Johann Sturm was finishing his shift for the Royal Guard by leading a team to make sure that the King would be safe to give a speech to Austria, his first since the state visit to Germany to work out the details of inclusion to the Axis.
"All Clear. We have surveyed the entire area. There are no explosives, no snipers, no nothing. King Charles can go and make his speech."
That was the message he was waiting for. He walked inside, brought the king onto the balcony, and stood there with him, waiting.
"People of Vienna!", started the king, pausing for applause. "Austria-Hungary-Yugoslavia is in a time of need. We have made new allies, which will benefit our nation. However, there are a great number of people unhappy with the way the nation is going. We need changes here in Vienna, and we need them soon!
What we NEED do is eliminate the scourge that infiltrates our nation! The Communists, who plague us and our allies in Germany, the Bulgarians, who try to get people to revolt against the government. We have already removed the Socialists and Bulgarian Independence Parties from government. It seems that is not enough. As of now, the Communist party has been disbanded by law. All members who do not vacate their seats in Parliament will be arrested immediately."
King Charles took a pause to breathe, when suddenly a Bulgarian Communist revolutionary took out a gun and fired at him. He missed, and hit the head of the royal guard, Johann Sturm instead. He slumped to the ground, dead. About 5 seconds after Sturm was shot, the Communist was shot at from 10 different directions by guards and snipers.
Charles was not fazed, and started to speak again, now with more vigor.
"This is exactly what I mean! The communists that plague our country are not loyal to Austria-Hungary-Yugoslavia! They are loyal to themselves and their cause of destroying the world! No person loyal to their country would attempt to assassinate their king! What's more, he is even a Bulgarian!"
He laced the last word with as much scorn as possible, and waited to see the results of the past few minutes. The crowd was cheering wildly, and making anti-Communist and anti-Bulgarian slogans.
"Mit Bulgarien hinunter, Mit Kommunismus hinunter! - Down with Bulgaria, Down with Communism" The slogans roared through the crowds.
"What we should do - no, what we MUST do, is make further reforms in Austria. For the better. To save our country, everyone needs to make sacrifices. The Austrian Security Service must have more power. What's more, I, your king, must have more power! These are not changes for me, these are changes for Austria! We shall defeat the Bulgarian Üntermenschen and the Communist Revolutionaries. They shall not defeat proud Austria. For Austria!"
With that, he walked back into the room and debriefed with his advisor, Marco Kolzïg.
"That went better than expected, didn't it?"
"Yes, sir. I loved the slogans in the crowd. What would have happened if the Bulgarian could have aimed better? Where would we be now?"
"In a purge of Bulgarians and Communists. Besides..."
"Besides what, my king?"
King Charles did not reply. He simply removed his royal gown and showed Kolzïg the layers of padding and bullet-proof armour he had on.
Kolzïg was shocked. "You were expecting to be shot at, weren't you?"
"I never expected to be. I am always prepared. As is Austria-Hungary-Yugoslavia."