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24-March-1920
The streets of Riga were a disaster. A large part of the city was in ruins, or at least the sectors facing the sea. The extensive naval bombardment campaign had focused on the buildings we used to hinder the landings, so a good part of the city had been destroyed.
Bricks scattered everywhere, shards of glass and collapsed columns were what characterized that area. Most of it had been evacuated, since it was no longer safe for the population to continue living there.
We had been forced to provide a great deal of aid to the evacuees, but we used the housing built by the Baltic Construction Company to shelter them. The problem was that my original intention had been to centralize the population so people would have fewer difficulties traveling to their workplaces.
Now, instead, we had been forced to move tens of thousands of people to guarantee their safety, since the British seemed to have cared very little about the presence of civilians when they bombarded the city.
The coast of Riga had become an empty shell of ruins that we would have to rebuild at enormous cost.
The only positive thing was that now I could completely rebuild Riga's historic center. It was not particularly well organized, it was beginning to present numerous problems, and we had already had to demolish some sections. We had also suffered through the tedious and annoying expropriations necessary to modernize the city according to our new standards and allow all future services to run beneath the streets.
In a certain way, this was a great opportunity disguised as war. I had the perfect justification to rebuild the entire city, claiming that its foundations had been damaged by the bombardments. That way, I could blame another country for all the chaos I would cause by remaking Riga in a more efficient manner.
That led us to the place chosen for our meeting.
I had chosen nothing less than one of the most central buildings near the coast. Before, it offered a beautiful view of the sea, but now it was only a structure surrounded by rubble. From there, my observers tried to watch the enemy's naval movements and the difficulties the British had in supplying their troops on land.
As in the previous negotiation, Alexander had come with me. He carried several important folders, mainly documentation on everything that had happened during the war.
We were also accompanied by a group of trusted diplomats. They were the same men I had used to negotiate with the Whites and the Mensheviks. They were true eagles when it came to drafting treaties, so I could trust that they would negotiate all the minor details with enough skill to prevent some clause from ending up harming us later.
All that remained was to wait for our guests.
We had agreed to a seventy-two-hour ceasefire while the talks took place. No ship would enter the Gulf of Riga until further notice, since those vessels could fire from more than twenty kilometers away, and I did not like the possibility of ending up blown to pieces while we negotiated.
''What do you think the British will ask for in this situation?'' Alexander asked while reviewing several intelligence folders.
''A lot. They brought a considerable part of their navy to exert pressure. That means they intend to obtain a very favorable agreement for themselves, as if the presence of their ships could frighten us'' I replied without much concern.
''Well… They have enough firepower to destroy every coastal city in the Duchy, mein Herzog'' one of my diplomats commented, visibly nervous.
''And? If they cannot advance more than a kilometer after landing, they will only manage to waste ammunition. We are not going to surrender because they destroy a couple of cities'' I replied while observing the sea through one of the enormous holes opened in the wall.
''The HMS Iron Duke is out there, in the Baltic. It seems the British have decided to bring out their biggest guns'' Alexander said.
''If they do not take proper care of it, that thing will end up at the bottom of the sea very soon'' I replied, paying little attention to my men's nervousness over the enormous British naval presence.
''They have arrived'' one of my soldiers reported as he entered the room, before returning to his post as a guard.
We prepared to receive them and, to my surprise, the British delegation was not made up of three or four people. Apparently, around fifteen had arrived, including the members of the negotiating delegation, several members of the expedition and what appeared to be administrative personnel meant to draft documents during the talks.
''Oh… Finally. Although I only recognize one of you'' I said, looking at the delegation.
Among them was none other than Hubert Gough, who visibly tensed when he saw me.
''From what I can see, you speak English very well, but you seem to lack manners, considering that you did not even bother to prepare a more appropriate place for these negotiations'' said the man who seemed to head the delegation.
''And who are you supposed to be? I thought I would receive the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs or, at least, someone important, not the assistant to the assistant… to the assistant'' I replied, looking at him without giving him the slightest importance.
The diplomat took a deep breath before opening his mouth again.
''Sir Stephen Tallents, plenipotentiary invested by the Foreign Office with the necessary authority to negotiate the terms of your surrender'' the diplomat introduced himself.
I could not hold back my laughter.
While I laughed, I observed the British delegation, who were still standing without having taken a seat.
''And since when does the victorious general who is keeping thousands of British soldiers locked up and who has kicked your men's backsides surrender?'' I asked with a smile, tilting my head.
''Surely you understand the situation you are in. If you truly are the great commander you claim to be, you will know that you cannot simultaneously defy two of the greatest powers in Europe in this war…'' the diplomat began to say.
However, one of the men accompanying him took a step forward with enough force for his boots to echo through the room.
''Insurrection…'' the man murmured, leaning close to the diplomat's ear.
''Right, insurrection'' Tallents corrected himself. ''Your insurrection has no possibility of survival if the Royal Navy and the British Army decide to employ all their resources to tear it out by the roots''.
The diplomat held my gaze, while the rest of the British envoys did the same.
''And… what are you doing here, then? Because if your idea is to intimidate me with your navy… Tsk, tsk, tsk'' I said, clicking my tongue while moving my hand from right to left and raising my index finger. ''That does not work on me. We will fight until every coastal city is in ruins and the beaches are stained with British blood… So why don't you sit down and start telling me your real terms? Why don't you take a glass of refreshing water, something I have heard all your troops were lacking? Why don't you explain to me how your mighty army will defeat me when it does not even have water for tea?'' I said, moving a glass and pouring water from a considerable height to make as much noise as possible.
Without showing much annoyance at my comment, although the expedition general's irritation was more than clear, the diplomat took a seat, as did the rest of his representatives, while his administrative personnel began writing things down.
''In the name of His Britannic Majesty's Government, the conditions requested for your insurgency are your surrender to a tribunal, as well as that of all your officers and followers. The complete evacuation of Poland, Ukraine and Ruthenia. The total dissolution of your forces. The international administration of the Baltic. Indemnities for all ships sunk. The return of all captured weapons and the immediate release of all prisoners'' the diplomat said.
''And I want a unicorn, a dragon and a talking dog'' I replied as soon as the diplomat finished presenting his demands.
As expected, all the members of the British mission stared at me with strange expressions.
''I felt sorry leaving Sir Stephen Tallents to say stupid things all by himself'' I explained, raising my shoulders. ''This has stopped being amusing. Did you come here to negotiate seriously, or are you only wasting my time? Because if it is the latter, the negotiations are over'' I added, raising my voice in a far more annoyed tone and frowning at the British.
''We want the armistice to be extended until a complete review of the lists of prisoners you keep under your control is carried out. We need to verify the treatment they have received so far and determine what your punishment should be'' the diplomat said.
''As long as it is a neutral commission, there should be no problem in allowing them to verify the welfare of your countrymen. But since we are speaking about prisoners… Where are my men?'' I asked, staring fixedly at the diplomat while hearing Alexander open his briefcase.
The diplomat glanced toward the expedition general and soon looked back at me.
''The order was given for all insurgents to be executed immediately. Therefore, there are no insurgents who can be exchanged. But, leaving that matter aside, when you are imprisoned…'' the diplomat began to say.
I slammed the table hard.
''Out'' I ordered, pointing toward the exit.
''His Britannic Majesty's Government…'' the diplomat tried to continue.
''Are your ears blocked? I said get out. The negotiations are over and the ceasefire will end in thirty minutes. If you are still here when that time expires, you will be considered enemy combatants'' I said, standing up and looking at the British. ''Let's go. There is no point continuing to waste time. We will have to kill many more British soldiers before they are willing to negotiate seriously''.
We left the room without saying anything else and carefully descended through the building until we reached the street.
''Are you sure you do not want to keep trying to negotiate with the British, mein Herzog?'' Alexander asked once we were below.
''This is nothing more than an attempt to sell me the idea that they are immensely superior and that I have no alternative except accepting their conditions. I did not come here to…'' I began to say before noticing that the British commission was running toward its vehicles to leave the city before the deadline I had given them expired.
''As I was saying, I know this is part of an intimidation strategy. They begin by presenting completely absurd demands and then gradually reduce them so their true conditions seem reasonable. By throwing them out this way, I force them to skip several steps. It was clear they wanted to give the impression that they can force me to accept anything, which is partially true'' I explained more calmly.
Alexander remained silent while we continued walking.
''We need them to recognize the Duchy as a State and lift the blockade so we can trade. That will force me to make concessions. I might even have to hide part of the information about British crimes in exchange for obtaining better conditions. But all of that will be discussed in later stages of the negotiations, not while they demand that I surrender as if they had won'' I added.
''I understand. Then we will have to wait'' Alexander said while adjusting the briefcases he was carrying.
''Exactly. We will probably have to apply a little more pressure when their ships enter the Gulf of Riga again. We need to negotiate and I am willing to concede quite a lot in exchange for peace, but if those men only present conditions they clearly cannot impose, there is very little we can do'' I replied as we walked back toward the rear.
After the failure of the negotiations, the ceasefire was declared over and the British ships began entering the Gulf of Riga again. However, they remained as far from the coast as possible, since they needed to operate near the maximum range of their guns to stay outside the radius of action of our mobile artillery.
Some of their ships bombarded Riga for several hours. However, as soon as one of their cruisers came too close to improve the accuracy of its fire, we managed to hit it with several shells and forced it to withdraw.
The situation continued that way for several hours until the British requested another temporary cessation of hostilities.
This time, from the beginning of the telegraphic conversations, they proposed that a neutral commission inspect the condition of the prisoners. However, they also intended to include several British and French officers in it.
We negotiated for some time by telegraph. In the end, we accepted the commission, but rejected the participation of the French officers, since they would probably be the most problematic and hostile.
We would have to wait for the arrival of representatives from Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands to carry out the inspections.
In the meantime, a one-week ceasefire was agreed, during which preliminary negotiations would continue to determine how the conflict could be brought to an end.
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If there are spelling mistakes, please let me know.
Leave a comment; support is always appreciated.
I remind you to leave your ideas or what you would like to see.
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