By Junior Remy Haring
Saaremaa Island, Former United Baltic Duchy, Now Estonia
In a series of stories from multiple people all over the world collectively known as the Kaiserreich Files (inspired by the titular mod for Hearts of Iron IV), blogger Remy Haring explores an alternate history in which the Central Powers win the First World War.
Night of February 15, 1936
I was sitting on an ammo crate in our dark green tent cleaning my rifle with only a gas lamp to keep me company. My friend Jukka was on duty for the night, watching for any German patrols. Most of the German Army had fled Estonia and Latvia, but there were still a few lingering patrols on the island that were looking for me and other Forest Brothers. We were a group of Estonian Guerilla fighters who wanted to free our country from the clutches of the Kaiser. With the advent of Black Monday and the ensuing economic chaos, we saw this as our chance. While I was idling away cleaning, I heard loud and heavy footsteps crunching on leaves. For a second I thought it was a bear, but it turned out to be Martiinus.
Martiinus was a six-foot-tall giant and the muscle of our group. Not exactly the most subtle person, but he got the job done. He and Jukka entered the tent, and Martiinus had the biggest grin on his face. He produced a fresh bottle of vodka from his coat and some shot glasses.
“Where did you get that?” I asked.
“I found it in an old, abandoned German barracks,” he replied. “We are going to party tonight!”
“Martiinus, you oaf! You stormed a barracks without us? What were you doing?” Jukka snapped.
“What can I say? We needed supplies, and I’m not turning down a fresh bottle of vodka.”
“Eh, whatever. Lucky you didn’t get yourself killed, and I haven’t had a good drink since the revolt began.”
“A toast to a free Estonia!” Martiinus shouted. “Taavet, you still have that old accordion?”
I pulled my old accordion out of my backpack and began to play Metsavendade Laul, our anthem, and we all began to sing:
Ai-tših ai-tšah ai-velled!
Me, metsavennad, oleme
Ai-tših ai-tšah ai-velled!
Me, metsavennad, eestlased
February 16, 1936
It was early in the morning when we packed up our tents and moved to the north of the island. We got word on the radio that there was one last German division on the island at the town of Leisi, and, by god, we were going to be the ones to kick them out. Like cats we prowled through the dark, snow-covered fir trees. We are called the Forest Brothers for a reason after all. In the interior of the isle, there was no sign of human activity. It was all dense forest. We were on a ridge with a road below us when Jukka raised his hand to stop.
“See that?”
There were five German soldiers marching along the roads. The man in the front had a silver pickelhaube with a golden spike on top and the Prussian eagle emblazoned on the front. If I hadn’t known any better, I would think it was Kaiser Wilhelm himself. The other four were quietly and frantically chattering away. My German is admittedly poor, but from what I could make out, they were the last on the island, and everyone else had fled to the Latvian city of Riga.
“We ambush them on 3, give them a chance to surrender first,” Jukka ordered.
“Understood,” I replied
“You got it, boss,” Martiinus responded.
Without another word we leapt from our position and surrounded the Germans with guns drawn.
“Hands where I can see them, Krauts!” Jukka shouted, “We got you surrounded!”
When I got a good look at their leader, I saw it was none other than the famous field marshal Paul Von Hindenburg. Jukka continued with his demands while I kept my gun drawn.
“We will give you one day to get off the island and out of Estonia. Otherwise you will be shot,” Jukka demanded
“Ach ja, ja fine. We haven’t gotten any supplies since the revolt, and we are all that is left in your god-forsaken country,” Hindenburg responded.
“One more demand I have is your pickelhaube. You will return to Berlin a disgraced man or not return at all.”
“Ja, ja fine take mein kidney as well, why don’t you?”
I saw them leave from a small jetty as the sun set. The sun glinted against the ice and water as they steered for who knows where. We returned to the port, took down the old German flag, and a new, Estonian flag was raised. Down with the eagle, up with the blue, black and white tricolor.
*Anthem of the Estonian Forest Brothers
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