Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 151 Shift Between Offense and Defense
"Shah, the British Prime Minister has changed. The Home Secretary, who is tough on Russia, has become Prime Minister."

Pezeshkian informed Nasserdin of the high-level changes in the British government, something Nasserdin had anticipated. Last year was also a British parliamentary election, in which Palmerston's Whig Party won 402 seats in Parliament, while their opponents, the Conservative Party, only won 240.

With this in mind, Palmerston's rise to power, with his hardline stance against Russia, is a foregone conclusion. This is beneficial for Iran, so it must launch a greater offensive against Russian forces after spring, driving them completely back to northern Caucasus to ensure Iran's security.

"This was to be expected; even the British couldn't stand the Russians' ambitions. Their obsession with land was downright fanatical."

However, military operations should be left to the military. What the Shah needs to do is strengthen the country and ensure that Iran can continue to sustain the war.

Iran's steel, railway, telegraph, military, textile, and food industries flourished due to the war, with most of the domestic working capital and bank loans flowing into these sectors. To expand trade, Iranian textile manufacturers began competing with Britain and France for customers. Simultaneously, relying on exports from its colonies, the momentum of trade became unstoppable.

"By the way, Shah, the Governor-General of the East has sent word that the Qing Dynasty wants to order muskets and cannons."

"Hmm?" Naserdin asked in confusion, "Is it the Qing government?"

"Uh, no. It's another country in the south of the Qing Dynasty."

Oh, I see. So it was them. But how did they know I had a shipment of muskets destined for the East?
If Naseh could read minds, he'd definitely burst out laughing. Aren't all the weapons in the trading company placed in the East with the Shah's permission? Besides, the trading company doesn't need these things, so they need to find a way to sell them.

So when the British Governor of Hong Kong visited Nanjing, Nasser also went to Nanjing with his guards and translators, and met with the local self-proclaimed "Nine Thousand Years Old" and "Wing King".

Nasseh recommended Iranian-made weapons to them, demonstrating their power to make them realize their need for these items. They then placed an order for 3000 guns and 250,000 rounds of ammunition. Because they needed to be acquired discreetly, the price was high. Therefore, the total transaction amount was 400,000 taels of silver.

The other party readily paid the deposit, as their national treasury was very wealthy. They also mentioned that they would order more weapons in the future. The deal was thus concluded very smoothly.

Originally, the business was intended to be sold to Beijing, but the bureaucrats there were all arrogant and refused to accept it. So, it had no choice but to be sold to the South.

Furthermore, the Iranian Chamber of Commerce had reached an agreement with them to conduct business only and not sell contraband. This persuaded them to allow them to trade within their territory, and large quantities of porcelain, raw silk, and tea began to be ordered and sold by Iranian merchants.

In addition, two warships ordered from Britain have arrived at Bandar Abbas. As the most advanced warships currently in service, the government has named them Darius and Ismail, which will form the basis of the Iranian Navy.

In the shipbuilding industry, most shipyards rely on government orders and subsidies for survival, but they are also beginning to compete in the global market. The development of the shipping industry has created considerable demand, and with the flourishing of shipping routes, the shipbuilding industry is poised for rapid growth.

Russia was also secretly in contact with Iran. When Nicholas I received the terms from Iran, he disregarded his own health and knocked over his desk.

"Damn it, why don't they just say they'll give them all of southern Tsaritsyn? Their greed will surely backfire one day." (Are you introducing yourself?)

The ministers standing nearby looked rather grim. After all, it was always others who ceded territory to them; Russia had never ceded territory to anyone else. Crown Prince Alexander, standing to the side, also looked somewhat displeased. He had expected the other side to demand the abrogation of the Treaty of Turkmenchay, but he hadn't anticipated that they would also demand land south of the Caucasus, and incidentally, recognition of the Circassians and Chechens' states.

"Your Majesty, the Persians' demands are simply unacceptable. We need more soldiers to teach them a lesson."

The Minister of War requested the Tsar to order a general mobilization, conscripting 80 soldiers to solve all the problems at once. This was directly opposed by the Minister of Finance.

“80? You’re going to double the Empire’s military strength. Even 40 years ago, we didn’t do that. What’s more, we’ve already conscripted 50 people, which has had a significant impact on our economy.”

"But if we don't do this, the lands left by our predecessors will be lost. The English and French have already attacked Sevastopol, and the Persians have besieged our army in Tbilisi. Are we just going to watch them occupy it without sending reinforcements?"

But an army isn't just about conscription; you also need ammunition. Based on the current situation, one million guns and cannons were stockpiled at the start of the war; now only 90,000 remain. Of the 1656 field guns, only 253 are usable. The stockpile of gunpowder and ammunition was planned for five years' use; such a significant decrease in just one year clearly indicates embezzlement.

Nicholas I forced himself to stand and issued the order: conscript soldiers and send reinforcements.

By this time, most of Russia was quite cold, and the serfs conscripted into soldiers were forced to march south, many freezing and starving to death along the way. To cover its staggering deficit, the Russian Treasury borrowed money in Berlin and Amsterdam, but the ruble's international value had fallen. To make up for the remaining shortfall, it resorted to printing money, which led to a sharp rise in prices and increasing peasant uprisings.

Prior to this, the Ministry of Finance's bold attempt to establish a silver standard for the ruble and abolish all promissory notes—a move that had already undermined sound finances during the Napoleonic Wars and campaigns against Iranian, Ottoman, and Polish rebels—was now completely destroyed by the Crimean War.

France was also beginning to show signs of tension. Although a wealthy nation, its government was forced to compete with railway builders and others for readily available funds from credit companies and other bankers. Gold was flowing to Crimea and Constantinople, causing domestic prices to rise; poor harvests were not helping.

The French people's initial enthusiasm for the conflict quickly faded. Inflation-induced unrest exacerbated Napoleon III's desire for peace talks.

In his view, Russia had been punished, France's prestige had been enhanced, and it was important not to distract too much attention from the affairs of the German and Italian regions by escalating the conflict around the Black Sea.

However, it seems that the war in Russia will continue, and with Palmerston's rise to power, Napoleon III can only continue to maintain the front lines.

(End of this chapter)