The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1679 Ultimatum
Saint Petersburg, Winter Palace.

Nicholas I's attitude was not so complicated; he was simply delighted.

"Neserlov did a good job! Now what excuse do the Ottomans have? What will those cowards use to fob me off with?"
"This is indeed God's will! It seems that Heaven has ordained that the Romanov family will restore Constantinople in my generation!"

"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Russia's sacred mission is finally coming to an end. I propose that the Senate bestow upon you the title of Emperor."

Prince Menshkov spoke first, his pat on the horse perfectly executed. Nicholas I, moved by his own bold words, was almost brought to tears.

"Menshkov! I promote you to Marshal. You and your army will cross the Danube with icons and eagle banners to expel the evil infidels."

Prince Menshkov immediately knelt on one knee.

“Your Majesty the Great Tsar, it is my greatest honor to serve you and the Russian Empire. I am overwhelmed by your trust, and I will certainly not fail to live up to your expectations.”

I, Alexander Sergeyevich Menshkov, will raise the Russian flag atop the walls of Constantinople!

Nicholas I and his minister Menshkov were deeply moved, but other high-ranking Russian officials, while outwardly agreeing, were actually quite dismissive.

Prime Minister Chernyshev didn't care about the so-called sacred mission; he still preferred the fertile black soil of Poland and Ukraine, where crops were guaranteed regardless of drought or flood.

Previously, the land promised by the Tsar to various families in the Balkans yielded almost negative returns. The barren land and the violent populace greatly displeased traditional nobles like Chernyshev.

They still preferred the honest, docile Russian serfs and the easily arable lands of Eastern Europe.

Not only them, but also the nouveau riche who had been advocating employment relationships suffered setbacks in the Balkans.

In fact, these emerging Russian bourgeoisie suffered even more setbacks in the Balkans. The mountain people of the Balkans simply did not want to reason with them, much less give up their land.

Many Balkan people seized land amidst the chaos of war, or registered themselves after liberation by the Austrian Empire, so the so-called employment relationship was never established in the first place.

The result is that money is invested, but not only is the land not acquired, there is even a possibility of losing one's life.

At this time, even the Pan-Slavists in Russia disliked the Balkan people because these peoples were unwilling to accept the more advanced Russian civilization.

These Pan-Slavists don't even consider Balkan people to be Slavs, so they call them Balkans.

Some nobles and bureaucrats who ran shipping and ports opposed the war; they were living very well and even bullied and dominated the Black Sea region.

Although Nicholas I was tyrannical, he was not so ruthless as to resort to underhanded tactics in trade with the Austrian Empire, much less do anything that would make him feel ashamed.

In fact, the arbitrary taxation of Austrian merchant ships was carried out by his subordinates; Nicholas I was genuinely unaware of it and received no benefit from it.

However, once war broke out, the good days for these local bullies came to an end.

Besides the potential trade embargo resulting from a maritime blockade, the two military blocs are more likely to engage in fierce naval battles in the Black Sea in their struggle for control of the sea, during which the bombardment of ports and attacks on ships will certainly be frequent.

The docks, warehouses, and trading companies were highly likely to be destroyed in the war, and even if they were moved in time, their wealth would inevitably shrink. Prince Uvarov and the fervent supporters of Nicholas I, as well as the Russian bureaucrats who wanted to retake Constantinople, were equally worried, unlike Nicholas I and Prince Menshkov who were optimistic.

Rebellions broke out one after another within Russia, and it has not yet been able to truly conquer the Balkans and the Caucasus.

The living conditions of serfs and peasants were harsh. If grain requisition, conscription, and tax increases were imposed at this time, the conflict would likely be intensified.

At that time, Russia will not only have to face wars abroad, but also wars at home.

Then there are the old problems: Russia's military spending has always been astronomical, and the national treasury has long been in deficit, even having to rely on borrowing new money to repay old debts in order to maintain the Tsar's ideas.

Beneath Nicholas I's grand pronouncements lay a mountain of IOUs, enough to crush the nation, especially if a large-scale, protracted war were to break out.

Russia's finances could very well collapse as a result, and wartime supplies would become extremely scarce.

Moreover, the so-called Russian elites did not seem to be as loyal as Nicholas I had imagined. In fact, many people were dissatisfied with the status quo in Russia and wanted to seek change, as evidenced by those who instigated Crown Prince Alexander.

Most importantly, they believed that the Austrian Empire was likely to remain inactive or even turn against them.

In their view, the geopolitical conflict between Russia and Austria was irreconcilable, and their previous cooperation was largely due to the existence of the Ottoman Empire.

While the Ottoman Empire was in decline, the two sides could still barely cooperate and divide the spoils. But once this common enemy was gone, the two sides, as leaders of their respective camps, would likely inevitably fight each other.

"An ultimatum was issued to the Ottomans: if the Ottoman Empire could not hand over the murderers and voluntarily withdraw from Europe and return Jerusalem, then Russia would carry out God's will and drive the Ottomans out of Europe."

Nicholas I raised his arms and shouted excitedly, his eyes seemingly burning with fire.

Although the Tsar himself was very agitated, the normal diplomatic procedures still had to be followed.

First, a strongly worded statement of condemnation is essential, and second, a demand must be made for the Ottoman Empire to hand over the murderers.

Then came the demands for a formal apology and substantial compensation.

The Tsar's objectives have been stated, but diplomatic statements are not usually so direct. However, this is Russia.
With the death of Foreign Minister Neserlov, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was left leaderless. Thus, what can be considered one of the most powerful diplomatic statements in human history was issued.

"The incompetence and blasphemy of the Ottoman government are now blatantly obvious. The blood of the murderers is insufficient to wash away the shame of the Russian Empire, and any hypocritical and empty words are meaningless."

From this point forward, the Russian Empire will have the sole and permanent responsibility to protect all Orthodox Christians and Slavs within the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

Eastern Thrace is the homeland of my Third Rome, which the Ottoman barbarians have occupied for many years. Today it is rightfully returned to us.

However, His Majesty Nicholas I, being benevolent towards life, has granted you one month to evacuate. Those who fail to leave by the deadline will be killed.

In fact, even without this extremely strong diplomatic statement, the Russians intended to take this opportunity to continue sending more troops and supplies to the Balkans.

The generals at the front could then begin to study how to launch an attack on the Ottoman Empire, or even launch an attack at the slightest sign of trouble.