Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 133 War begins

Meanwhile, another change occurred in the South Caucasus region, as Persia, in support of the Ottoman Empire, formally announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Russia.

"I am very disappointed with your country's performance; you have stood on the wrong side."

Alexandrovich glared angrily at Naserdin, only to find that the other looked like he was about to fall asleep, which made him even angrier.

"Please don't be angry, Ambassador. This is just an action taken by our country in accordance with the treaty with the Ottoman Empire. There's nothing to worry about."

He didn't listen to a word he said, so Alexandrovich could only utter harsh words: "I hope the Shah will consider relations with our country." Then he left.

Russians are so easily angered. He was just about to fall asleep because he stayed up too late looking at geographical charts. It's utterly unreasonable.

However, it doesn't matter now; the Russian military's attention is entirely focused on the Balkans and the Black Sea, leaving much less attention on the Caucasus. This is good news for Iran.

This time, in addition to Iranian troops, there are also 5000 reinforcements from the Shamari tribe. Currently, a large number of troops have already headed to Tabriz and are waiting for the final moment.

All those who had returned from studying in Prussia were sent to the front lines and appointed as mid- to low-ranking officers. However, the finance minister had been complaining about being poor to him every day for the past few days.

Originally, according to the Ministry of Finance's budget, 900 million rials per year would have been sufficient for military expenses at the start of the war. However, after recalculation, 1100 million rials per year is now the minimum. If the goal is to occupy territory, then reconstruction costs, security expenses, and other costs must be added, which is expected to exceed 1500 million rials.

The government currently has 2100 million rials in reserves, and the Shah has agreed to spend 1800 million rials to buy Iranian government bonds. Combined with other temporary revenues, the total is estimated at 4500 million rials (450 million pounds). This is already beyond Iran's limits, but if it can defeat Russia, this money will be worthwhile.

Moreover, since Russia could incite Bulgarians and Serbs to rebel through the Orthodox Church, they could also incite local resistance through Shiites.

Moreover, the Chechens and Circassians had abandoned the Ottoman Empire and submitted to Naser al-Din. In a letter Shamil wrote to the Shah, he stated, "We are your people, but we are exhausted… We have been fighting our enemies for too long. We have lost all our strength and are in dire straits." In the fighting against the Russian army, Shamil's forces had been gradually driven out of their guerrilla bases in Chechnya and Dagestan.

The Russian military's strategy was not to directly attack the rebel strongholds, but to encircle them and cut off their food supply by burning crops and villages. Russian forces also used methods such as deforestation to drive the rebels out of their hiding places, while simultaneously building roads into the rebel-held areas to facilitate their movement.

Several hundred Chechen villages have already surrendered to the Russians, hoping to continue farming and avoid the ravages of war; morale within the rebel forces is low. The Russians believe they have successfully contained the rebels, and have therefore redeployed most of their troops from the Caucasus region to the Danube front, closing some smaller Russian fortresses on the Circassian coast.

This is precisely the opportunity the Iranians can seize. A victory over the Russian army in the Caucasus would embolden the Persians and other insurgents in the Black Sea region, and could even lead to the collapse of Russian rule in that area.

The Turks had never dared to openly support Shamil. Under the Treaty of Hadrian's Castle of 1829, the Sultan agreed to relinquish his territorial claims to the Russian-occupied Caucasus, and Russia successfully retained control of the region despite intervention from Egyptian governor Muhammad Ali. However, everything changed after the Ottomans declared war on Russia.

Nasserdin glanced at the clock; the planned attack was scheduled for midnight. Launching a surprise attack at this time would maximize the results; there were still 12 hours left.

At this time, Iran's four corps, totaling 70,000 men, were in position on the front lines. Soldiers were moving artillery, cavalrymen were polishing their sabers, and the train station was packed with people. Large numbers of soldiers and supplies were being sent from Tehran and Ardabil. No one in Tabriz was worried about finding work anymore, as most people had been hired to transport goods. "Report: The 7th Regiment has reached its designated position and is ready to launch an attack at any time."

"Let them take this time to sleep, and attack after the signal is given. If anyone doesn't wake up during the attack, then they don't need to wake up."

After giving orders to his soldiers, Rouhani continued to discuss the situation with Salami, who was now the Chief of the General Staff of Iran, and everything needed to be discussed.

"Capturing Yerevan is important, but the terrain there is high, making artillery relocation difficult. Northern Azerbaijan, on the other hand, is low-lying. Perhaps we should take Baku first and then consider other options?"

Salami shook his head. "It's simple, but the Russian army will also take advantage of the terrain to attack from a higher position. Since we want to catch them off guard, we must occupy advantageous terrain before they can react. Once we take Yerevan, Baku will be easy to capture, and we can then take advantage of the situation to fight for Tbilisi."

The battle for Yerevan is not the priority, nor is the struggle for Tbilisi; only by completely driving Russian troops north of the Caucasus can Iran be secure. At the same time, Baku can also benefit significantly from this.

Moltke, as a member of the observation group, looked at the map. So far, everything seemed to be going smoothly, just as he had planned: to annihilate 24 Russian troops before receiving news in St. Petersburg. Relying on the Caucasus Mountains to confront the Russian army was Iran's only way to win, as its ally, the Ottoman Empire, had already deployed most of its troops to the Balkans to suppress the Serbian uprising.

Britain's assurances were one reason why the Ottomans so confidently entrusted their backs to Iran, coupled with the principle of mutual dependence, meaning the Ottomans weren't worried about Iran stabbing them in the back. Compared to Russia, this century-old enemy even seemed rather endearing.

Iran naturally had no time or inclination to harm the Ottomans; Russia was their only target.

"The Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Armies are on standby in Ardabil, and the majority of the soldiers are conscripted. They are currently assembling towards Tabriz. After the war begins, we must advance and carve out a territory, so speed is key."

Friends, this concerns the fate of Iran. Regardless of your faith, language, or identity, from this moment on, you have only one identity: Iranians. You are here to defeat Russia, not only for your country, but also for yourselves.

Your families, your parents, your children are all waiting for news of victory. Now, prepare yourselves to enjoy this final peace!

When Salami and Rouhani issued their joint orders to the front lines, the soldiers' responses varied: some were excited, some were uneasy, and some prayed to Allah for their safe return.

The sky gradually darkened. Time ticked by, and everyone's nerves were on edge. They gripped their guns tightly, the artillerymen stood close to their cannons, and the shells were already in place. Only the train station at the rear was still continuously transporting soldiers and supplies.

Salami took out his pocket watch. It was 11:50. There were only ten minutes left before the battle began. The silence at this time was the most frightening. His eyes were fixed on the front. Although the Russian army was somewhat aware that the enemy was going to attack, they did not make any moves. They were holding a banquet in the fortress, unaware that this was their last moment of peace.

Naser al-Din knelt down and prayed to God. At that moment, the clock struck, and Shah opened his eyes. What was coming had finally arrived.

On March 10, 1852, Nasser al-Din prayed to God, saying that Iran was ready to go to war!
(End of this chapter)