Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 342 Playing Cards
The investment of 100 million rials was undoubtedly a huge boost to Iran. The exchange of funds between the royal family and the government was swift, with the government receiving the funds and the royal family obtaining government bonds with interest payments upon maturity.

With so much money, it would just sit in a vault and get moldy. Why not do something more meaningful? And that's how this big investment plan came about.

Herat, the western region, also received a share of 2000 million riyals to invest in local industry, transportation, and defense.

With Prince Murad in charge of Herat, local development has begun to accelerate. Local trade has improved significantly, and construction is underway on a railway connecting Kabul and Herat. Once completed, this will revitalize the economy of the entire eastern region.

The royal family is no longer short of money; they used to have to be frugal, but not anymore. They made a fortune in one speculative venture that most people could never achieve in a lifetime, and instead of investing it in the country's development, they're doing it all.

Besides domestic development and cultural export, 6000 million rials are allocated to the military. Currently, Iran has a standing army of 22 and a reserve force of 50, ranking first among Middle Eastern countries. This money is used not only for weapons development but also as a reserve fund for the next war.

The Iranian Navy also has a number of members, and in recent years Iranian ships have begun sailing in the Indian Ocean. However, the navy is also an elite branch of the military, costing a great deal of money. But once someone passes the entrance exam for the navy, their family can receive numerous benefits and honors. Therefore, public enthusiasm for enlisting in the navy is high.

Naserdin inquired about the naval situation with Navy Minister Alberts, who provided him with detailed information.

"Shah, over the past decade or so, we have invested considerable funds and effort in the development of our navy. Currently, we possess two advanced ironclad warships, thirteen sailing ships with a displacement of over 1000 tons, and a large number of smaller warships. This is sufficient for us at present."

In addition, we are also building the Cyrus; this is the current progress.

The Cyrus, which Alberts referred to, was the first ironclad warship in the Navy's plans. It was 77.8 meters long, 17 meters wide, had a draft of 8.4 meters, and a displacement of 5630 tons. It was powered by a 2500-horsepower steam engine, achieving a speed of 13 knots and a range of 2500 nautical miles. Its armament consisted of 36 165mm rifled guns.

This ironclad warship, named after Cyrus the Great of the Persian Empire, can be said to be a test of Iran's shipbuilding experience accumulated over the years, and it fully meets the needs of the Iranian navy.

"Tell the people at Abbas shipyard to pay attention to quality."

"Yes, I will personally go and keep an eye on it. There will definitely be no problems."

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Just as Iran was implementing its domestic plans, a major battle broke out between the North and the South.

In mid-May 1862, the Northern government amassed 340,000 troops and the Southern government amassed 290,000 troops at the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio.

The outcome of this battle would directly determine the future course of the United States. If the Northern government lost the battle, the Great Lakes industrial region would fall into the hands of the Southern government, and the Northern government would be essentially powerless to reverse the situation. Conversely, if the Southern government lost the war, the advantages they had painstakingly accumulated in the early stages would vanish.

All eyes in Europe are focused here, and what everyone hopes to see most is that the North and South will never be able to determine a winner.

The French expeditionary force had reached Mexico, led by McMahon, who had distinguished himself in the Crimean War, and his troops were engaged in frontline combat. The American defenses on the West Coast were like paper against the French, crumbling at the slightest touch. Apart from California, which offered relatively firm resistance, the states of New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada surrendered without a fight; their inhabitants numbered only tens of thousands—what were they risking their lives for?

The war inflicted severe trauma on the country, preventing it from recovering to pre-war levels for at least a decade. The states in the war zones will have to lick their wounds for the next two or three decades. The more the Americans suffered, the greater the benefits for European countries. For example, after the US stopped exporting grain, international grain prices rose by 26%. Those who exported grain made huge profits, and Russia also exported heavily, leading to a rapid recovery of its finances.

Besides agricultural products, competition also began for markets in the Americas, with Iranian industrial goods appearing on the market. Total exports to the US increased by 39% compared to pre-war levels. Britain and France were not to be outdone, seizing this opportunity to aggressively expand their territories in the Americas.

Lincoln believed these issues could be resolved with victory. But the most pressing matter was the secession of the northern states. New York's independence proposal was rejected by the Republican-majority legislature. However, Ohio had also begun discussing independence, which was a serious matter.

“Mr. President,” Secretary of State Seward entered, “I just received news that the Michigan legislature has also passed a similar bill.”

Lincoln rubbed his temples and asked wearily, "What's going on in New York?"

“Not yet,” Seward replied, “but according to our people, the mayor of New York City is meeting privately with the British consul.”

Lincoln walked to the map, his finger tracing the Great Lakes region: "If these states were to secede, we would lose our most important industrial base." His gaze settled on Detroit. "Send a division to Detroit immediately. We cannot allow Michigan to fall into the hands of separatists."

“But Mr. President,” Seward hesitated, “that would weaken our forces on the southern front.”

“We can’t worry about that now,” Lincoln interrupted him. “What’s the point of winning against the South if the North is divided?”

Seward continued, "Mr. President, perhaps we can seek help from Russia."

Lincoln turned around: "Russia?"

“Yes,” Seward explained, “according to our ambassador in St. Petersburg, the Tsar is very unhappy with French expansion in the Americas. If we can persuade Russia to send troops…”

Russia, too, needs the United States. Both countries are undergoing domestic reforms, but their foreign policy situations are far from optimistic. If the two countries could form an alliance, they might be able to break through the encirclement by Europe.

"That's one way. Go and discuss it with the Russian ambassador. See if we can send troops, and the expenses will be covered by our country."

After hesitating for a moment, President Lincoln also pulled out his trump card.

"We need to contact the revolutionary parties and independence organizations we support; we don't expect them to achieve anything, just to distract other countries."

After 1848, revolutionary parties and independence organizations from various European countries basically converged here. Organizations from Hungary, the Irish Mafia, as well as those from Italy, Spain, and Portugal, all participated in the events in the United States. Now, it was time for them to give back.

(End of this chapter)