Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 162 North Caucasus
Seeing their opinion, Naser al-Din approved the plan to first travel to Cerksia and the Imam Kingdom, and then proceed to other destinations.

Iran has begun dealing with affairs in the South Caucasus, starting with railways. The Iranian Railways Company has begun planning a railway from Tabriz to Baku and Sukhumi. Thanks to Russia, not a single kilometer of railway has been built in the South Caucasus so far; let Iran do the work.

The local population didn't show much resistance because the Russians had already pushed their limits. They were powerless to retaliate; it was simply a different country now, and they hoped Iran would go easy on them.

Alexander II also considered war with Iran, but the finance minister told him that Russia's debt had now exceeded £8 million. Russia spends £3400 million annually on military expenses, plus other costs, totaling £6600 million.

"You mean the national treasury is empty?"

Alexander II found it unbelievable. He believed that the Russian economy was booming and the treasury should not be empty. But only the finance minister knew that Russia's finances were currently a case of robbing Peter to pay Paul, and that the country could only rely on borrowing to make up for the deficit.

As for the supposed economic prosperity, it was nothing but an illusion. Russia's economic performance was mainly reflected in its exports of grain and raw materials, with virtually no industry, which was of vital importance. The massive demobilization of serfs further damaged the production base, and coupled with the confrontation with its most important trading partner, Britain, Russia was plunging into an unprecedented economic crisis.

"Your Majesty, our country has been mired in a persistent fiscal deficit since 1845. In recent years, we have been relying on issuing bonds to make up for it. Now, with the war with Britain and France, military expenses have skyrocketed. If we do not stop the war, the country will go bankrupt."

Peter Blok has made it very clear that the Russian economy cannot sustain a prolonged war, but Alexander II still refuses to give up. He demands that all people continue to pay taxes, and those who do not pay taxes will have their property confiscated.

In the Tsar's view, the Ottomans were not a threat; France and Austria were prepared to negotiate peace, and without France as a shield, Britain would struggle to continue. The biggest headache was Iran; the loss of the Caucasus Mountains would create problems in the north.

Moreover, the Russian government's insufficient investment in the region and the backward infrastructure, which were originally intended by the government to save money, have now become obstacles to the Russian army's southward advance.

The Russian army also had to be wary of the Allied forces' movements; after capturing Sevastopol, they advanced towards Simferopol. This required preparing hundreds of thousands of troops for defense, and the entire cabinet debated this for two days, with the war and peace factions arguing fiercely.

Then the weather turned against them, with the North Caucasus experiencing its autumn rainy season. The roads became muddy and difficult to traverse, forcing both Russian and Iranian troops to halt their advance and wait for the rain to stop before resuming their march.

Inside 10 Downing Street, Palmerston and the Iranian ambassador discussed the next steps. Britain's losses in Crimea were painful for many, who demanded peace talks with Russia, a sentiment shared by France. No matter how much diplomatic power Britain exerted, it was to no avail.

But the Iranian campaign in the Caucasus gave Palmerston hope, and to support them, Britain began using its naval superiority to transport gunpowder and other supplies. Just as they had supported Russia during the Napoleonic Wars, they were now supporting Iran.

"Please rest assured, Your Excellency, the British Empire will support all your country's legitimate needs."

Palmerston was more than happy for Russia to lose some territory, and Iran's demands conveniently satisfied them. Iran demanded recognition of the independence of Czernya and the Imams, the transfer of territory south of the Caucasus Mountains to Iran, the abrogation of the peace treaty with Russia, and the complete elimination of all of Russia's privileges in Iran.

Britain could support all of these, since weakening Russia was the government's objective. Moreover, a relatively strong Iran was the best way to protect India. Trade between Britain and Iran had been increasing in recent years, and Britain was also willing to export some technology, as the old blockade was no longer applicable in this era.

"Our country thanks your nation for extending a helping hand. Russia's expanding ambitions are not in line with the requirements of peace for all nations. Such a country that disrupts peace must be taught a harsh lesson." Iran's attitude was exactly what Palmerston wanted. Since Iran harbored such hatred for Russia, it was decided that Iran would be the next cannon fodder.

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In Yekaterina Nodar, Russian troops, under orders from their commanders, have strengthened their defenses due to a recent increase in raids by the Circassians and Chechens, and they must be prepared.

"Hurry, everyone hurry. Reinforce this place."

The officers' urging of soldiers escalated into two other forms: verbal abuse and physical violence. Senior officers discriminated against junior officers, and officers discriminated against lower-ranking soldiers, while the ethnic composition of these armies was also very complex. Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, and others were mixed in, making conflict a constant threat.

Seven or eight low-ranking Polish officers huddled together during their break, the pressure from the South Caucasus making their already heavy workload even more burdensome. The Russians were also relentlessly exploiting them, and coupled with the pain of losing their country, they decided to form an organization to shoulder the responsibility of restoring their homeland.

Currently, a White Party exists in Poland, comprised mainly of local nobles and landowners. Meanwhile, urban residents and peasants are also secretly exerting influence, particularly the local Catholic Church, which has managed to maintain the Polish language and Catholicism despite Russia's forceful assimilation policies. The desire for Polish independence has not diminished; on the contrary, it has grown stronger.

The Greek War of Independence served as a model for them: to launch an uprising, the entire Polish population had to be mobilized. This was especially true of the officers who had entered Russian military academies; they absorbed the most advanced knowledge and were among the most fervent in their desire for national restoration.

“Our lives are getting harder and harder now. Those Russians are going too far. They are using their weapons to oppress us. This can't go on.”

Polish soldiers all hated Russia, especially after the 1830 uprising when Russia directly incorporated Polish territory into its own domain. The upper-class nobles, oblivious to the suffering of the common people, lived a life of decadence, while the lower classes suffered multiple forms of oppression. They had had enough of this situation.

“That’s right. We need to build an organization similar to the Friendship Society now and keep absorbing its strength. One day, he will personally overthrow Russia and restore Poland.”

An officer looked at a silent man beside him and asked, "Donbrovsky, what are your thoughts?"

The new officer was a top student; he earned the rank of warrant officer at the St. Petersburg Artillery School and was then sent to serve in the Caucasus.

He was also a patriot. He found a book about the Polish national hero Kosiciuszko in the school library and immediately began reading. When he read the part where the young Kosiciuszko, with his hand on his father's sword, swore to reclaim freedom for his enslaved homeland, he was deeply moved. He raised his right hand and loudly recited Kosiciuszko's oath. This act greatly angered the school authorities, and he was severely whipped 20 times.

Such patriots would naturally not refuse this proposal. The only difficulty is that they don't know how the organization should develop. Apart from the goal of restoring the country, there are no other programs, and the distribution of the organization is out of the question. They don't know who can help them.

(End of this chapter)