While preparations for war were being planned in East Africa, the war situation in the Austro-Hungarian Empire was also changing. In September, more than half of western and northern Bohemia fell into German hands.
Facing the powerful German army, Labor Party forces retreated step by step. In the areas occupied by Germany, the Germans received an enthusiastic welcome. However, those welcoming Germany were mainly Bohemian gentry, capitalists, and ethnic Germans.
Prague.
At this moment, Prague had suffered severe devastation. Everywhere were the broken walls and ruined buildings left after the war, shell casings, corpses, smoke and dust... as well as the sandbags, furniture, barbed wire, and other things piled in the streets during the earlier street fighting. Germany's 3rd Bavarian Division was organizing personnel to clear the battlefield.
Bitzker, commander of the 3rd Division, and other senior officers were receiving some former Prague officials, merchants, and prominent members of society at City Hall.
"Gentlemen, our army has formally eliminated the main force of the bandit army in Prague. However, Prague's current situation remains extremely bleak. The Labor Party occupies many parts of Bohemia, and there are also many Labor Party remnants within the city. Therefore, I hope that in the days ahead, you will cooperate more closely with our work."
Bitzker first set the tone. "Therefore, Prague will remain under martial law. At the same time, given the damage to the local government institutions, we will organize personnel to reestablish local order. Before that happens, Prague will first be placed under our trusteeship."
Clearly, since Germany had entered this time, it had no intention of leaving. Germany had long coveted the Bohemia region, the jewel of Austro-Hungarian industry.
Under normal circumstances, everyone present would certainly have been dissatisfied with German intervention. But after living under Labor Party rule, Bohemia's local