That winter, events shook Russia: riots broke out in cities across the country, and Tsar Nicholas II declared martial law.
The trigger was a poor grain harvest. Famine caused by poor harvests was a periodic problem, but this year was the height of World War I, and this accelerated the hoarding of goods in anticipation of price hikes due to the war boom.
Large estate owners, nobles and merchants, bought up all the grain, and once again famine struck the cities. Even the capital, Petrograd, experienced food shortages, and hearing the cries of angry city dwellers, Nicholas realized that a golden opportunity had arrived.
"I am declaring martial law in the name of the Emperor to quell the riots that have broken out across the country!"
With the declaration of martial law, the administration and judiciary of the Russian Empire were temporarily transferred to the military. At the same time, the parliament, constitution, laws, and courts were suspended, and a night-time curfew and transportation networks were blocked.
(Now we can silence the noisy parliament, nobles and wealthy people... now we just need to do what needs to be done.)
Nikolai moved quickly.
Suddenly, large units of the Home Army, primarily made up of Cossack soldiers, were mobilized, boarding armored trains one after another and setting off to the grain-producing regions of Russia. The enemy to be defeated were the boyars who owned large numbers of serfs.
"... What exactly is this all about? What does the emperor intend to do to us with this large Cossack army?"
One after another, the ferocious Cossack soldiers charged into the luxurious mansions of the nobles, which were built at the expense of the forced labor of serfs and the refusal to sell. The nobles, who had their land invaded with dirty feet, could not hide their anger and confusion. For most nobles, farmland, along with the serfs who lived there, was the source of their power.
"This is an order from His Majesty the Emperor. I said that I would crack down severely on those who hoarded grain in the hopes of prices rising despite the famine in the cities. Despite this, you have ignored His Majesty's orders. Therefore, you will be considered to have committed treason."
"This territory and the wealth it produces are our private property! Trying to plunder it unilaterally is like being a bandit!"
The nobility were the only "free" class in Russia, and were a privileged class whose status was specially guaranteed; they were exempt from taxes, military service, and corporal punishment, and were tried only by their peers in court.
Even state restrictions were completely abolished for the nobles' estates, and their estates and serfs were completely private property that even the emperor could not touch. Local administration and justice were also often left to the nobles, who organized factions in each prefecture and county and wielded great influence.
The previous emperor, concerned about this situation, attempted to reform the system by issuing the "Emancipation of the Serfs" but met with fierce resistance from the nobles who opposed the centralization of power under the emperor. Due to this background, the previous emperor tended to compromise with the nobles, but Nicholas had no intention of being reserved towards the nobles.
"We were simply following orders. His Majesty recently declared martial law throughout the empire. All laws and rights are now in the hands of the military. You will not be tried in a court-martial, but in a military court."
"A court martial?!"
The nobles turned pale in defeat.
In a normal trial, the higher the court, the higher the proportion of aristocrats among judges and prosecutors. In Russia, where the rule of law is still immature, it was common for people to buy off judicial officials through connections or bribes.
However, the story is different in the case of a military court. Due to confidentiality reasons, many of the rights to defense attorneys and appeals are restricted. The purpose of a military court is to "protect the chain of command in the military," and discovering the truth is not necessarily a priority.
With the support of the people due to the outbreak of famine, Nicholas began to move in earnest to establish a dictatorial system under the Tsar through martial law and military courts-martial. He launched an overwhelming large-scale offensive against the aristocracy, which was the biggest obstacle to his succession.
"Could His Majesty really be planning to antagonize the nobility...?"
The nobleman's face turned pale, and as if to add insult to injury, the Cossack soldier continued speaking.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Following a tip from a certain noble patriot, a warrant has been issued for your arrest on another charge. The charges are tax evasion through under-reporting of income, and avoiding the draft for your son."
This elderly aristocrat, who had been active in politics in his youth, finally realized what was happening: a traitor had appeared among his supposed allies.
Rather than clumsily cornering everyone, he first weakened the enemy's solidarity and then gradually chipped away at them like salami...Nicholas well understood that the principle of governance was to "divide the governed."
(I, I've been tricked…)
No one with even the slightest bit of intelligence would want to stay on a sinking ship forever. Those who were threatened, those who were thinking of currying favor, and fallen aristocrats with nothing to lose were the main contributors to the secret police.
And get angry Emperor Tsar's fist came down mercilessly across Russia.