Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 157 Marching Towards the Black Sea

"Shah, look, these are the oil facilities the Russians didn't have time to destroy before they left. We have taken full control and are ready to start production."

Looking at the oil wells, Nasser al-Din felt that Iran's wealth was about to arrive. At this time, oil development and exploration had not yet begun, and Iran would have an unparalleled advantage in retaking Baku. Historically, Russia had also developed its oil industry thanks to the Baku oil fields, and even Hitler wanted them, but failed.

“How do you currently use oil?” Nasser al-Din asked.

“We will obtain a variety of products through a series of processes, the most important of which is kerosene, which can be used as a cleaner lighting fuel.”

The history of kerosene can be traced back to the 9th century, when Persian alchemists developed sophisticated methods of distillation and extraction, and discovered sulfuric acid and kerosene by distilling ferrous sulfate and petroleum, respectively.

In 1851, American businessman Samuel Cheshire began selling kerosene refined from petroleum, along with the kerosene lamps he invented for this purpose. Kerosene production subsequently began commercialization. However, at this time, kerosene was still a niche product due to the limited technology, and it often contained impurities.

"I hope that oil and other products can be produced here immediately. The government will make a large-scale investment and also build an oil laboratory."

After all that, the professors beside them were already extremely grateful. They had never received such attention before, and now they just wanted to dive into the lab and thoroughly understand petroleum research.

With oil, Iran's takeoff is not far off. Part of the £650 million in bonds previously issued was invested in oil. Having missed the first industrial revolution, Iran cannot afford to lag behind in the second.

The Shah's personal visit to Baku pleased many, especially the large amount of supplies distributed to them, which showed that Iran had not forgotten them.

Nasser al-Din personally distributed supplies and gave a speech in the city center square. Citizens saw the Shah in military uniform, standing on the platform and speaking to them.

"The Russian oppression has gone, but we cannot let our guard down; they could return at any time. Soldiers in the north are protecting this country on the front lines. People of Iran, please contribute your strength to help them achieve victory."

The local people harbored deep hatred for Russia, and after Shah's speech, they devoted themselves to local reconstruction. The property of Russian landowners and bureaucrats was confiscated and redistributed on the grounds that no one claimed it, with some of it being given as rewards to soldiers and officers, who would settle in the area and become an important social class.

Local farmers received land of varying sizes, and as a reclaimed territory, the area was exempted from taxes for two years. This greatly boosted the farmers' enthusiasm, and Baku began constructing its oil industry.

Compared to Baku, the Armenian region centered on Yerevan has not fared as well. Although there have been measures such as tax exemptions, the government is clearly biased towards Shiites, and most of the local Armenians have been relocated to Tehran, Isfahan, Bushehr, and Mashhad.

While nationalism can serve as a source of national cohesion, it can also become a pretext for other countries to interfere in internal affairs. Only by dispersing and distributing ethnic minorities across different regions can security be improved. Simultaneously, granting them certain political rights, such as reserving seats for religious groups in expert meetings, is crucial.

After capturing Tbilisi, Iranian troops advanced westward, targeting Gori. Gori is a crucial hub connecting eastern and western Georgia; its capture would open a route to western Georgia.

The last rays of the sun shone on the earth, and the small town near Gori was no longer what it used to be. A thick haze of smoke and acrid gunpowder enveloped the town, giving it a desolate, fairytale-like atmosphere. On the other side of town, some villagers were fleeing. However, their terrified expressions revealed that they were only thinking of escaping for their lives.

These actions only strengthened the resolve of the pursuers behind them. Thus, a larger-scale pursuit was underway, with Iranian cavalry galloping on horseback, rapidly approaching from both flanks and driving the pursuers away. Like a pack of wolves preparing for the hunt, they were selecting their best prey.

When Prussian officers, led by Soleimani, arrived with their troops, Russian troops had already deployed there. However, due to time constraints, their defensive fortifications were somewhat inadequate.

They immediately discovered this weakness and unleashed a barrage of weapons—artillery and machine guns—blowing the surrounding villages to smithereens. After three days of resistance, morale finally collapsed, and the soldiers scattered and fled to the rear. Gori was now the ripe fruit before them, within easy reach.

While the Iranian army tasted the sweet fruits of victory, the Russian army could only reap the bitter fruits of defeat. Inside Gori, Russian commander Kizo slumped wearily in a chair in the lobby. Around him, personnel busily prepared for evacuation, loading belongings onto vehicles, while black smoke from burning documents that couldn't be taken filled the air. Everyone wore expressions of varying degrees of fear, and the atmosphere in the command post was extremely somber.

Seeing the commander's distressed expression, the adjutant said, "General, we need to evacuate now."

Guizo glanced at the command center and left Gori. He had been forced into the role of commander, as most of his officers had been lost in the Battle of Gyumri.

Several hours later, the Iranian army finally entered the city. The vanguard cavalry division did not linger there for long. After leaving a small force to await the infantry's arrival, they immediately resumed their pursuit. Their mission was to prevent the defeated troops from gathering and delaying their advance; this time, they were heading towards the Black Sea.

Regarding the performance of the Iranian army, Britain and France, while praising its combat capabilities, were surprised by the decline in morale and fighting spirit of the Russian army. Many of their newspapers were proclaiming that Russia was on the verge of collapse and victory was imminent. The Russian Empire, of course, vehemently refuted these claims from the Allied powers.

Russia tightly controls the news media, with only one newspaper in Odessa reporting on the front lines, but all of it is good news, such as Britain and France being on the verge of collapse and the Russian army being prepared.

Meanwhile, the Slavophiles within Russia were celebrating wildly, claiming that Britain and France would surrender as soon as the Russian army arrived. But did they ever consider that Russia could only be defeated in an offensive war? The 300 years since the founding of the Russian Empire have shown that Russia had to suffer a major setback before it would learn its lesson.

(End of this chapter)