Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 242 The Balkan Peoples in Action
After capturing Trabisun, the Iranian army did not rest but advanced towards Erzurum, the Ottoman logistical center. If Erzurum fell, Van would fall into enemy hands.

Faced with this unexpected situation, the Ottoman monarch and his ministers were taken aback and quickly began to discuss countermeasures.

"How is the situation at the front?" His Majesty the Sultan asked first.

"After the fall of Trabison, a breach was created in our defenses in the east. We suspect that Iran is preparing to take Erzurum," Omar Pasha told the Sudanese.

"I know that, so what do we do now?" the Sultan asked impatiently. They had already blocked Iran at Van, but the fall of Trabisun had disrupted all their plans. At this time, the Ottoman Black Sea Fleet had not yet recovered its strength and could not launch an attack on Iran.

The news didn't come from the army, but from a merchant who had fled Trabisson. It wasn't until several days later that the message reached Istanbul.

“We can only defend Erzurum to resist Iran’s attack,” Omar Pasha explained to the Sudanese man as he looked at the map.

"What I need now is not defense, but offense, offense!" Magid I roared at Omar Pasha. "Quickly, order the soldiers of Van and Baghdad to attack immediately, at all costs, and take Tabriz!"

After saying this, the Sultan coughed a few times at an inopportune moment, and then... then he fainted. Another wave of chaos ensued.

Losing a city within a month of the start of a war was a common occurrence during the Russo-Turkish Wars. But this time it was Iran that occupied it, doesn't that prove the Ottomans were inferior to Iran?
It's a country that's half Europeanized, after all. Doesn't it have some pride?
But the news had already spread throughout the country, and European nations put aside their own affairs to watch the two countries fight. Many viewed this war as a conflict between a semi-civilized nation and a nation on the verge of civilization. Many felt the war would last at least a year and a half before the outcome became clear.

Many people believed that the Ottomans would ultimately win. A Parisian newspaper stated that after their victory, the Ottomans would maintain their position in the Middle East and demonstrate to Russia that they were no longer the impoverished and weak nation they once were. They believed that the Sultan would then enjoy immense prestige.

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Belgrade, located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, is the capital of newly formed Serbia. Although Serbia is still a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, the country is ambitious and its relations with its neighbors are not good. The only country with slightly better relations is Greece, which is still separated from Serbia by Ottoman territory.

Initially, the Principality of Serbia's territory consisted only of the original Belgrade region, but between 1831 and 1833, the principality expanded eastward, southward, and westward. However, Ottoman troops remained within their territory, and the outbreak of the Iranian War led to the withdrawal of many troops from the Persian Gulf, weakening their local power. This gave many Serbs the feeling that an opportunity had arrived.

This was none other than the Serbian Duke, Milos Obrenovic I, who was entertaining this distinguished guest at his official residence—at least for the time being, he was a distinguished guest to the Serbian government.

"Your Excellency Sadiq, our country is very pleased to see Iran launch a war against the evil Ottoman state. For this reason, our country has supported your country's donation activities on several occasions. This shows the support of our people for Iran. We would like to ask that Your Excellency consider our enthusiasm and allow our country to join the just war to liberate the Balkan people who are oppressed by the Ottomans."

The Duke's eagerness was evident; he could not tolerate the continued presence of Ottoman troops on Serbian territory. He wanted to seize this opportunity to expel them all. "Thank you for your warm hospitality and for the support of your people in our punitive war against the Ottoman Empire. On behalf of my government, I express my deepest gratitude. We are also willing to support your country's independence."

With these words, the Duke felt much relieved. According to his information, the Iranian war was supporting Bulgarian independence, so getting another country to declare independence along with them wouldn't be difficult, would it?

"We hope your country can make a decision as soon as possible. Our 10 troops are eager to participate in the battle."

"Please rest assured, I will definitely convey your country's eagerness to us."

Sadiq had witnessed firsthand what it meant to boast without batting an eye. 10 people? That would take all the men in Serbia combined! But he didn't say that. He simply said he would deliver the message and then left the residence.

"Damn infidels!" the Duke muttered in a voice only he could hear.

However, his troubles didn't end there. Shortly after he returned to his office, the door was suddenly kicked open. Shocking news arrived: the new Grand Justice for the Wallachia election was secretly preparing for battle.

"Iran is really casting a wide net." The Duke knew immediately that Iran must be secretly helping them, otherwise they would be thinking about independence after only a few years.

However, at this time, the most important thing was to seize the opportunity. He ordered the army across the country to be mobilized in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Not only Serbia, but Greece also saw a different situation. King Otto I was also tempted, feeling that the realization of his great ideal was just around the corner.

The grand ideal was the Greeks' dream of restoring the Roman Empire. The Ottoman Empire had 250 million Greeks, and the Greeks in New Rome, Thessaloniki, and Smyrna demanded unification; these places were also centers of Greek merchant activity; Crete was always poised for revolt.

Otto I positioned himself at the forefront of the patriotic movement to win the people's trust, proclaiming the "Great Ideal" as an opportunity to divert attention from Greece's internal problems. The Crimean War broke out. The Greeks believed their chance to realize the "Great Ideal" had arrived. When Russia and Turkey went to war, irregular Greek troops invaded Turkey, and the Greek government, disregarding opposition from Britain and France, allowed its army to support these irregular forces. The invasion resulted in the complete annihilation of the Greek forces; Britain and France then blockaded the port of Piraeus for the second time, until 1857. Otto I's "Great Ideal" was shattered.

At the same time, his rule was in crisis. Public complaints were constant, and if he could expand his territory at this juncture, the people would surely regain his support.

A war ensued, and Bulgarians, Serbs, Greeks, and Romanians all sprang into action, fearing they would be too late—which is understandable. The Ottomans thought they were treating them well, but in reality, they remained second-class citizens. They had expected independence to take a long time, but the opportunity presented itself unexpectedly. If they didn't seize it, they would have to wait 20 years.

(End of this chapter)