In the Summer Palace of Moscow, Tsar Nicholas II was in a towering rage. His office had turned into a scene of utter chaos—precious porcelain lay shattered, while the once-pristine Persian carpets were now a tangled mess. The entire room looked as though a storm had swept through, leaving behind a trail of destruction.
Yet none of this was as terrifying as the Tsar himself, his eyes burning with fury. At that moment, Nicholas II seemed almost predatory, his rage making him appear as though he could devour anyone in his path.
Russia's military and political ministers stood before him, heads bowed in silence, not daring to meet the Tsar's gaze. They had no idea what Nicholas, in his wrath, might do next.
The news of the 1st Army's surrender to the Germans had plunged the Tsar into a fit of uncontrollable anger.
"Traitor! How could Rennenkampf betray my trust like this? How dare he surrender to the Germans? As a general of the Russian Empire, he should have died on the battlefield!" Nicholas II roared, his eyes bloodshot with fury.
The Tsar had placed great faith in General Rennenkampf. Otherwise, he would never have promoted him to general, even amidst widespread doubt, and entrusted him with the command of the 1st Army in this war. But now, Rennenkampf had repaid his trust with betrayal. Nicholas II felt deceived, and as an emperor whose dignity had been trampled upon by his own subordinate, his anger knew no bounds.
After a long while, Nicholas II finally exhausted his rage, gradually regaining his composure. But the occasional heavy rise and fall of his chest still betrayed the depth of his fury.
And who could blame him? An entire front of five hundred thousand elite troops had vanished, and his most trusted general had betrayed him. It was a blow no one could easily accept.
"Clean this place up. We'll move to another room for the discussion," Nicholas II ordered, his voice calm but still tinged with harshness, betraying just how deeply his anger ran.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the ministers responded, not daring to disobey. They knew all too well that, in his current state, Nicholas was like a powder keg waiting to explode at the slightest provocation.
"Gentlemen, the surrender of the 1st Army to the Germans is a bitter blow. Tomorrow, the entire Russian Empire will become the laughingstock of the world. Such a disgrace must never happen again," Nicholas II declared coldly.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the ministers hurried to affirm their loyalty, vowing they would never betray the Russian Empire. They also took the opportunity to curse General Rennenkampf, eager to prove their allegiance to the Tsar.
"So, what do you suggest we do with Rennenkampf?" Nicholas II asked, his voice dripping with venom. His hatred for Rennenkampf was so intense that he longed to tear him apart. He had already resolved that Rennenkampf would not escape retribution.
The ministers exchanged uneasy glances. Rennenkampf had already surrendered to the Germans and was likely held in a POW camp, possibly even enjoying the Germans' hospitality. In such circumstances, what more could they do to him?
"Your Majesty, perhaps we could arrange for Rennenkampf to be assassinated in secret. A man who has betrayed both you and the Russian Empire cannot be allowed to live," suggested Grand Duke Karl, the Minister of War.
"Hm, that's a good idea. Make sure we send capable people to eliminate him," Nicholas II growled through clenched teeth.
"Yes, Your Majesty," the Grand Duke nodded.
The other ministers shivered involuntarily. They had not expected the Tsar's hatred for General Rennenkampf to run so deep that he would resort to such extreme measures.
"And now, how do we deal with the current military situation? The entire Northwestern Front has been wiped out in this battle. We can hardly speak of continuing the offensive into East Prussia, let alone holding onto the Kingdom of Poland. The Germans will surely seize this opportunity to take Poland," Nicholas II said bitterly.
The Kingdom of Poland had always been a key strategic advantage for Russia, serving as a constant threat to the German Empire. Losing Poland would strip Russia of this leverage and, instead, leave it vulnerable to German aggression. After all, East Prussia was perilously close to St. Petersburg.
"Your Majesty, the destruction of the Northwestern Front is indeed a grave problem. Our forces are still in the process of mobilization, but due to transportation issues and other logistical challenges, the mobilization is proceeding slowly. Apart from the minimal forces stationed to defend key locations, all of our standing army units have already been deployed to the front lines. But losing half a million men in one blow has stretched our army to the breaking point. However, the Kingdom of Poland is too important to abandon. We must hold onto it," advised Grand Duke Nicholas, Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army.
"What do you propose, Your Highness?" Nicholas II asked. The Grand Duke, who was his uncle, was one of the Tsar's most trusted advisors.
"I suggest we reinforce the Kingdom of Poland by deploying troops from the Imperial Guard. Additionally, we should divert one army from the Southwestern Front to bolster our forces there. This way, we can maintain a force of around five hundred thousand troops in Poland. Even if we cannot repel the German offensive immediately, we can at least buy time. Once our reinforcements are fully mobilized, we can launch a counterattack," the Grand Duke proposed.
Nicholas II nodded in agreement. The Imperial Guard was the most elite unit in the Russian Army, both superbly equipped and rigorously trained. It was the pride of Russia's military forces.
However, the Guard typically remained stationed in St. Petersburg and Moscow, guarding the heart of the empire. Deploying the Imperial Guard was a sign that the situation had grown desperate.
After a moment of consideration, Nicholas II made up his mind and nodded, agreeing to dispatch the Imperial Guard to reinforce the Kingdom of Poland.
"Send the 2nd Army of the Imperial Guard to Poland. Also, deploy the 9th Army there. Inform General Zhilinsky that I am giving him one final chance—Poland must be held at all costs!"