Date: March 29th, 1905 – Belgrade, Kingdom of Serbia
The week following Petar's pointed dismissal of General Stefanović's initial report on the army's footwear felt like a strange interlude. On the surface, Petar attended to the routine duties of a monarch: receiving foreign envoys for brief courtesy calls, signing mundane decrees presented by various ministries, and presiding over a somewhat tedious session of the Crown Council that discussed matters far removed from his immediate, urgent concerns. Beneath this veneer of normalcy, however, his mind was a hive of activity. He continued his solitary study of Serbia's industrial and resource potential, his notes growing thicker, filled with Alex Volkov's engineering insights and historical precedents for state-driven development.
He was also acutely aware of the approaching deadline for the revised boot report. He had made his displeasure clear; now he would see if General Stefanović, and by extension the bureaucratic apparatus of the War Ministry, could respond to direct, unequivocal royal pressure. He knew this was a test case. If he couldn't get satisfaction on a matter as relatively straightforward as soldiers' boots, his more ambitious plans for military modernization and industrial expansion would face an almost insurmountable uphill battle.
Two days before the deadline, on March 27th, Colonel Živojin Mišić requested a private audience. Peter received him in his study, temporarily setting aside the maps and industrial reports. "You wished to see me, Colonel?" Peter asked, noting the usual composed demeanor of his aide-de-camp.
"Yes, Your Majesty," Mišić began. "You tasked me with discreetly identifying individuals within the army and administration who might possess… a more dynamic outlook and particular talents."
Petar leaned forward, his interest piqued. "And have you made any preliminary observations?"
"A few, Your Majesty. These are initial thoughts, of course, requiring more thorough assessment." Mišić paused, then continued, "Within the army, there is a young Major in the General Staff's operations section, named Dragutin Dimitrijević. He is brilliant, fiercely patriotic, and known for his unorthodox thinking. He is… intense, and perhaps not always mindful of strict protocol, which has hindered his advancement in some circles. But his peers respect his intellect, and his subordinates are said to be fiercely loyal."
Dimitrijević. The name struck Petar like a physical blow. Apis. The future leader of the Black Hand, the mastermind behind the 1903 coup that had brought Petar's dynasty to power, and, most damningly, one of the key architects of the Sarajevo assassination in 1914. Alex Volkov's mind screamed a warning. This man was a personification of the double-edged sword Petar had previously considered: immense capability and nationalist fervor, but also a dangerous radicalism and willingness to operate outside the law.
Petar kept his expression neutral, a skill he was rapidly honing. "Dimitrijević," he repeated thoughtfully. "I have heard the name. Unorthodox thinking can be valuable if properly channeled. What else?"
"He is certainly a forceful personality, Your Majesty," Mišić said, seemingly unaware of the turmoil his words had caused. "On a different note, in the Ministry of Commerce, there is a junior secretary, a civilian, named Milan Stojadinović. He is quite young, barely in his mid-twenties, but he has authored several remarkably insightful, if unsolicited, memoranda on tariff reform and the development of domestic industries. They were, I am told, largely ignored by his superiors as being too ambitious or impractical."
Stojadinović. Another name that resonated, though less alarmingly. A future Prime Minister, albeit one with a controversial political journey decades down the line. But for now, a young man with economic ideas. "Interesting," Petar said. "Ignored talent is a waste Serbia cannot afford. Are there others?"
Mišić mentioned a few more names—an artillery captain experimenting with new ranging techniques and an engineer in the Ministry of Public Works with innovative ideas for bridge construction. Peter listened intently, filing each name and Mišić's brief assessment away.
"Thank you, Colonel," Petar said finally. "This is a good start. Continue your observations. For now, do not approach these individuals directly on my behalf. I wish to know the talent – and perhaps the ambition – within my kingdom. We may find opportunities to utilize their skills in due course."
He needed to be cautious with Dimitrijević. Such a man could be an invaluable tool or a devastating liability. He would need to be watched, understood, and perhaps, if possible, guided. Stojadinović, on the other hand, might be someone he could engage with more directly in the future, once his economic plans were more concrete.
On the morning of March 29th, General Stefanović, the Minister of War, was announced. He looked less self-assured than on his previous visit, and he was accompanied not by Paču this time, but by a younger, more harried-looking official from the Quartermaster's Department, clutching a new, slimmer report.
"Your Majesty," Stefanović said, his voice lacking its usual bluster. "We present the revised army footwear report, per your instructions."
"Let us hope it is more substantive this time, Minister," Petar replied, his tone cool. He took the report and began to read it at his desk, deliberately making Stefanović and his subordinate wait in uncomfortable silence.
This report was, at least on the surface, a marked improvement. It listed three potential new foreign suppliers, complete with preliminary price lists and descriptions of their military boot models – one German, one Austrian, and one French. It included a brief section on the possibility of establishing a central army workshop, estimating initial setup costs and potential output for repairs and specialized footwear. Most importantly, it outlined a more rigorous set-top quality control inspection protocol, involving multiple checkpoints and stricter rejection criteria for substandard items.
Petar read through it carefully, his mind comparing it to his explicit demands. It wasn't perfect. The workshop feasibility study was superficial, and the cost estimates seemed inflated. The proposals for new suppliers were there, but lacked a deep analysis of long-term reliability or the political implications of sourcing from Austria, for instance. However, it was a significant step up from the previous effort. It showed that his anger and direct demands had an effect.
He looked up. "This is an improvement, General Stefanović," he conceded, and saw a flicker of relief on the Minister's face. "It addresses most of the specific points I raised. However, it is still a plan on paper. Implementation is key."
He focused on the Quartermaster official. "You, what is your name and position?" "Major Ristić, Your Majesty. Head of Procurement, Quartermaster's Department." The Major looked nervous.
"Major Ristić," Petar said, his gaze intense. "These new inspection protocols. They are comprehensive. Are you personally prepared to ensure they are enforced to the letter, without exception, regardless of who the supplier is or what pressures might be applied?" "Yes, Your Majesty! Absolutely!" Ristić affirmed, perhaps a little too quickly.
Petar nodded slowly. "I will hold you to that, Major. And you, Minister Stefanović, will oversee Major Ristić and ensure this entire plan is actioned. I want samples from these three new suppliers on my desk within one month. I want a detailed proposal for establishing the central workshop within two months, with realistic costings and a phased implementation plan. And I expect to see a measurable improvement in the quality of boots reaching our soldiers within six months. I will request regular progress reports and may make further unannounced inspections myself."
He was micromanaging, perhaps, but Alex Volkov knew that sometimes, a leader had to get into the weeds to change a culture of laxity. He was demanding accountability. "Furthermore," Petar continued, "regarding the budget for this. While Minister Paču and I will discuss overall allocations, I expect you, General Stefanović, to find initial savings within your existing War Ministry budget to kickstart the workshop feasibility study and the sample procurement. Demonstrate fiscal responsibility alongside operational improvement."
General Stefanović, though clearly daunted by the continued pressure and specific timelines, managed to say more convincingly, "It will be done, Your Majesty."
After they were dismissed, Petar felt a grim satisfaction. He hadn't won a war, but he had won a small, significant battle against bureaucratic inertia. He had shown that his words had teeth, that his demands for accountability were severe. It was a lesson he would likely have to repeat, many times, with many different departments.
He looked at his calendar. General Putnik's machine gun proposal deadline was just over a week away. That would be a far more complex and expensive undertaking, and he anticipated even greater financial resistance from Paču. But this small victory on the boot issue gave him confidence. He was learning how to use the levers of his royal power, knowing whom to push and how hard.
The names Mišić had provided also lingered in his mind. He needed to start building a network of loyal, capable, and aligned individuals who were aligned with his desire for rapid modernization and strengthening of Serbia. The old guard, men like Stefanović, might be managed or eventually sidelined. However, it was the next generation of officers and administrators, men like Dimitrijević (if he could be tamed) or Stojadinović, who would ultimately be the architects of the future he envisioned.
The path ahead was still shrouded in uncertainty, but for the first time, Petar felt he wasn't just reacting to his new reality; he was actively beginning to shape it, one directive, one demand for accountability at a time.