Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 519 The Russians' Countermeasures
And soon, the topic of the three countries spread. Many people wanted to know whether the Austrian Emperor and the King of Sicily's visit to Iran was a routine visit or had some other purpose.

Surprisingly, the most enthusiastic among these people were not the British, but the Russians.

"Damn it, aren't these Iranians going to behave themselves at all?"

Tsar Alexander II, long past his prime, was throwing a tantrum in his office. Judging from his expression, he was furious.

"Your Majesty, we can put the Iranian issue aside for now. The greater concern is those three countries in the East."

Foreign Minister Prince Gorchakov expressed his concerns. Although he had guessed what they had discussed, further investigation was still needed. The Russian ambassador to Iran is currently doing everything he can to gather any information. However, due to the short timeframe and high level of secrecy, no progress has been made so far.

After thinking for a moment, Alexander II said, "Perhaps we should show some goodwill to the Iranians."

"So how should we express our goodwill?" the prince asked, curious about the Tsar's plans.

"We can encourage Iranian investment and let them feel the changes in our country's attitude towards Iran."

The prince felt this was a good decision, as it would both improve relations with Iran and attract Iranian investment to boost his own economy.

"That's a very good idea, Your Majesty!"

However, the prince's praise did not change the Tsar's expression.

"However, is Austria truly determined to confront the Russian Empire?"

Although there is currently no evidence that the three countries have signed an alliance treaty, the Tsar's intuition tells him that it is highly likely to be true. Therefore, Russia cannot stand idly by and cannot allow a diplomatic situation in Europe to become unfavorable to Russia. Alexander II needs to choose where to start in order to break up the relationship between the three.

But upon closer reflection, it seems nothing has been of any use. Russia has been blocked off the Black Sea by a certain group, which is a real problem.

"Tell me, what's the situation with the three eastern kingdoms?"

The prince quickly added, "According to our information, the Qing Dynasty is inviting an Iranian delegation... and there's also an invitation from the Japanese government..."

Alexander couldn't sit still any longer; Iran was trying to block Russia's way out in every way!

Russia currently has only one outlet to the sea in the Far East. This is not enough for Russia, so it wants to continue southward. Port Arthur in the Far East, Busan in Korea, and Hakodate in Japan are all excellent ports. With these, they would not have to worry about being encircled.

Furthermore, from the late 18th century onwards, Russian explorers explored the Far East, repeatedly venturing into Sakhalin Island and Ezo (Hokkaido), areas considered de facto territory by the Shogunate, and repeatedly requesting resupply and port openings. It could be said that occupying these areas would grant them access to more high-quality seaports. However, Iran is now sabotaging their operations. Russia can no longer tolerate this and must take decisive action!

"Let our people put pressure on them again, or better yet, start another war."

Alexander II sighed, "I really miss that general who gifted so much land to the Empire. If it weren't for the Russians, I'd really like to award him a medal! A one-ton medal!"

It's a pity; we could have gotten a piece in Central Asia, but Iran vehemently opposed it. Judging by their stance, they're prepared for a fight to the death.

He just didn't understand. Far East wasn't his parent, so why was he fighting so hard?

His Majesty the Tsar didn't consider what would happen next if he succeeded. He would annex all of the Far East and then turn his guns on Iran. Iran must not allow this scheme to succeed.

The Tsar planned to send a message to the Far East, letting them know who was in charge. At the same time, he prepared to contact Britain in the west, intending to break the Triple Alliance together.

Russia has always expanded in both the east and west. Peter the Great proclaimed, "Russia must occupy the mouths of the Neva, Don, and Amur Rivers." Catherine the Great went further, designating the capture of the Amur River basin as the "center of its Far Eastern policy."

After ascending to the throne, Nicholas I vowed to "fulfill the wishes of his great-grandfather and grandmother." He ordered the formation of the "Special Committee on the Amur Question" as the main organization for the invasion of the Amur River basin. In 1847, he appointed Muravyov as Governor-General of Eastern Siberia as the vanguard in resolving the Amur River issue. Then, in 1860, everything became known.

In celebration, Tsarist Russia renamed Hailanpao to Blagoveshchensk, meaning "City of Good News." However, their greed did not stop there. Everything continued, only now they faced encirclement and suppression from Iran.

After being forced to withdraw their support for the Khanate, their power waned day by day. It is said that their newly appointed Governor-General Zuo Zongtang, using money drawn from the sea and firearms harvested from the earth, gradually began to eliminate opposition forces to the west. These people even shared the same religion as the Iranians.

Meanwhile, in Japan, the Shogun was struggling to shake off the extortion from the southwestern region. He began concentrating power in Edo, which provoked opposition from the local daimyo. To rebuild his prestige, the Shogun sent envoys to Kyoto to replace the imperial guards with the regular troops of the shogunate he had brought, but this was met with resistance from figures led by Tokugawa Yoshifuku. At this time, the anti-shogunate faction's return to power in the Choshu Domain provided them with an excuse to escape this predicament. Subsequently, Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi decided to launch another campaign against Choshu.

Starting with the Choshu Domain's bombardment of Suo Oshima, which was controlled by the shogunate fleet, battles began separately on June 7th in the direction of Geisha and Kosegawa, on June 13th in the direction of Ishishu, and on June 17th in the direction of Kokura.

Meanwhile, the Choshu and Satsuma domains formed an alliance and, with British support, began a counterattack. The shogunate navy clashed with the fleet led by Takasugi but was defeated by a surprise attack. They suffered repeated defeats on other fronts, and their army at one point approached Kyoto.

Furthermore, due to the various domains' efforts to stockpile provisions in preparation for a protracted war, rice prices soared, leading to unrest throughout the country. The subsequent death of Shogun Tokugawa Iemochi further demoralized the shogunate army. Negotiations for peace began.

The defeat in the Choshu campaign made it widely known that the shogunate's power had waned, and its influence and ability to intervene in the Choshu and Satsuma domains were also completely lost. A great storm was brewing.

It was precisely because of the dramatic changes in the Far East that Iran, Britain, France, and Russia began to seize every opportunity to cede territory, open markets, and overthrow regimes—doing whatever was advantageous. As their power intensified, they also began to fight among themselves, but the outcome will only become clear over time.

(End of this chapter)