Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 322 Order
"Speaking of which, how well has the Shah asked us to do in the western region?"

“We are naturally carrying out the Shah’s orders resolutely, and it is going very well so far. Quite a few Indians have already converted.”

At that time, the population of the western United States, except for California, did not exceed 50,000. The Native Americans in this region presented a good opportunity for Iran to expand into the New World.

Similar to their actions in South America, Iran sent missionaries to preach to the Native Americans. However, the Native Americans in North America were more inclined towards Christianity than those in South America. Therefore, they decided to change their approach, emphasizing both trade and religion.

At the same time, they also invested heavily in local land, and Iran's early entry brought them considerable benefits before the westward movement reached its peak.

Some displaced white people survived thanks to the charitable relief provided by mosques, and as their influence grew, they began to convert to Shia Islam and continued to move westward, preparing to build new homes. This was a major trend.

By this time, news of the American Civil War had reached Iran, a country whose status had risen. Nasser al-Din naturally wanted to discuss the matter with his cabinet, but only ministers Amir and Abdullah were present.

Abdullah felt that supporting the Allied Powers wouldn't help them win; the disparity in national strength between him and the North was stark. The South's 900 million people paled in comparison to the North's 2200 million, not to mention that 900 million of those 400 million were Black slaves.

Since both sides' leaders had decided to fight to the bitter end and could mobilize hundreds of thousands of men, the struggle would continue. This was especially true as the battle swept across a vast area. The "front line" stretched from the Virginia coast to Mississippi, and even further west to Missouri and Arkansas—much of which was forest, mountains, and swamps.

The South fought for its own survival and on its own soil, giving it an advantage in morale; it could conscript a higher proportion of skilled white men skilled in horsemanship and archery; it possessed a group of steadfast and excellent generals; and for a considerable period, it could import arms and other supplies to make up for material shortages. But none of these could compensate for the enormous numerical disparity between the North and the South.

However, as is often the case, war involves factors beyond mere numbers. Even if the South could achieve the size of an army, it risked drawing too many men from agriculture, mining, and foundries, thus weakening the resources it would rely on for a protracted war.

"Even if Mexico joins the Union, their industry alone is not enough to compete with the North." This was Amir's assessment of them.

Mexico's industrialization is just beginning, and entering a war at this time would likely result in an even greater defeat, unless other countries offer assistance.

"Grand Vizier is right, but the Mexican ambassador handed over a contract to purchase 300 Naserdin machine guns, 6000 million rounds of ammunition, 24000 rifles, and gunpowder."

These contracts are worth 3000 million, and Mexico is also demanding a loan of 3500 million, secured by customs duties.

This contract was actually placed by Mexico on behalf of the Confederate States of America. They had heard that Iran possessed weapons of mass destruction and wanted to purchase a large quantity. However, they had no diplomatic contact with Iran, so they had Mexico place the order for them.

Luckily Musharraf isn't here, or he'd be furious. Two Sicilies would only amount to 1000 million, but Mexico is asking for 3500 million right off the bat—how can they be so shameless?

Both Amir and Abdullah believe that Mexico's financial situation is poor and the loan is extremely risky. Even if Mexico uses tariffs as collateral, Iran may not be able to recover all the funds.

But Nasserdin had a different idea. "Think about it," he said, "if we reach this deal, there will definitely be more orders in the future, and we might even get purchase lists from our allies. This would be very beneficial for our country." "But Shah," he continued, "Mexico's debt is too high. I don't think we can afford to take on all of it."

Naserdin also had his own ideas; their loan was simply to pay for the purchase of weapons. In that case, they could directly lend 3000 million to the arms factory, and then only need to give them 500 million in cash and weapons.

This was a good plan; it would not only alleviate the financial strain but also help Mexico. Abdullah took the plan to the Mexican ambassador, who then forwarded it to the presidential palace via telegram.

Meanwhile, at the Mexican presidential palace, Lawrence was meeting with British Ambassador Charles, French Ambassador Louis, and Spanish Ambassador Sanders.

"The main reason I invited the three of you here today is to discuss the issue of the Allied Powers."

At this critical juncture of change, it is hoped that both countries can stand on the side of freedom in order to better protect everyone's interests.

Sanders immediately said, "A divided America is necessary for world peace. You see, Russia is so large that it continues to acquire land from other places, and the United States is now also very large, probably following in Russia's footsteps. As far as I know, they are very interested in the northern regions."

This is something the British are certainly familiar with; the US has had designs on its Canadian territory for quite some time. Beginning in the 19th century, the concept of "Manifest Destiny" gained popularity in the US, holding that the US had an obligation to expand its territory and spread democracy and civilization throughout the North American continent. Some Americans believed that Canada should become part of the US to complete the unification of the North American continent.

Thus, in 1812, the United States launched its Second Revolutionary War; in 1837, a rebellion broke out in Canada, and the United States prepared to support the region. However, the former saw its presidential palace burned down by the British, while the latter quickly failed.

As the United States has developed and expanded its territory in recent years, Spain has become the biggest victim.

The fact that the Americans had extended their reach into Cuba, attempting to seize yet another Spanish colony, further fueled the Spanish people's hatred.

“Our country needs parliamentary approval, but before that, our government has already agreed to allow our allies to purchase weapons,” Charles said.

Ambassador Louis's deerskin gloves brushed against the crystal wine glass, causing the Bordeaux to ripple delicately. "The Bank of France is very interested in the sisal plantations on the Yucatan Peninsula, and of course—" he traced winding lines on the tablecloth with his wine, "if only there could be a railway connecting Veracruz Port to the Gulf of California."

"I think this would be beneficial to both countries, but the specifics still need to be discussed."

Lawrence also faced considerable pressure, as his support for the Confederate States drew American attention, with some fearing it could reignite the war with Mexico and demanding an explanation from him. But he refused to do so; he believed America should be divided.

(End of this chapter)