Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 169 The War Ends Abruptly

Iranian troops began to pursue the retreating Russian army. Iranian cavalry and Russian Cossacks clashed in the fields, and many lone Russian soldiers were killed.

Some Russian soldiers wanted to fight the Iranian army to the death, but were driven back by the Iranian's fierce artillery and cavalry. Another battle broke out between the two sides at Pavnov, not far from Rostov.

In this battle, Grushenko lost another 6000 men but escaped Iranian pursuit. He then waited for rescue in Rostov, while Konstantin also encountered trouble.

Uprisings were rampant in southern Russia, with the Astrakhan uprising further disrupting Volga trade. Some soldiers whose hometowns were in the south deserted, while lower-ranking officers, seeking higher pay, reported that the soldiers were all present. In the worst-hit areas, the troop shortage reached 20%.

Constantine's troops marched haltingly, consuming vast amounts of supplies along the way. When they finally reached the Don River, they discovered the local Cossacks had already rebelled. They had no choice but to quell the local uprising before they could proceed.

The situation in the North Caucasus became increasingly clear after Iran defeated Russian forces and occupied Yekaterinnodar. With its vital vodka trade disrupted, Russia's finances were already on the verge of collapse. On May 12th, Britain, France, the Netherlands, Prussia, and Austria jointly wrote to the Russian government demanding repayment of a £920 million debt, threatening to send troops to collect it otherwise.

Internal turmoil and financial ruin put Alexander II under immense pressure. At this critical juncture, his noble relatives relentlessly urged the Tsar to negotiate peace, while the Russian army was consuming £240 million a month in military expenses. Beset by internal and external difficulties, Alexander II ordered Constantine's army to halt its advance and simultaneously announced peace talks with various nations.

"No matter how painful this decision may be, continuing the war will not achieve anything more, and refusing peace may lead to an even more humiliating outcome. Russia may lose Crimea, the Caucasus, and even Finland and Poland."

Alexander finally understood a crucial truth: Russia's spirit alone could not guarantee a lasting victory, especially under the current circumstances. If the war continued, and Austrian troops approached Russia's western border, the people of Livonia might revolt like the Finns and Poles. Compared to these risks, the demands in the peace talks were insignificant.

The finance minister, once again the Tsar's most trusted advisor, told Alexander that if Russia were to remain in war for another 15 days, it would be forced to declare bankruptcy. A cessation of hostilities now would allow Russia to catch its breath.

He quickly contacted foreign banks in Russia to negotiate the debt issue. Simultaneously, he implemented a series of measures to stabilize the domestic financial order, temporarily stabilizing the situation in Russia and allowing them to focus on peace talks.

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Nasser al-Din also received a joint request from the British and French ambassadors, and negotiations between Iran and Russia were agreed upon. He added that if it weren't for Russia's obstruction, the negotiations would have already begun.

The two ambassadors were certain that the Shah's words were true; Russia's overbearing behavior was nothing new. Furthermore, Iran was merely acting in self-defense; they wouldn't have acted this way if Russia hadn't been so aggressive. The fact that the talks were held in Paris, France, reflects France's regaining of its status as a European power. The only other possible location for the talks was Vienna, the site of the signing of the 1815 treaty, but Vienna was rejected by the British. Since the Crimean War, the British had harbored deep suspicions about the true intentions of Austrian diplomacy.

The war has reached this point, and there's no need to continue. In fact, Iran wouldn't be able to hold out for another year. This war has cost Iran over 7000 million rials and resulted in numerous soldier casualties. While Iran's military-related industries have developed, the price paid is heavier than before.

"Thank goodness things are better now, otherwise the treasury would have been swallowed up," Naserdin thought.

Iran's status has also risen somewhat. European countries are now discussing the performance of various nations in this war, with the Russian army's performance being viewed negatively. The Iranian army, however, has received the most praise, with some newspapers calling it the Prussia of the Near East. The Ottoman army's performance has also been commendable, showing considerable skill in the war.

The main obstacle to the negotiations is Britain's hardline stance. Britain is not in a hurry to end the war because it has not won a major battle in the past few years, which has not satisfied its sense of honor and has not been able to account for the huge losses. After all, the capture of Sevastopol was the French's achievement.

Encouraged by the belligerent press and the public, Palmerston reiterated his minimum demands and threatened that Britain would continue fighting and launch a spring offensive in the Baltic if Russia did not accept the peace terms offered by Britain.

Both the French and Italians were disgusted by Palmerston's behavior, with King Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont describing him as a mad animal. The French, eager for peace and unlike the British who insisted on punishing Russia, needed reconciliation with Russia to realize Napoleon III's plans for Italy's future.

France had always sympathized with Italian unification, believing it could help Piedmont reclaim Lombardy-Venezia from Austria and eliminate Habsburg influence from the rest of Italy. In exchange, France could retake Savoy and Nice. To achieve this, France needed Russian support, or at least Russian armed neutrality, to defeat Austria, and therefore the French were unwilling to comply with the British intention to punish Russia.

As one of the victorious nations, Iran will send a negotiating delegation led by Grand Vizier Amir and Foreign Minister Pezeshkian. Their demands include recognizing the independence of Czerksia and the Imam State, annexing the South Caucasus region to Iran, and abolishing treaties with Russia.

These things were generally fine, and Britain and France accepted them, but Russia seemed unwilling to give them up easily. Ceding territory was more painful for them than cutting off a piece of their own flesh, and they didn't seem to care whether they would suffer indigestion from taking too much.

Iran's series of resounding victories caused some discontent within the Ottoman Empire. Why? They had reformed more than a decade earlier than Iran, yet their fighting strength was vastly different. Was it because their own reforms weren't strong enough, and their minorities hadn't received enough rights? If these issues were resolved, wouldn't national cohesion improve? Thus, a greater concession to the Ottoman minorities was brewing.

(End of this chapter)