The civil war ends

Grand Duke Nicholas committed suicide, and Chief of the General Staff General Nikolai Obruchev surrendered.

After receiving their orders, the vast majority of the troops in the Petersburg Military District laid down their arms.

Many of the officers and soldiers had long since lost the will to fight.

Everyone had been averse to the civil war to begin with, even though Grand Duke Nicholas and the others had repeatedly claimed that Tsar Nicholas II had been murdered by Grand Duke Mikhail.

But few people truly believed it.

With defeats mounting on the battlefield, they were even less willing to keep fighting.

Grand Duke Mikhail's troops swiftly took control of all Moscow.

Under the protection of his guards, Mikhail entered Moscow as well.

Moscow had suffered some damage during the war. But because the fighting had ended so quickly, the damage was not severe.

The central area around the Kremlin, in particular, had not been destroyed.

Mikhail was very pleased by this.

"Your Highness, Grand Duke Nicholas committed suicide on the tsar's throne," his secretary Yakov said, hurrying over with a troubled expression.

Mikhail could not help frowning.

What Grand Duke Nicholas had done was rather sickening.

Mikhail knew that Grand Duke Nicholas had dreamed of becoming tsar, but he had not expected the grand duke to disgust him even in death.

The civil war was over, and Mikhail would soon be crowned in the Kremlin and ascend the throne as the new tsar.

But Grand Duke Nicholas had died on the tsar's throne, and that was deeply off-putting.

"Remove the tsar's throne, then have someone quickly make an identical one!" Mikhail ordered.

Mikhail certainly had no desire to sit on the throne where Grand Duke Nicholas had killed himself.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Yakov nodded.

"General Sakharov, take five infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades and head for Petersburg at once.

"Grand Duke Nicholas previously stripped Petersburg and the surrounding area of nearly all their troops. The entire northern region of the empire is now extremely short of forces.

"The people of Finland haven't been quiet either. They've been trying to break free of the empire's control.

"With so few troops in Petersburg and the surrounding area, this is undoubtedly a good opportunity for the people of Finland."

Mikhail gave the order.

"Yes, Your Highness!" General Viktor Sakharov replied.

Before 1809, Finland had been part of the Kingdom of Sweden.

But the Kingdom of Sweden had suffered a crushing defeat in its war with the Tsarist Russian Empire.

The two sides had signed the Treaty of Hamina, under which the Kingdom of Sweden ceded all of Finland to the Tsarist Russian Empire.

The Tsarist Russian Empire had made Finland an autonomous grand duchy, with the tsar also serving as Grand Duke of Finland.

But the people of Finland had always wanted to break free of the Tsarist Russian Empire's control and seek independence.

The Kingdom of Sweden, along with some other Western countries, had supported the people of Finland.

As a result, the Grand Duchy of Finland had remained unsettled, with incidents of resistance to Tsarist Russian Empire rule occurring from time to time.

A considerable portion of the Petersburg Military District's forces had been stationed in the Grand Duchy of Finland to keep the situation under control.

But after the civil war broke out, Grand Duke Nicholas had stripped the Petersburg Military District of nearly all its troops.

The Guards Army had also marched south to take part in the civil war.

It could be said that the entire north of the Tsarist Russian Empire was short of troops.

If the people of Finland rose in rebellion to break away from Tsarist Russian Empire rule, the consequences would be extremely serious.

Now that the civil war was over, Mikhail naturally had to prevent that from happening.

Moreover, Mikhail considered General Viktor Sakharov a suitable candidate for commander of the Petersburg Military District.

"General Brusilov, the people of Poland and the peoples along the Baltic Sea coast haven't been quiet lately either. The Germans have gotten involved too, and activities resisting imperial rule are springing up one after another.

"Although the Huasha Military District and the Vilna Military District each still have more than fifty thousand troops, they're already running themselves ragged.

Mikhail said.

General Brusilov nodded repeatedly. He agreed.

"Your Highness, I suggest sending General Paul von Plehve to the region with troops. Five infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades would be enough.

"At the same time, the remaining troops in the Huasha Military District and Vilna Military Districts should also be reorganized."

General Brusilov made his recommendation.

After a moment's hesitation, Mikhail accepted the suggestion.

General Paul von Plehve came from a German noble family on the Baltic Sea coast.

Although he was German, he was also utterly loyal to the Tsarist Russian Empire.

He had also distinguished himself in a war in another timeline.

He currently commanded the 3rd Infantry Division in the Caucasus Military District.

Grand Duke Mikhail then summoned General Paul von Plehve and ordered him to lead five infantry divisions and two cavalry brigades to the western part of the empire, including Poland and the Baltic Sea coast, to stabilize the situation there.

He was also to reorganize the remaining troops in the Huasha Military District and Vilna Military Districts and establish defenses in the western part of the Tsarist Russian Empire.

Mikhail also gave him particular instructions to suppress the resisting people of Poland and the Baltic Sea coastal peoples by force.

These resistance organizations had to be dealt with harshly.

Only after they had been wiped out would the Tsarist Russian Empire be better able to control these regions.

General Paul von Plehve gladly accepted the orders.

He knew Grand Duke Mikhail was entrusting him with an important task.

Once he had completed the task Grand Duke Mikhail had assigned him, his promotion would be just around the corner.

News of the outcome of the Battle of Moscow quickly spread throughout the Tsarist Russian Empire.

Everyone knew the civil war was over.

No one could stop Grand Duke Mikhail from ascending the throne now.

Of course, many people thought that was only natural.

Grand Duke Mikhail had been first in line to the throne all along.

After Tsar Nicholas II was assassinated, Grand Duke Mikhail should have inherited the throne as a matter of course.

If Grand Duke Nicholas and the others had not had other ideas—or rather, the ambition to steal the throne that belonged to Grand Duke Mikhail—the civil war would never have broken out.

Grand Duke Mikhail was the victor in the civil war, so all responsibility would naturally be laid at the feet of the losers. That, too, was only to be expected.

Far away in Petersburg, the senior officials of the Tsarist Russian Empire had different reactions when they learned the outcome of the civil war.

Those who had already opposed Grand Duke Mikhail, such as Finance Minister Sergei Witte and others, were terrified. He knew full well that Grand Duke Mikhail had won the civil war and was about to become the new tsar of the Tsarist Russian Empire. There would probably be no place left for him anywhere in the empire.

As a result, Sergei Witte and the others began packing their valuables, preparing to flee the Tsarist Russian Empire.

The other senior officials, who had already been inclined toward Grand Duke Mikhail, were all overjoyed. It meant they had sided with the victor. They would very likely be entrusted with important positions next.