Chapter 576: Vlasov

Poland, on the outskirts of Warsaw.

Akado stepped off the train, wearing a well-fitted leather trench coat with a belted waist. This made the Führer, who was already somewhat slender, look energetic and even more trim and proper.

He wore an Iron Cross on his collar, but it was an ordinary one, without any decorations. Those who knew the origin of this medal knew that it was one that Akado had earned through his own merits on the front lines, a Second Class Iron Cross with no embellishment.

Although in the years that followed, Akado had risen through the ranks of the Wehrmacht, eventually becoming von Seeckt’s de facto successor and transforming into a full general, he had also been awarded various other medals, including a Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves. Yet, he only ever wore this old-style Second Class Iron Cross.

Handing his black leather gloves to Anna, who was also wearing a long black trench coat, Akado smiled and walked towards the army generals who were waiting to greet him on the platform. Cries of “Long live the Führer” rose and fell from the SS soldiers guarding the platform and from the dozens of rows of local dignitaries.

“My Führer! Welcome to the Wolf’s Lair,” General Manstein, the Chief of the German General Staff, said, walking up to Akado, standing at attention, and raising his right arm. “On behalf of Field Marshal von Brauchitsch, I am here to welcome your arrival.”

“Thank you. The army’s performance on the Eastern Front has been commendable. Germany’s victory lies before us. The future belongs to us, to all the German people,” Akado replied with a smile and a salute, then casually waved his hand to dismiss the formalities. He smiled and looked past Manstein, his eyes sweeping over the dignitaries and generals one by one.

His gaze finally rested on one person. This person’s name was a bit long, and he was a Russian. This was the man who would later become the infamous Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov, a Soviet general who had defected. He had been captured during an offensive in Poland, along with nearly 100,000 other Red Army soldiers.

When Akado learned that this important figure had been captured, he had immediately ordered the SS to begin the work of turning him. At first, this Vlasov had firmly demanded that the SS execute him, but after starving for three days and visiting the concentration camps set up by the Germans in Poland, the Soviet general had finally chosen to compromise.

And so, under Fanny’s one-handed management, this Soviet general had transformed into a representative of the Russian people, opposing the Comintern, the Bolsheviks, the Soviet Union, and Stalin. At his call, the First Ukrainian Army was officially formed, and it began to recruit Ukrainians to participate in the war against the Soviet Union.

For the Soviet Union, this Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov was an absolute disaster that had to be eliminated. But for the German army, this person was a qualified puppet, an international friend who could mobilize Ukraine to become a source of manpower for the German army, and a perfect witness to Germany’s liberation of Ukraine.

After witnessing Germany’s power and the tragic fate of the Russian prisoners of war, this Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov had settled into his role much faster than anyone had expected. He made frequent public appearances, drumming up support for Germany’s military operations in Ukraine, and everywhere he went, he proclaimed that Stalin was an out-and-out tyrant. He swore to use his friendship with the Führer and the mighty military power of Germany to help the Russian people break free from Bolshevik rule.

It was said that after his defection, Stalin had smashed all his tableware at breakfast upon hearing the news and had roared and cursed all of Vlasov’s relatives. He had even personally ordered the execution of all his friends and family. However, after a thorough investigation, the matter had been dropped, because this Vlasov had many classmates, including the current Soviet supreme commander on the Eastern Front, Zhukov.

“Andrey Andreyevich Vlasov! Vlasov! As long as I can kill this damned bastard, I will agree to any demand!” These were Stalin’s words at a meeting, proof of just how deep the anger and trauma brought by this defecting general were.

“General Vlasov! I have heard your name. Although this is the first time we have met, I admire your ability to stand up at such a critical moment and fight for the liberation of the Russian nation,” Akado said with a smile, extending his hand to this Russian, who was wearing a German uniform but had no rank or insignia. “Perhaps you are not yet accustomed to the German salute, but it’s no matter. I can shake your hand.”

“Long live the great Führer, Akado Rudolph!” Without the slightest hesitation, Vlasov stood at attention and gave a German salute. He knew that at a time like this, the only thing that could save him, or rather, help him return to the peak of his career, was an anti-Soviet stance and an absolute personal loyalty to the Führer.

Opportunity only comes once, and it always comes only to those who are prepared. It was clear that Vlasov’s gamble had greatly pleased the people around him. Everyone smiled and applauded, and the topic of conversation shifted from the slightly hot weather to the sensitive First Ukrainian Army.

Akado was clearly in a very good mood. He had come today to inspect the new location of the German Eastern Front High Command. And this massive complex, known as the “Wolf’s Lair,” had been built four months ago and was a very modern, semi-underground complex. In the future, the supreme commands for the German Eastern Front would all be issued from here, and this would also be a sort of summer palace for Akado on the Eastern Front.

He took Vlasov by the arm and, with a smile, asked this general who had come from the enemy camp and had immediately kowtowed, “I hear the formation of the First Ukrainian Army is progressing very smoothly. You’ve worked hard, General.”

In fact, the cooperation from the Ukrainian side was half due to Akado’s tolerant ethnic policies and his political skill of “divide and rule,” but even more so to Stalin’s cruel exploitation and suppression of Ukraine during the famine of 1933. Now the people on this plain harbored a deep hostility towards the Soviet Union, and Akado was very clear on just how deep-seated this emotion was.

In another timeline, the Nazi Germany’s cruel plunder of Ukraine was even more terrible than the Soviet Union’s. But even against this backdrop, there were still 600,000 to 800,000 locals who had joined the Nazi army to resist the Soviet Union. And in this timeline, Akado had adopted a policy of appeasement to ease the ethnic tensions in Ukraine. One can imagine how much the people here supported the arrival of the Germans.

It was said that the recruitment offices for the First Ukrainian Army were overflowing with people, and sometimes there were long queues. The main factors limiting the expansion of this army were the distrust of the Ukrainian army by the main generals of the German General Staff, such as Brauchitsch, as well as the pace of troop training and the distribution of weapons.

Akado did not doubt the anti-Soviet sentiment of these Ukrainians, at least not before the Germans had carried out any genocidal colonial plunder. The hatred the locals felt for their old masters was enough to dispel any thoughts they might have of resisting the German army. So Akado had drawn up a detailed training plan, to train and arm the Ukrainian troops according to the standards of the old German army.

“Not at all. It is all because of the support the Führer has given me and the sins of Stalin that I have been able to so quickly fulfill your hopes for me, my Führer,” Vlasov quickly attributed the credit to Akado. He was humble and cautious, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses that made him look like a famous scholar.

However, those who knew him knew that this man was no academic, but a famous Soviet expert on tank tactics, and also a fierce wolf. His First Ukrainian Army already had three regiments fighting partisans in Poland. It could be said that the amount of blood on his hands was no less than that of the German generals. “The only thing affecting his achievements is time.” This was Field Marshal Brauchitsch’s assessment of him.

For such an outstanding surrendered general, Akado was not stingy with his praise and commendations. He was also happy to give this general, who had no way back, sufficient trust. He took Vlasov’s hand and promised to support his great ambition of reviving Ukraine and Russia.

“One day, you will command the most powerful armored corps in the world. Believe me, General Vlasov,” Akado said, patting the Soviet’s shoulder. “I will have the army expedite the preparation of the equipment and hand it over to you as soon as possible. Thirty StuG IIIs will be provided to strengthen your armored artillery battalion, and 45 Panzer IIIs will also be delivered to you at top speed. Soon your troops will be ordered to protect their homeland, and you will become a great Russian hero!”

Although Akado trusted Vlasov, his trust also had its limits. He could not possibly use a large amount of army equipment to support a surrendered general, so his promise was very limited, only two battalions’ worth of heavy weapons. This made the officers of the equipment department breathe a sigh of relief and also gave Manstein, who was standing beside Akado, a false alarm.

The Führer had only promised a small amount of weapon support, and he had not specified the exact delivery time, which gave everyone a lot of room to maneuver. After all, at a time when the German panzer forces themselves could not even meet their own organizational needs, to provide tanks and armored vehicles to a puppet army was a very frustrating matter.

To be fair, the equipment of the troops under Vlasov’s command was not bad. The three main infantry regiments were all equipped with mothballed German Mauser 98k rifles and had undergone good training. An armored regiment had two tank battalions under its command, equipped with 90 T-26 tanks painted with the Iron Cross. These tanks were scheduled to be replaced with Panzer IIIs or even Panthers in the future, but for now, they had to make do with the T-26.

But overall, because this unit was pro-German and relatively well-trained, its combat effectiveness was a considerable leap forward compared to its predecessor, the Red Army. At the very least, Vlasov made his own guarantee to Akado and Manstein: “My Führer, thank you for your support. I assure you that this unit, when facing an equal number of Soviet troops, can absolutely defeat the enemy!”

Published: 2025-09-07T03:26:25.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-04T19:56:49.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c576-vlasov-138319616

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