Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 442 South America Needs Ottoman Laborers
Ankara, the largest city in inland Anatolia, has experienced significant development in recent years. Iranian capital has established a foothold here, and the first Iranian-invested railway, the Erzurum-Ankara railway, has been completed. People in the inland region are continuously reaping economic benefits from Iran through this railway.

Ankara Mayor Recep sat in the city hall meeting room, facing several Iranian businessmen. Things hadn't been easy for Ankara lately; if it weren't for the railway, they'd all be starving.

"Mr. Mayor, what have you thought about our proposal?"

"No problem, but do you really need so many people?"

In recent years, Ankara's largest source of income has been the wages of those who have gone to work in Iran and returned home. Of the city's 50,000 inhabitants, nearly 20,000 have gone to Iran, demonstrating its allure.

Iran recently offered him a lucrative job: a large project in South America that requires 7000 workers. Each worker would receive two years' wages in advance, amounting to 220 rials.

"Of course, this project is very large. Therefore, it requires a large number of workers. This is only the first batch. Hopefully, the mayor can make preparations. A train will come to pick up people in a few days."

"That's natural"

The mayor has become a complete proxy for Iran; there's nothing he can do about it, they've given him too much.

Not only in Anatolia, but also in Syria and Palestine, Iranian capital has long been dominant. The factories they built were dozens of times more efficient than those built by local artisans, directly crippling the local economy.

But Iran is not like Britain and France, who simply collapsed and then abandoned their people. Iranian factories absorbed a large number of unemployed workers, and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of Iran opened a branch in Damascus, helping local people find employment.

Local officials were no less lenient, depositing their assets in Iranian banks for greater security. Simultaneously, driven by profit, they allowed Iranian capital to flow into the region, which to some extent promoted local modernization, but largely served Iran's interests.

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By this time, the war in South America had reached a fever pitch, with Paraguay declaring war on Brazil and Argentina. Patagonia also became active.

Prince Abbas led 16000 men from the port of Blanca and captured Tres Arroyos.

"Your Highness, the Argentine army is attacking from Tornkister and Urca, but they are being held back by our troops."

Abbas and his confidant Ahmed examined the map; Argentina had begun a general mobilization. However, progress was slow in the inland provinces, except for Buenos Aires, presenting them with an opportunity to break through Argentina's defenses.

"Before Argentina mobilizes on a large scale, our army must break through their first line of defense. At Trenklaucan, their railway will become useless." Trenklaucan is a railway hub and one of the connecting routes between Buenos Aires and the inland areas. Taking it will sever Argentina's communication, and they can also use the railway to transport their troops to the front lines.

The Patagonian Governorate has declared a general mobilization for the entire region; after ensuring the minimum necessary functions are maintained, everyone else has joined the army. Women are responsible for producing military supplies, while the elderly go to the squares to cheer on the troops. It is estimated that 80,000 people will join the army.

While Patagonian and Argentine forces were locked in a stalemate on the front lines, Chile suddenly announced an attack on Patagonia's aggression. A day later, Chilean troops launched a fierce offensive against Kerman. They successively broke through Kerman's outer positions and the first and second lines of defense, with the vanguard approaching the core area of ​​Kerman County and posing a significant threat to the local port.

This was something Patagonia hadn't anticipated, and the Chilean government under Pérez seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack. Once they captured Kerman, there were no more large towns behind him, and Chile could completely occupy Araucanía.

Fortunately, telegraph service had been established between Kerman and Bolis, and the garrison's telegram requesting reinforcements reached the front lines. Abbas insisted on transferring the immigrants in charge of Kerman to the front lines. For Kerman, sending reinforcements from Bolis would be too late; now, they could only wait and see how the immigrants fared.

Time flowed on its predetermined course. On February 15th, the Chilean army had been besieging Kerman for 45 days, but still hadn't captured him. On the 22nd, the Patagonian army continued its advance, while the inland provinces of Mendoza and Córdoba declared neutrality, refusing to send troops to aid them until a victor was determined.

Argentina's inland regions are occupied by the Federal Party, which is fed up with the liberalism and pro-Chilean leanings of the Buenos Aires bloc. The Patagonian offensive has made them feel that submission to Iran is acceptable, as long as they oppose Chile and increase central power.

The declaration of neutrality by the two provinces foreshadowed a major defeat for Argentina. The sudden appearance of Patagonian troops in Cáceros accelerated this process; they were Abbas's surprise force, moving rapidly on horseback. They were less than 20 kilometers from the key city of Rosario. On March 4th, Rosario fell to Patagonia after suffering 400 casualties.

On the 7th, Argentina withdrew 1 troops from the front lines to attack a supply base that had been captured in the rear, but was repelled by only 7000 men. The fall of Rosario also meant that the Argentine capital was completely cut off from the interior. Subsequently, inland provinces such as Córdoba declared neutrality, leaving Argentina with only Buenos Aires province. But it was this province that gave Argentina the ambition to continue fighting.

In Argentina, Buenos Aires Province accounts for 90% of the country's shipping, 75% of its industry and commerce, and 66% of its transportation. Four-fifths of the nation's population resides there. Therefore, it can be said that as long as this region remains unconquered, Argentina still has a chance.

However, due to the local unrest, Argentina missed the opportunity for a large-scale migration to Europe. The war, in turn, forced nearly 100,000 people to settle there, most of whom were high-ranking officials and nobles.

Furthermore, there was a significant capital flight. British capital outflow exceeded 50%, causing unimaginable damage to the Argentine economy. Patagonia occupied the provinces of San Luis and La Pampa, and a few days later, Mendoza province was also incorporated, expanding Patagonia's territory. However, local politicians did not suffer any financial losses.

Seeing Argentina's success, Paraguay also pressed its advantage. Before Brazil could launch a large-scale invasion, Paraguay occupied territory north of the Beljome River. With this military achievement, López's ambitions as king would soon be impossible to conceal.

Abbas, clad in armor, personally led his troops to the front lines. Argentina's defenses were formidable; the fortified positions formed interlocking fire, halting the Iranian advance. The two sides entered another stalemate.

(End of this chapter)