Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 161 Second Stage
Whether it was France or Russia, they both intentionally or unintentionally ignored Iran. After occupying Sukhumi, they were still planning a major operation.

"Line up, salute!!!"

Soldiers lined up in two rows to welcome the Shah, who had traveled a long way to Tbilisi. Nasser al-Din looked at the city, his heart filled with emotion.

"Shah! We have fulfilled our mission and successfully completed the operation plan."

Rouhani and Salami, along with other generals, told the Shah that after a year and a half, costing more than 35 million rials and suffering nearly 40,000 casualties, the South Caucasus had finally returned to Iranian control.

“My grandfather once wanted to reclaim the lost territory, but he failed. Now I will fulfill his wish, and he will be very happy.”

The entire city of Tbilisi was almost reduced to ruins. The residents began cleaning up the garbage, but they were also very worried because they were surrounded by infidels.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the cathedral. Nasserdin saw a large group of people in front of him, and the leader was dressed in Orthodox clothing and walking towards him.

"stop!"

The soldiers pointed their guns at the muzzle, but more people came over. The soldiers kept trying to drive them away, while the leader took out a thick document and shouted in Georgian.

"This is our petition. We are also Shah's subjects, serving and paying taxes for Shah as well."

That's well said, but there's one thing we should have considered. Naserdin doesn't understand Georgian. Fortunately, the Shah had a Georgian-speaking translator with him. After translating, Naserdin learned that the person opposite him was Archbishop Idosil of Tbilisi, who had come to petition the Shah on behalf of the Georgian Orthodox Christians.

The Russian Empire had always been egalitarian, and this egalitarian oppression was equally applied to every place. Georgian nobles and wealthy merchants could enter the upper echelons of Moscow and St. Petersburg and maintain their luxurious lifestyles; but the lower classes still had to labor for their survival. To prevent a major uprising like Pugachev's, the Russian government began to implement a policy of forced assimilation.

Georgia was not immune; its Orthodox Church was forcibly merged into the Russian Orthodox Church. Extensive cultural destruction occurred, and even protests were suppressed.

When they heard that Iranian troops were advancing, their first reaction was numbness. In their view, all countries or rulers were the same; they just hoped that they could have a more lenient environment, as the Russians were exploiting them too much.

Naserdin accepted the petition and left, knowing that Georgia and Armenia needed to be ruled for a long time.

"By the way, have all the people from Gori been driven away?"

"Shah, rest assured, the people living in Gori and the surrounding area have been moved north."

This place has produced some ruthless individuals, so just in case, those living in the suburbs of Tbilisi were also driven away. He didn't want that philanthropist born in Iran; better to go to Russia. The Tsar couldn't wait to go to his basement. Entering the war room, a map of the North Caucasus region hung on the wall. Everyone was arranging their troops on a huge sand table, preparing for the next phase.

The entry into the North Caucasus is Iran's second phase, using the pretext of supporting Czernya and the Imams to send troops north. The plan is to advance north along the Black Sea coast and attack Yekaterina Nodar, a crucial forward position for Russia in the North Caucasus with significant strategic value.

"Shah, we plan to enter Cherkisya before the Russian army moves south to help them resist the Russians. Then we will attack Yekaterina Nodar."

Meanwhile, another army will head to Grozny and then on to Astrakhan. If successful, we can influence navigation on the Volga River.

Russia's shipping relies primarily on two rivers, the Dnieper and the Volga. The Volga, the longest river in Europe, provides inexpensive water transport for western Russia and also supplies water to agriculture in the west.

Whether it's occupation or proximity, the Volga River will certainly be affected. Iran's current situation is forcing Russia's southern economy to a standstill and compelling Alexander II to recognize the existing boundaries.

The situation in the North Caucasus also favors Iran, as the region itself presents a complex picture, and Russia's governance system there is a hybrid of various elements.

According to Russia's administrative divisions at the time, the Transcaucasus region was divided into provinces and counties, with civil officials such as mayors and county heads appointed. In the judicial system, the customary and religious laws followed by the religious mountain peoples were replaced by Russian law. This move, disregarding local social systems and cultural traditions, quickly provoked strong opposition from the indigenous peoples.

Furthermore, the North Caucasus region has a small population. South of Rostov and Tsaritsyn, there are 154 million people, of whom 43.2 are Cossacks from the Black Sea coast. 17.2 are state-owned peasants, and there are approximately 3.7 serfs. The remainder are native Caucasians who have maintained a prolonged period of non-cooperation with the Russian army since the outbreak of war. The Russian army could only wait for reinforcements to arrive and deliver a heavy blow.

Moreover, Russia conquered this region with relatively little effort because it was too weak. It wasn't until the 17th century that small kingdoms, primarily composed of tribes and ethnic groups, began to emerge. Russia dispatched large numbers of Cossack cavalry to attack these tribal kingdoms. The Cossack cavalry were incredibly powerful, even surpassing the Tatar cavalry of the time. Those tribal kingdoms were simply no match for them.

However, Russia failed to govern the region properly after conquering it. The North Caucasus is the poorest and most violent region in Russia. This is also a major reason why the Russian army first supported Crimea.

"This would mean the loss of all of Iran's current military forces."

Naserdin was also somewhat uncertain about the plan; he knew all too well the British and French. Now that Sevastopol had been captured a year ahead of schedule, they were probably thinking about how to negotiate with Russia. Or perhaps the Russian army was planning a large-scale operation against Iran; according to their intelligence in Moscow, the number of officers and soldiers heading to Tsaritsyn had recently increased significantly, suggesting an impending attack.

"Shah, this is the best operational plan the General Staff has come up with. Russia can no longer afford large-scale conscription, and their debts are increasing again. According to estimates, they can only hold out until June next year at the latest."

During these months, there is a long winter, and the Russians have been using General Winter as their trump card, but General Winter can also inflict damage on them. Now is the time when the Russian army is at its weakest, and it is the perfect opportunity to expand their gains so that they have more leverage in future negotiations.

(End of this chapter)