Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 565 The Troublesome Tsar

Alexander II signed decree after decree; he was truly afraid. His reforms had not won applause, but instead pushed the landowners who supported him to the opposite side.

"More police must be deployed to places like Kyiv and Odessa, and all books in Ukrainian and Polish languages ​​must be confiscated. Not a single one should be allowed to continue circulating."

The Poles betrayed his trust. He had already treated them very well, so why did they still revolt? He had to strike hard.

Alexander II issued the order with resentment, and now his own reforms have been blamed on him. So let's just not reform at all, and just wait here for the peasants to tear us to pieces.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of the Interior said, trembling as he presented the confidential report, "among the smuggled books seized in the port of Odessa, there was a French version of 'The Iranian Reform Outline'."

The Tsar suddenly threw his pen at the gilded globe. "So now even the Persians dare to lecture me?" He sneered, drawing his sword and letting the blade glide across the coffee cup on the table, sending the silver saucer from the Crimean War rolling to the floor. "Tell the Governor-General of the Caucasus that if another Persian publication crosses the Alas River, he'll send him to Siberia!"

Nasser al-Din has certainly made a name for himself. While Iran's reforms are universally praised, his reforms have been met with criticism.

Growing increasingly angry, Alexander II convened an emergency state council. Those ordered by the Tsar dared not utter a word of complaint and hurriedly went to the Winter Palace.

"His Majesty!"

Grand Duke Konstantin Nikolayevich, Chairman of the State Council, saluted the Tsar. As an important figure in the reform movement, he was committed to transforming Russia into a wealthy and powerful country like Britain and was also the main driving force behind government reforms.

"Alright everyone, please sit down!"

After everyone was seated, Alexander II produced a newspaper. It was Novorossiyskaya Gazeta, reporting on Iran's reforms. The newspaper described the achievements of the reforms, and the pictures of prosperity displayed were a slap in the face to everyone present.

"As you all know, both Iran and we underwent changes, but Iran transformed itself into a country like Prussia, while we are still stuck in the same place! Why is that?"
Is it that our resolve is insufficient, or have we encountered some obstacle? I am utterly perplexed.

Grand Duke Constantine immediately replied, “Your Majesty, any change requires a struggle. I learned about this during my visit to Iran. Iran fought a war with its own people before they began to implement various measures.”

"Does the Grand Duke mean to make us fight a civil war?!" asked Army Minister Milyukin.

"No, no, that's not what I meant."

"The facts are clear. His Majesty endured immense pressure to grant the serfs their freedom, yet those people not only showed no gratitude but also repeatedly revolted, betraying His Majesty's kindness. They should all be exiled now!"

Constantine countered, "The law has been in effect for several years, how can it be withdrawn so easily! This would only make the situation more chaotic. What we need to do now is continue to implement the law and resolve this crisis."

At this moment, Interior Minister Alexander Yegorovich Timashev sneered. "Your Excellency, I don't want to discourage you, but the current situation certainly cannot be resolved with a single decree."

He picked up the document and began to read. "Since last year, peasant uprisings have increased by 150% across the country, and even by 300% in provinces like Poltava. These people need to go to Siberia to sober up. Also, news of what happened in France has reached the country, and workers in some cities have also rioted. It's only because St. Petersburg is powerful that no one dares to act. In Moscow, workers have already destroyed machinery and formed some kind of union. Under such circumstances, the army must be used to suppress them!"

Indeed, there was little disagreement among the ministers on this point. Could the common people possibly rebel against Heaven?

"Also, regarding Iran, I would like to hear your opinions."

They were all too familiar with this topic; Iran was practically a vital region for the Tsar. No one could tolerate a neighbor they frequently bullied becoming so powerful as to take away their rightful land (the Caucasus). This was absolutely unacceptable!
“Your Majesty,” Foreign Minister Prince Gorchakov replied, “it is best for our country and Iran not to act rashly at present, at least until the military reforms are completed. Iran is no longer the Persian Empire of twenty years ago, and launching another war would likely be more harmful than beneficial.”

As the Foreign Minister who had served since Alexander the Great's ascension to the throne, Gorchakov was a veteran of the government. Since he said so, the Tsar also leaned towards it. But he was still unwilling to accept it.

"Are we just going to watch Iran continue to expand its territory? You should know better than anyone, Your Highness."

Iran seized Sumatra from the Netherlands, expanded its territory in Africa, made Ryukyu a protectorate, and annexed Argentina. These are all things Iran accomplished in twenty years. And what about us? Apart from Siberia, we have nowhere else to expand!

That's as if those 100 million square kilometers of territory don't exist, is it?

"Your Majesty, there is still an industrial gap between our country and Iran. Their steel and pig iron production has surpassed ours, as have merchant ships, railways, and telegraphs, while our wheat and rye are exported to Iran in large quantities. Cities like Rostov are even more prosperous than Moscow."

Finance Minister Reiten submitted a report from the Ministry of Finance to Alexander II, stating that after establishing trade with Iran, Russia's exports increased by 20% that year, and tariffs increased by 7%. The main exports were grain and raw materials, while imports included textiles and kerosene.

Currently, Iran is Russia's third-largest trading partner, after Britain and Prussia. Any changes in this relationship would have a significant impact on the current Russian economy.

"Your Majesty, although it may be inappropriate to say this, I still suggest that Your Majesty make an official visit to Baghdad!"

Gorchakov's words were like a thunderbolt, shaking the entire meeting.

"Your Highness, how could you come up with such a thing? Our country and Iran have a feud. Sending His Majesty there would likely result in him being driven back by protests from the locals!"

"This is a last resort; Russia is no longer the sole superpower. If we want to maintain stability in the South, we need Iran's support."

Besides…besides, we also need to learn from Iran and see what their reforms look like. I know this sounds unreasonable, but Peter the Great once went to the Netherlands incognito to learn, so why can't we?

Even so, there are still those who oppose it. Russia's disadvantage against Iran is only temporary; if they go to Baghdad, who knows how Iran will handle the situation.

Alexander II's expression grew increasingly grim. He abruptly dissolved the meeting, leaving only Gorchakov and Grand Duke Constantine. No one knew what they discussed, but when the two ministers emerged, they looked completely relaxed.

(End of this chapter)