Volkshturm

The Volkshturm (Wolf Storm) is a street activist "security" detachment of the Red Army that consists almost exclusively of young members who are looking for an opportunity to have an effect on the progress of the left. As a group it is not associated directly with the government or even the Shturmovik Party although the goals and actions align heavily with the party and party members can influence the actions of the Volkshturm. Since the Volkshturm is more of a political idea then a top-down military organization, it is very decentralized with each group having its own goals and ideas.

The stated goal of the Volkshturm is to counter fascists and technocratic feudalists who they argue pose a threat to progressive activists and marginalized groups. Activists of the Volkshturm are some of the most ideologically dedicated members of the Shturmovik Party.

Uniform

Consistency in the uniform of activists is important to many units of the Volkshturm since they often violate the law and need to blend in. Their unisex uniform consists of a CVC helmet and a traditional Russian military tunic in black with gold stitching, Red Army galife pants in black and boots for males and black stretch pants with thin black combat boots for females. They also wear a black face covering and goggles.

Weapons

The most common weapons include shields and batons, although many members carry short 12 gauge RPKs with less-lethal ammunition. They also carry pepper spray and tear gas grenades, high pressure Makarovs and Krinkov style AK variants.

Notable incidents

Inauguration of President Andrei Obolensky

Many units of the Volkshturm informally defended the inauguration of the first transhuman android president in Voronagrad alongside Republican Guard forces and local riot police in response to plans by the White Army and Radical Bolshevik fascists to disrupt the democratic process.

Bobrovgrad Party

After the Bobrovgrad Massacre, members of the Volkshturm boarded a ship at the space port and dumped out thousands of gallons of vodka. The protest was mostly peaceful although Tsar Georgy III declared it a riot.

Relationship with other militias

Red Army

Despite technically being considered a part of the Red Army, many regular Red Army minutemen view members the Volkshturm as problematic and looking for a fight. The tendency toward escalation or de-escalation varies heavily between groups with some groups taking a more defensive role and others seeing it as their duty to intimidate technocrats and fascists.

Revolyu Boys

Since the Menshevik Party is very similar to the Shturmovik Party in terms of many of their goals, the Revolyu Boys militia tries to be welcoming to the Volkshturm, although the reverse is usually not the case. Members of the Shturmovik Party and in particular the Volkshturm view the Revolyu Boys as being impotent and sympathetic to Bolsheviks and white supremacists. The Revolyu Boys regularly try to work with the Volkshturm and invite them to protests, however the Volkshturm almost always rejects them and spreads the belief that the Revolyu Boys are global government informants who are trying to incite trouble or get members of the Volkshturm arrested.

Controvery

The Volkshturm has been criticized by the former tsarist Bolshevik Party and by the left wing Menshevik Party for engaging in violence. Supporters argue that violence is necessary to protect people from Radical Bolsheviks from intimidating progressives and marginalized groups. Opponents argue that attempts at providing security are intended to intimidate conservatives.