Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 158 Opinion
Nasser al-Din made numerous visits to the recaptured territories and delivered supplies to the local people. This earned him widespread praise in Iranian newspapers, who said his benevolence surpassed that of any other Iranian monarch.

Some British and French newspapers also reported on Nasser al-Din's actions, and they were shocked by the young ruler's move, after all, no monarch had dared to go to the front lines since the Industrial Revolution.

But this would make the Sultan of the other participating country—the Ottoman Empire—appear rather dull. Since the start of the war, Abdul-Majid had stayed in the palace, never inquiring about the situation at the front, but only focusing on changing the laws, arguing with the religious leaders about it.

However, the Sultan now finds that the newly enthroned Shah next door is overshadowing him, and even suspects that he is trying to seize the position of leader of the Crescent Moon Society. This makes the Sultan feel very uneasy, as the other party is eight years younger than him, and if a war breaks out between Persia and the Ottomans in the future, the Ottomans will have a high probability of losing.

"Reshid Pasha, what do you think of the situation in Persia these past few years?"

Having served as Grand Vizier three times, Reshid Pasha was arguably the Sultan's closest confidant. He thought for a moment, then spoke.

"Sultan and Persia have been emulating our military reforms in recent years, and it seems to have had some effect. But they still can't compare to our country. The empire is rich in resources, and we don't need to invest a lot of resources; we can obtain supplies simply by importing them."

Moreover, our country has excellent relations with all European countries. Britain and France are on our side, while Persia does not have this advantage.

Hearing these words, the Sultan felt much better. However, he was still somewhat uneasy, as the two sides would inevitably clash sooner or later over issues in Mesopotamia and sectarian disputes. In preparation, the Sultan decided to launch two operations.

The first action was to borrow money; the Sultan decided to borrow to establish a military factory and train the army. Currently, the Ottoman Empire's annual military expenditure was £350 million, and with the daily expenses of the royal family and the government, borrowing money was no longer an option.

Since that's the case, then go to his dearest France and borrow tens of millions of francs; after all, he's not going to refuse to pay it back.

The second action was to legally grant other minority groups equal status. Strongly influenced by thinkers such as Montesquieu, Rousseau, and the French Revolution, equality among millet was deemed imperative. Nationalism began to spread, and nation-states with shared identities began to emerge in Europe, particularly following the Greek War of Independence, which began to influence various ethnic groups within the Ottoman Empire. Under these circumstances, Ottomanism began to take shape.

Ottomanism meant that all subjects, regardless of religion, had equal rights and obligations before the law. The millet system still existed, but secular aspects such as education, conscription, taxation, and military service were applied equally to all subjects. Furthermore, to gain the support of England and France, the Sultan promised them further reforms and recognition of Christian rights.

The Ottomans could only survive by aligning themselves with Britain and France, and to this end, they had to change laws that had been in effect for hundreds of years, even though it would harm the interests of some people.

Napoleon III, watching reports of the Shah of Iran from the Tuileries Palace, demonstrated his courage by personally going to the front lines, a testament to his young age of less than 25.

At this time, France, under his rule, began to regain the prestige it had enjoyed during his uncle's reign, but the domestic economy was beginning to falter. His objective had been achieved, and now his greatest desire was for peace talks. But it seemed he would have to wait a little longer.

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Lawrence, far away in Mexico, was also following the European war in the newspapers. Since he arrived, he found that Mexico's economy was practically nonexistent. Apart from a few large-scale workshops, Mexico's economy remained in the colonial era, with plantations being the main economic component.

Lawrence used his and his brother's savings, along with sponsorship from Nasser al-Din, to start a railway company and a bank, and then he realized he had come at the perfect time. In all of Mexico, there wasn't a single modern bank, let alone a railway—no, absolutely none.

This spurred Davis Bank to embark on a period of rapid expansion. After the first section of the railway was completed, they partnered with local landowners, who deposited their money in the bank. They found that the bank could reduce their transportation costs, which proved beneficial. By now, the railway from Matamoros to Torreón was complete. This greatly boosted the northern economy, and the Lawrence brothers entered local high society. At this point, their assets had reached $500 million, making them arguably the richest people in Mexico.

With money in hand, Lawrence naturally wanted more, and he set his sights on politics. His brother, Alvarez, had already entered politics and successfully won the mayoralty of Matamoros by spending $5000.

At this time, Mexico was in chaos, with warlords fighting across the country and liberals and conservatives battling it out in Congress. Meanwhile, the Davis brothers began to promote a new concept in the region: unity and revenge against the United States.

Bridging divisions in this country is difficult, especially between liberals and conservatives, but the scars of the Mexican-American War are deeply etched in everyone's hearts. Using this as a starting point, Alvarez began to rally some high-ranking officials to form an association and also began lobbying Congress to award the Juarez-Mexico City railway project to Lawrence's railroad company.

"As long as we can connect to Mexico City, we will make 120 million in profit every year."

Lawrence was telling his brother about the benefits of the railway, and Alvarez was naturally aware of it. The current Mexican president has been branded a traitor, so this proposal will likely pass immediately.

"I have to say, this place is far worse than Louisiana; it's as blank as a sheet of paper."

In Congress, Alvarez acted as a mediator between conservatives and liberals. His method was simple: spend money.

The Middle Route was the main objective of their activities. Although it seemed inevitable that a Mexican civil war would break out sooner or later, this did not deter the two brothers from their plan to control Mexico through the railway.

Brothers Bank not only invested in railways, but also in the construction of ports, textile factories, food processing plants, and many other industries. 60% of Matamoros' economy was tied to them; if one of them was unhappy, the entire city would grind to a halt.

Under these circumstances, the area developed rapidly, and the city council functioned normally, with all nine councilors supporting the mayor. Following a council vote, a 1000-strong National Guard was established, becoming the main military force in the area.

"I never imagined that we would turn things around in Mexico. And in less than ten years."

Looking at Lawrence's plans, Alvarez felt a surge of pride. Mexico was better than the United States; the country just lacked a little power.

"We are really grateful to Shah now. Without his investment, we wouldn't have developed so quickly."

Alvarez also expressed his gratitude to Nasserdin for his support. They were now thriving in Mexico, becoming pioneers in the financial industry in an era before new things entered the country.

"Yes, coming to Tabriz was the best decision I ever made. Now, given the situation in Europe, I hope the Shah can win. If all goes well, we will become the dominant force."

(End of this chapter)