excellent... that could help reduce the unemployment problem we currently have'' the king said happily.
''What kind of unemployment numbers are we talking about?'' I asked with interest.
''Around seventy percent. Since many are farm laborers and effectively work for free, and outside the factories there is not much employment available. We tried building industry and other projects but for the moment there is not much market demand to sell into'' Vasyl replied.
''And Russia? Aren't we supposed to be reopening trade with them?'' I asked while raising an eyebrow.
''I suppose no information reached you while you were with the Ottomans. Russia is in civil war... conservatives against Mensheviks, so trade has not recovered at all. The only things both sides have asked to purchase are food, clothing, ammunition, and weapons'' Vasyl said.
''Then why the hell aren't we selling to them? The best market is right there in front of you... design a standard uniform for each side and sell it, or simply copy existing models and sell them. Food will have to wait. Ammunition... that depends on whether we get permission. Weapons, probably not... but textile factories... I know someone who might sell us the machinery, so prepare to buy because we have work to do...'' I said with a smile.
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