Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 470 South American War

Naserdin stared silently at the military's report. The compensation alone for these casualties was a huge sum, and adding the lost weapons and equipment, as well as the consumed military supplies, the war had cost approximately 6000 million rials. Truly, the sound of cannons cost a fortune. Fortunately, both sides exercised restraint and controlled the scale of the conflict; otherwise, a full-scale war could very well have broken out.

Fortunately, the outcome was ultimately positive; losing the war would have been a complete loss. This also served as a wake-up call for Nasser al-Din: history has changed, and every step must be taken with thorough preparation.

"Shah, Russia has sent a peace proposal. The Tsar will meet with you in Sochi."

Naserdin knew that Alexander II had to choose this option, firstly because he believed that Iran would not do anything to him, and secondly because he wanted to create an image of being deep in the lion's den, so that the Russian people could see that he was willing to do this for the benefit of the empire, and why they still wanted to oppose the Tsar.

“I underestimated him. I thought the Tsar had lost his courage after Paul.”

After all, Tsar Paul, like his father Peter III, was a staunch supporter of Prussia. Peter III, in particular, directly rescued Prussia from crisis. However, throughout history, monarchs who became overly friendly with other countries have often met with dire consequences, and these two were no exception.

After that, successive Tsars maintained a rather tough stance towards foreign powers. Therefore, one can imagine Alexander II's feelings when he reenacted his uncle's meeting with Napoleon.

Naser al-Din sighed for a moment, then instructed the Grand Vizier to arrange a train to Sochi. This meeting was no less significant than the Tilsit meeting, and therefore it was taken very seriously.

Naserdin put down the military's list, and below it was a letter written by his son, who was far away in Polis.

While Europe's attention turned to the Iran-Iraq War, things were progressing quite smoothly in South America. Autumn and winter in the Northern Hemisphere were spring and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. Abbas was currently clearing out the inhabitants of the Argentine interior; those who refused to cooperate were either defeated or forced into exile. In reality, there wasn't much opposition; they had long suffered in Buenos Aires and naturally supported Abbas, even though their beliefs differed.

At this point, Argentina only controlled Buenos Aires Province, which had a large Argentine population. Despite Iranian troops repeatedly breaching its defenses, it was still able to launch several counterattacks, demonstrating the strength of this region.

The allied forces of Argentina and Uruguay repeatedly attacked Patagonia, and their armed merchant ships also bombarded the port of Polis. Three Iranian warships took on patrol duties, which led to a decrease in enemy attacks.

Paraguay had already occupied the negotiated territory of Argentina and turned its attack on Brazil. The South American war had entered a new phase, and Abbas desperately needed his father's support, so he wrote a letter hoping that his father would support his ambitions.

The letter also included a list of artillery, rifles, gunpowder, and shells, among other things. There were still some of these in the warehouse, so it was perfect to give them to him. It was a way of clearing out the inventory.

As for its other rival, Chile, Patagonia chose to court Peru and Bolivia to counter it. Bolivia was weaker, so the focus shifted to Peru. Peru also immediately traveled to Polis to meet with Governor Mustafa. Due to concerns about Chilean expansion, Peru sought more allies to protect its guano mines.

The Peruvian coast is rich in guano, which has been widely used in agriculture since the Inca era. From 1845 onwards, the booming export of guano and saltpeter spurred Peru's industrialization. At that time, Britain was promoting intensive agriculture, and Germany was beginning to chemicalize agriculture; both countries needed large quantities of fertilizer. The surge in international demand for guano and the resulting price increases spurred the exploitation and export of guano.

Over two decades, Peru exported more than 680 million tons of guano, generating nearly £5400 million in revenue. However, this did not benefit most people, as over half of the revenue was used to expand the civil service and military, with the remainder allocated to expanding the railway network and paying off domestic and foreign debts. This also made the country increasingly reliant on foreign loans.

While Chile was eyeing the country covetously, Peru began to form alliances. Its first partner was Bolivia, with whom it had previously formed a confederation, signing an alliance treaty stipulating that they would fight together should Chile attack. However, their armies were likely no match for Chile. Therefore, when the Paraguayan War broke out, they naturally came knocking.

Paraguay's López naturally agreed to the alliance, but his ambitions went far beyond what was planned. He wanted to unify Bolivia, most of Brazil, and ultimately establish an unprecedented Paraguayan Empire, with himself as Emperor López I.

Therefore, he quickly signed the alliance treaty, and the Tripartite Alliance was officially formed.

In Polis, Peruvian envoy Manuel and Mustafa discussed the situation. But Mustafa was clearly more interested in trade and international recognition. As for Chile, Patagonia opposed it but would not join the war against it, a decision dictated by the terrain.

South America was in its most chaotic period at this time. Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Patagonia were locked in fierce fighting; Peru and Bolivia formed an alliance against Chile; and Granada, Ecuador, and Venezuela were constantly embroiled in conflict. In this context, Patagonia's allegiance directly impacted the course of events, because it was backed by Iran.

In terms of trade cooperation, Peru, Bolivia, and Patagonia all have many ports of entry to the sea, and Paraguay can also connect to the sea via the Paraná River. Merchants can use these ports to export their precious timber and mineral resources to the Far East and Europe, while importing goods such as silk and tea to resell to other countries for profit.

However, apart from Patagonia, the commercial class in other countries had not yet developed; even the most developed Peru was merely controlled by British compradors. This is where Iranian businessmen came in.

Patagonia has signed agreements with Bolivia and Peru, allowing Patagonian and Iranian businessmen to move freely within the two countries, requiring them to pay only an 8% tax.

Under these circumstances, Patagonia temporarily joined the alliance, but defensively. That is to say, Patagonia would not attack unless Chile initiated the war.

Peru is quite satisfied with this outcome. In any case, having another ally is always beneficial. They will be keeping a close eye on Chile and will retaliate at any moment.

(End of this chapter)