Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 135 Slowing Down
Enraged by Austria's betrayal, Nicholas I ordered the return of Franz Joseph's portrait, with the inscription on the back: "You ungrateful wretch."

At this point, he decided to expand the war further, ordering the mobilization of another 30 troops to the front lines. He was determined to press on and, just like in the last Russo-Turkish War, break through the Danube in one fell swoop and reach Adrian, who was not far from Constantinople.

However, the Tsar is unaware that they are currently engaged in a fierce battle in the South Caucasus.

Iranian troops have entered Meghri, where the Russian garrison is mostly composed of the elderly, weak, and disabled, while the real elite troops are mainly Georgian troops stationed in Tbilisi.

At this time, nearly 150 Russian soldiers were still putting up a final stand in the church in the town center, but they had no artillery or other large weapons, and it was only a matter of time before they were taken down.

Salami led the Iranian First Army into Meghri, where the local mayor quickly approached and greeted them in Persian.

“In the name of the Shah, this is already Iranian territory.”

His words determined the fate of the land, and Megri became the first town to be recaptured. The local Armenians were somewhat afraid, fearing a massacre would occur.

However, the Iranian army did not massacre them. They only dealt with a few who were close to Russia before leaving, leaving a group of soldiers to guard the area. At the same time, they confiscated most of the local grain, giving the residents only a small amount of rations and seed grain. Compared to other countries, the Iranian army was relatively lenient.

"General, we will soon reach Capan. Beyond Capan lies Yehnazor, and from there, Yerevan will be only three days' journey away."

Salami listened to the guide's words and looked at the map. The Armenian region is mostly high plateau, which is quite inconvenient for transportation.

"Tell the soldiers to move quickly. If they are too slow, bring out the carts and horses from the civilians' homes. It must be done fast."

Another chaotic scene ensued, but the locals were prepared, as long as the attackers didn't loot their belongings or abduct women. Meanwhile, in Baku, the Iranian army was making good progress, and the local population was showing signs of welcoming Iran's recapture.

Upon learning of the Iranian army's attack, the Baku regional association immediately launched an uprising, leading 200 men to attack various parts of the town. At the same time, peasants also rose up against the Russian landowners, who could no longer tolerate the taxes and corvée imposed on them. They made their choice by burning down granaries and looting grain.

Mikhail Vorontsov, the Caucasus Governor-General stationed in Tbilisi, is preparing to retire next year. His health has been declining for the past two years, and he hopes to return to St. Petersburg to recuperate.

After being appointed Governor-General of the Caucasus, he dedicated himself to eliminating Chechen forces. However, he nearly lost his life in the Battle of Dargo. This place wasn't right for him; St. Petersburg was more suitable.

The governor, who had just recovered, was enjoying local cuisine in his castle in Tbilisi; the local specialties were quite good. Aside from the Circassians and Chechens causing trouble in the North Caucasus, things had been relatively stable for the past few years. As long as there were no other reports, he was fine. He'd heard that the Russian army was already fighting the Ottomans on the Danube; he couldn't afford any trouble here.

"Sir, the Iranian army has suddenly attacked us, and our troops have suffered heavy casualties."

As if on cue, the news brought to him by the soldiers at the front lines made him faint. It seemed that too much comfort had taken its toll on his health. Thankfully, a well-trained doctor revived him and immediately ordered everyone to gather for a meeting to discuss the situation. "My lord," the doctor said, "Persia definitely has the support of other countries; Britain and France are highly likely."

"Now is not the time to discuss who supports us, my lord. I suggest we quickly mobilize our troops for defense, especially Yerevan. If the Persians take it, it won't be so easy for us to take it back."

In recent years, Persia has made progress under its new king. They must have come prepared this time. We must stop them in Yerevan and report to His Majesty. Otherwise, with our current forces, it's unlikely we can hold this place.”

The generals discussed what to do, but there was only one option: to send troops. Vorontsov immediately ordered 10 troops to be moved to the vicinity of Yerevan, determined not to let Iran break through.

"Damn it, what are those people in St. Petersburg doing? Why are the Persians here?"

Vorontsov cursed the bureaucrats of St. Petersburg for not realizing that the Persians would attack, and said they should all be shot.

Meanwhile, in St. Petersburg, Nicholas I was also berating the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. What did Persia's declaration of war mean? It meant that the dignity of the great Russian Empire had been trampled upon. How dare a small Persian state declare war on them? This was absolutely intolerable.

"What on earth is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs doing? How could you not even realize that Persia has declared war? This is a disgrace to the Empire!!!"

At this point, no amount of anger would help. The British and French had already begun landings in the Ottomans, and with the fighting in the Caucasus, Russia needed to fill the gaps with more soldiers.

However, conscripting more soldiers would damage the country's economy, and the British and French actions in the Black Sea cut off the flow of Russian grain and other exports. The Russian government could not afford the war without taking out huge loans.

Russia even allocates four-fifths of its annual revenue to military spending during peacetime, reaching 220 million rubles in 1851. Estimates project military spending of 290 million and 380 million rubles for this year and next, respectively. This will create a significant deficit, which Russia can only cover by issuing government bonds.

"Your Majesty, we need to recruit another 20 soldiers to fill the gap in the Caucasus region. We also need to be wary of an Anglo-French attack in Siberia, and we need to transport supplies from Moscow to Crimea, and..."

"Wait a minute," Chancellor of the Exchequer Peter interrupted. "Further conscription of soldiers and transport personnel will have an irreparable impact on our economy. The grain trade can only be done through Prussia for re-export, and Britain is no longer allowing the export of the goods we need to import."

"Your Majesty, the Empire's finances are insufficient to sustain a prolonged war. Our only options are to sell government bonds in Berlin and Paris, or to devalue the ruble."

The finance minister attempted to calm the Tsar with these measures, but Nicholas I was deaf to any advice. "Even if we only have one coin left, we will fight this war, even if it lasts for ten years."

With that, Nicholas I stood up. He looked around at everyone and said earnestly, "I want you all to understand that Russia has never been defeated, and I do not want defeat to happen in my hands."

(End of this chapter)