sultan's crescent

Chapter 145 The astute Emperor Sai and Little Pete
Izzet-Mohamed continued.

"The third request of the British is that we be careful with the Arab world.

They expressed that they do not want to see the flames of war raging in this peaceful and peaceful area, and they hope that we can deal with the problem in a more moderate way. "

When Selim heard this, he knew that the British had already tried to meet him.

It's just that the British are vague in their words. The British have not made it clear how wide the scope of this "cautious approach" and "more moderate approach" is.

Whether it is the whole island or just Oman is debatable.

However, according to the fourth-level standards of the British (although I don’t know if they exist at this time), the bottom line for the British should be Oman. The Ottoman Empire is not as unbearable as Fira.

But this bottom line is the bottom line of 1790, not 1792. Now France has not given its full strength, Nahuang has not made a move, and the British have not yet realized that they need help.

So these requests from the other party can be said to be half-testing and half-serious inquiries. What is Selim's answer?

That is to practice Tai Chi. Let’s not say we won’t do it, nor do we want to do it now, but we need to go through detailed investigation, careful analysis, and careful planning before we can start doing it.

At the beginning of the operation, we must pay attention not to violate the guiding ideology - the first priority is to strengthen the Ottoman Empire.

Therefore, Emperor Sai did not intend to make a clear statement.

In this matter, the British are probably thinking of playing the old trick of offshore balancing again. After all, the recent performance of the Ottoman Empire can easily remind people of the past glory of the empire, which was the fear of holding the entire Europe in the palm of their hands.

While the Emperor was considering how to reply to the British, William Pitt was talking to his good friend William Wilburst.

The latter is also a graduate of Cambridge University and is now an MP for Yorkshire.

"So, Wilburst, do you think the Sultan will say yes?
Agree to the ludicrous terms on which I get drafted. "

Wilburst smiled and said.

"Pete, you're still too worried.

The shortcomings of the Ottoman Empire are not something that happened in the past few decades. It has been declining day by day since the death of Suleiman.

Osman II, Murad IV, Ahmed III, Hamid I.

Many sultans have tried to revive this empire, but they can't even slow down the decline of this ancient empire.

Such a country with diverse ethnic groups, serious religious divisions, and declining central authority is not worth paying attention to at all. We only need to pay attention to three issues.

For England, the primary problem is the French, which is also the strategic goal that has been adhered to from the Duke of Newcastle to the era of Lord North.

Even though we were divided into Whigs and Tories, the defeat of the French was a feat both parties aspired to.

As you can see in the current France, neither Robespierre nor Roland like to have a king.

They chanted the slogan of freedom and equality, and carried out violent actions under the banner of revolution. The defeat of the Prussian army in the Rhine region and the disastrous defeat of the Austrian army in the Netherlands.

This already shows that the French have found it difficult to control their revolution, which is no different from riots.

The system of checks and balances we have used in the past does not seem to be stable anymore.

This is a French problem, the second problem is German.

The influence of the Habsburg family is well known in Germany. After all, the throne of the Holy Roman Empire has always belonged to the Habsburgs since Maximilian.

The Hohenzollern of Prussia were not worthy of being Habsburg's opponents before Frederick. After the Seven Years War, they were qualified to be our weapon to check and balance the Habsburg family.

But in this war, the performance of the Prussian army was a mess, and I didn't understand what the king was thinking.

A country whose population only reached over ten million after joining forces with Russia and Austria to carve up Poland, now actually gave up the cornerstone of its country, the army, and allowed the other party to rot. This is not what a country like Prussia should do at all.

In this case, we must prevent Leopold II of Habsburg from using the Austrian Netherlands to seduce the French army, continuously bloodletting Prussia, and trying to further annex many states in the Holy Roman Empire, especially Bavaria.

Finally, there is the Russian issue. It must be said that Peter I was indeed a monarch with the long-term foresight of a statesman, the courage to take action, and an indomitable and fearless spirit.

This was Russia's luck and the Ottoman Empire's misfortune. "

"Wilburst, are you talking about the so-called "testament" of Peter I?"

William Pitt asked immediately.

However, before Wilburst could reply, he spoke again.

“Peter I was indeed a far-sighted monarch, which I cannot do.

His views on Poland and Sweden shaped what is now the Russian Empire, the greatest monarch the Russians have had since Ivan IV.

He told his successors to trade with us first, to exchange timber and other products for our gold, to establish a constant exchange of goods and sailors with us, and to improve their navy and trade.

He saw the importance of Constantinople and India.

His thinking is correct, whoever rules there will be the real master of the world.

He took advantage of the decline of the Ottoman Empire and Persia, and continued to lead Russia to tear the flesh and blood from these two empires that were in their twilight years.

He understood the importance of the old sea routes, he understood the trade of the Levant, and he had a goal, to enter the Persian Gulf. "

William Pitt got up from his chair, walked to the window and said.

"Looking at it this way, the Ottoman Empire is indeed not an object worthy of loyalty. On the contrary, this ancient empire may still need our support.

The threat of the Russians is too great. Although every Russo-Turkish war cannot take away much land from the Ottoman Empire, it is still terrifying to add up. Crimea has now fallen into the hands of Russia. "

Wilburst asked a little puzzled.

"In that case, Pete, why did you go out of your way to test the Ottoman Empire, and you dragged me to talk about this empire that has already half-stepped into the grave for so long?"

"Because I have a feeling, Wilbost, that this empire seems to be pulling out his half-buried body and standing up again.

To use an inappropriate metaphor, the Ottoman Empire is like a pawn on a chessboard. It is already difficult to move when it is on the sixth or seventh square, and there is a risk of being eaten at any time.

But this sultan seems to want to bring the Ottoman Empire to the eighth square, but in which direction he wants to change, I don't know, whether it is the queen, the chariot, or the elephant. "

William Pitt casually picked up a black pawn, placed it directly on the eighth square, and then pointed at the chess piece and said to Wilburst.

"Look, it's like this."

"Here, Pete, you are really worried too much." Wilburs is still not convinced. Although his friend Pete has always seen things quite accurately, the performance of the Ottoman Empire since 1683 has made Wilburs Te still had doubts about Pete's words.

William Pitt shook his head and said.

"Wilburst, listen to me, this Sultan is different.

The most important point is that he is indeed a Sultan, not a "Sultan".

The difference between the two is like the Otto of the Holy Roman Empire and the powerless emperors who followed. "

Wilburst couldn't help asking.

"Is what you said too alarmist?"

"Alarmist?"

William Pitt said with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Wilburst, the reason why you think I'm alarmist is because you don't understand what kind of great changes have taken place in the Ottoman Empire.

This is the news recorded by our ambassador in Constantinople or his diary. You can read it yourself. We pay too little attention to the Ottoman Empire.

On the one hand, Warren-Hastings and the damned East India Company involved us too much energy, plus the Spaniards and our conflicts in North America.

On the other hand, the revolution in France forced me to focus on suppressing my opposition at home.

And Fox made trouble for me. The crisis brought about by His Majesty's illness last time was resolved with great difficulty. The regent and Fox are as close as one person. "

Wilburst took the information and said with a smile.

"Don't worry, Pete, you have to understand that compared to you, Fox is just a flirtatious libertine.

Listen to what he said about Lord North, "The failed helmsman brought the country to such danger... Lord Chatham, the King of Prussia, and even Alexander the Great, none of them conquered the territory. That's more territory than the noble Lord has lost - a continent."

This is Fox, who opposes our suppression of the independence of the thirteen North American states, but sympathizes with the French revolution.

I really can't imagine how he made such a stupid speech in the House of Commons with his head on his head. Even if a salmon came, there would not be as much water in Fox's head. "

Both laughed.

But the smile on William Pete's face gradually stopped, and the expression on Wilburst's face gradually became serious as the documents were flipped through.

"In 1787, under the leadership of the new Sultan, the Ottoman Empire proactively declared war on Russia. This was a smart move. Catherine II was still preparing. Will he win the opportunity? I'm not sure."

"Obviously, the Ottoman Empire is no match for the Russian army. Except for some elite regiments that can fight against Russia, the rest of the guards are either unable to fight or simply not full of staff."

"The performance of the Ottoman Empire was very bad. I was overthinking it. This sultan was no different from the Ottoman II. He simply did whatever he thought of. The principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were lost."

"Maybe there is a turning point. The sultan led the army and defeated the Austrian cavalry at the border. The French dwarf he found first defeated Suvorov and then defeated the main force of the Austrian army. The Prince of Coburg died. A moment of silence for him."

"The Russians stopped, Potemkin and Rumyantsev stopped in Izmail, where they were bloodied.

It's worth noting that this young man named Muhammad Ali held off the Russians. "

"Sweden has declared war on Russia. Catherine II is not feeling well this time. The Ottoman Empire government seems to be quite calm. It seems that they have known about this for a long time. As for the newspapers? The news of the empire's imminent victory is already everywhere."

"Interesting, the plan of the Ottoman Empire seems to be a little clear now. They are not so useless. They lure the enemy deep, and then lengthen the supply line of the Russian army. This is to fight a war of annihilation."

"So the Ottoman Empire really succeeded in encircling the Russian army. Potemkin and Rumyantsev are in danger this time."

“Russia failed and Rumyantsev died, which was a real surprise.

The last time Halili Pasha of the Ottoman Empire attacked Rumyantsev with five times the force, he was defeated by Rumyantsev on the banks of the Kargur River. This time Rumyantsev was actually killed by a French dwarf. Defeated with twice as many troops.

This time, Catherine II probably looked very ugly. It is estimated that none of the more than 5 Russian troops ran back, and Gustav III was still fighting in the north.

The Ottoman Empire will inevitably take this opportunity to enter the mainland, and the Ukraine region is estimated to be smashed. "

"??? Suvorov defeated the Ottoman army, what's going on this time, I have to find out about it."

"The Sultan's methods were very powerful. He threw tens of thousands of Guards troops directly to the Russians, and even let the Guards officers take the blame. It is estimated that there will be a bloody storm next."

"The Mamluks were the first to be attacked. This time Egypt has completely belonged to the Ottoman Empire. Unfortunately, if this place belongs to us, it is estimated that France will only be even weaker in the Mediterranean."

…………

"I guessed wrong. He was more courageous than I imagined. He bet his crown and destiny on the trip to Greece. What's even more impressive is that he won. The Greeks are finished, and so are the Guards."

……

"Steam engine? This Sultan actually has the idea of ​​introducing a steam engine. What gave him such an impression, was it during his time in England?"

"Tariffs? What exactly is this sultan going to do? He will be a terrible monarch. I have to warn him in time."

……

""Imperial Edict", this sultan has already tried to meet him, but can he succeed?

It's hard to say, let's not mention the country first, Austria and Russia are problems that cannot be avoided. "

said Wilburster, hastily turning the last few pages.

"Peter, you're right, he's a threat or he could be the Peter I of the Ottoman Empire, or even greater.

How are you going to contain him? "

"Containment? This is what gives me a headache. Whether he wants to be a queen or a chariot, I can't predict.

Containing him now would only widen the gap between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, which was just as formidable adversary as the French. "

"Then what should we do?"

"Let's take a look first, see how the Ottoman Empire responds to our request, and then make a decision."

William Pitt said looking out the window.

　This is two-in-one

　　
　
(End of this chapter)