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Chapter 1111 Lawrence of Arabia 3
However, the Tsarist Russia's aggressive actions from the east made the Polish Federation unable to bear it. It had to withdraw a large number of troops and took the initiative to negotiate with the Ottoman Empire when the situation was favorable, and signed a non-aggression treaty.

For the Poles and Lithuanians, the Ottoman Empire was just a minor problem, and the Russians were their mortal enemy for generations, and they would not give up even an inch of land. This shows that the talent for infighting is not only found in China, but also in the blood of the Slavs. The closer the ethnic group is, the deeper the hatred.

But the reduction of pressure from the north was not enough for Murad IV to withdraw too many troops to return to Asia to launch an eastern expedition. At this time, the Ottoman Empire was more like a European country than later Turkey, and most of its essence was in the land north of the Bosphorus.

Otherwise, why do we say that accidental factors are the main driving force behind the development of history? Just after we reached a non-aggression agreement with the enemy in the north, good news came from the west.

The new Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III sent people to take the initiative to contact and express his willingness to negotiate. The reason is... he can no longer fight. If he can no longer concentrate on dealing with the war in Europe, this war that has lasted for many years and cost countless people may really be lost.

Between two evils, Ferdinand III chose the lesser of two evils. After carefully assessing the situation, he believed that the war with the Ottoman Empire did not necessarily have to continue, and many problems could be resolved through negotiations.

Even if the negotiations could not be concluded in the short term, the empire would try its best to avoid fighting on two fronts and devote more financial and human resources to Europe rather than wasting them on fighting the Ottoman Empire.

Murad IV was very happy now. He was not willing to continue to consume his energy endlessly on the European battlefield and then watch the Arabs and Persians become more and more prosperous in his own backyard.

Since Ferdinand III had taken the initiative to express his position, he had to take a step back as soon as possible. He immediately sent his confidants to have secret talks with the representatives of the Holy Roman Empire. Without waiting for the results, he led his troops to the city of Baghdad.

The reason why the Ottoman Empire was able to continue to expand across the Eurasian and African continents, and even had a slight advantage over the entire European countries, in addition to the role of religion, was mainly due to its unique military system.

The Ottoman Empire's army originated from the cavalry of the Central Asian steppes, and integrated the Arab and Byzantine military systems, eventually forming a system with infantry as the main force and cavalry as the auxiliary force, with both regular professional soldiers and temporary conscripts, as well as a mixture of feudal knights and slaves.

Generally speaking, the Ottoman army was divided into three parts: the Guards, the lords' private soldiers and the volunteers.

The Guards, as the name suggests, are the confidant troops who protect the Sultan. At first, they were indeed the Sultan's personal guard. In order to be as loyal as possible, these soldiers came from Christian families in the Ottoman Empire or non-Islamic prisoners of war.

In this regard, the Ottoman sultans and Hong Tao had similar ideas. They brought children from Christian families to the palace to live in a collective, instilled in them the idea of ​​being loyal to the sultan, and taught them some knowledge and military techniques. When they grew up, they became an army loyal to the sultan.

Interestingly, many Ottoman officials, even the Grand Vizier (Prime Minister), emerged from the Guards Corps, and gradually took control of the power of the Ottoman Empire. Later, the decision on who would become the Sultan had to be made in consultation with the Corps, which was a real tail that could not be removed.

The Guards Corps was the most elite army of the Ottoman Empire, with the best equipment, the highest level of training, and the best treatment, but also the smallest number, controlled at around 2 according to the different needs of each sultan.

Their uniforms are very conspicuous, with red coats and hats, black loose pants, and white feathers on the hats. After several generations of careful management by the Sultan, most of them are equipped with more advanced European muskets and artillery, and they are mainly infantry.

The Royal Cavalry, which corresponds to the Guards Infantry, is composed of about 1 people who failed to be selected for the Guards. They follow the Sultan to fight in wartime and are scattered in various cities to maintain local stability on weekdays. The Guards and the Royal Cavalry are all standing troops. They have to serve without work regardless of whether there is a war or not. They rely on the government's military pay to support their lives, and most of them work in related jobs after retirement.

The lord's private soldiers, also known as Sipahi cavalry, are private soldiers controlled by the Beys of various places, which is very similar to the Arab military system. They usually work in different industries in the fiefdoms of various lords. In times of war, they are temporarily recruited to fight for the Sultan with the lords. Most of them are cavalry.

The Ottoman Empire divided its territory into two parts. The European part was called Romnia, where the lords would provide the Sultan with 8 Sipahi cavalry. The Asian part was called Anatolia, where the lords could provide about 5 Sipahi cavalry in wartime.

The Guards Corps had 2 soldiers, the Royal Cavalry had 1 soldiers, and the Sipahi Cavalry had 13 soldiers, totaling about 17 soldiers. With such a small force, they were able to rule over 500 million square kilometers of territory in three continents: Europe, Asia, and Africa. It was not enough, but far too little.

Could it be that the Ottoman Sultan had some secret weapon, or perhaps he had conquered the people with virtue, and was able to effectively rule such a huge country with only over a hundred thousand troops?

When Hong Tao first saw the information collected by the Advisory Office, the Statistics Department and the Ministry of Rites, he couldn't help but have strong doubts and even began to doubt whether he was qualified.

Compared with the number of troops of the Ottoman Empire, the Ming Empire was really a bit militaristic. The army, navy and logistics forces totaled more than 40, which was still not enough. If they wanted to develop on the west coast of America in the future, they would have to continue to expand.

But I felt relieved when I read on. The Ottoman Sultan was not powerful, but had a different military system. In addition to the above-mentioned troops, there was another magical type of troops, called Ajinzhi and Azab, the former was light cavalry and the latter was infantry.

These two armies were unorganized, unpaid, and unreserved volunteer armies of the Ottoman Empire. In wartime, they responded to the Sultan's call to sign up, provided their own horses, breastplates, and tents, formed different legions, and went to the battlefield under the command of officers of the Guards.

Ajinri and Azabuzhiduo came here to risk their lives for wealth and fame. Although they were poorly equipped and lacked training, they fought bravely and were often on the front line.

The specific number depends on combat needs and logistical supply capabilities. Although no military pay or armaments are provided, food must be provided and the spoils must be properly distributed. Bringing too many will become a burden.

In addition to the Guards, Royal Cavalry, Sipahi Cavalry, Ajinzhi Light Cavalry and Azab Infantry, the Ottoman Empire also had a fairly large navy.

There are about 300 to 400 regular ships, equipped with some artillery, mainly used to protect the imperial ports. In the Mediterranean, its strength is on par with Spain and France.

However, the personnel composition of this navy was rather complex. Some officers were apostates from Greece and Italy. They often led the fleet out to sea privately and robbed pagan ships when they encountered them. They had a bad reputation.

(End of this chapter)