Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 637 Russia's Actions

Britain and France are discussing a joint military intervention, while Russia has already begun its operations. Troops in various Ukrainian provinces have been transported via the newly constructed railways. The targets are Sevastopol and Odessa.

The Russian ambassador to Romania requested the Romanian king to open the border between the two countries to facilitate the southward advance of Russian troops. They had previously followed this route, but the request was directly refused.

With Romania gaining independence from the Ottoman Empire, their objective was achieved, and they had no reason to continue their hostility towards the Ottomans.

Another deeper reason is that Romania is heavily controlled by Iranian capital. Iranian capital operates 54% of the timber processing, 28% of the textiles, and 65% of the railway transportation. Furthermore, 80% of agricultural products are transported from Constanta to Sukhumi. It can be said that the entire Romanian population depends on Iran for their livelihood.

Even after the Romanian Revolution of 1870, which put Prince Carol of the Hohenzollern branch on the throne, the new government did not give up on maintaining relations with Iran.

"Given the economic and trade relations between our country and Iran, we will not consider your country's request for the time being!" When the news reached St. Petersburg, the atmosphere in the Winter Palace instantly changed from one of confidence to one of shock and anger.

“That German! How dare he!” Alexander II practically spat out the words through gritted teeth. Romania’s refusal not only disrupted his military plans but also sent an extremely dangerous signal: their traditional sphere of influence had been attacked!

“Your Majesty,” Foreign Minister Gorchakov’s voice remained calm, but his tone was exceptionally heavy, “Romania’s betrayal means that we can no longer project power into the Balkans via the shortest and most convenient route. Our land route south has been blocked by a pro-Iranian buffer state. Now, we are left with only two paths: either force our way through Bessarabia, taking a longer detour with enormous logistical burdens, or we can only rely on the Black Sea Fleet.”

"Relying on the fleet?" Army Minister Marshal Milyukin immediately objected. "Without reliable land bases and supply lines, relying solely on naval transport and support is too risky! Naserdin's fleet strength is unknown, but they must have put effort into coastal defenses. We cannot repeat the mistakes of the Crimean War."

Russia had already begun preparations, doubling taxes on its citizens and stockpiling supplies. It was learning from the lessons of the Crimean War to avoid repeating the same mistake.

"We can't let this go!" The Tsar stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with resentment. "If the land route is blocked and the strait is threatened, then we will open up other fronts!"

The recently pacified Central Asia became Russia's route for southward expansion. Crossing the Syr Darya River, Russia captured important cities like Samarkand, and advanced all the way to Khorasan and Afghanistan, thus fundamentally altering the existing geographical landscape!

However, Romania's refusal had far-reaching consequences. It had a subtle demonstration effect in the Balkans.

In Bulgaria, those who had previously wavered between Russian Slavic fraternal propaganda and national benefits began to stir. They saw that even Romania, with its long-standing feud with the Ottomans, had chosen to cooperate with the new regime in Constantinople, even at the risk of offending the northern giant, suggesting that the development path offered by the Sultan might indeed be profitable and backed by powerful forces. Some Bulgarian local merchants and landowners began to more actively engage with imperial officials, inquiring about the possibility of participating in railway construction and mineral development. In Serbia, the rulers of the Obrenovich dynasty were gripped by deeper anxiety. They had always been one of Russia's most loyal allies in the Balkans, dreaming of realizing the ideal of a "Greater Serbia" with Russian assistance. But Romania's shift made them realize that the geopolitical balance was tilting. Continuing to blindly follow Russia could lead to isolation. Within the Belgrade court, cautious voices began to emerge calling for a reassessment of foreign policy.

Given this situation, the only option was to conquer Romania. The War Ministry revised its plan, deploying 45 troops divided into two army groups. The First Army Group would advance from Bessarabia, directly targeting Iasi and Bucharest; the Second Army Group would maneuver to the Carpathian Passes, cutting off any possible connection between Romania and Austria and creating a pincer movement. They would then cross the Danube at Giurgiu and advance towards Constantinople.

Meanwhile, another force marched south from the Caucasus, recapturing Tbilisi, Yerevan, and other cities. This force comprised 25 experienced troops from the Caucasus Military District. This forced Nasser al-Din to fight on two fronts, dispersing his forces and striking at his core region of Iranian Shah rule, thus destabilizing his rear.

In Central Asia, Russia is also preparing to deploy over 100,000 troops. The total Russian mobilization will reach 840,000 troops and 3500 artillery pieces. It can be said that Russia is gambling its future.

In response to Greece's reaction, Russia transferred over 100 million rubles to Greece through banks and promised Greece the Thessaly and Macedonia regions after a victory in the war. Russia also promised Bulgaria the realization of its dream of a Greater Bulgaria, and echoed the same promise to Serbia.

But all three countries included the Macedonian region. Russia sold three people for one piece of land, which shows they learned a lot of the British tricks. But they couldn't argue with the fact that the British actually fell for it.

The restoration of ancestral territories was something the Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians all desired. However, much of their territory overlapped, which should have led to conflict. Since these areas were currently occupied by the Ottomans, the priority was to defeat the Ottomans first before addressing other issues.

However, Iran had already been informed of such a large-scale military movement through its intelligence network. Iran's most important objective in the face of a Russian attack was to buy time. Therefore, the Danube River and the Caucasus Mountains, two natural barriers, were essential to utilize and defend.

In the Caucasus direction, the Caucasus Army Group was ordered to defend using the mountain fortifications, prioritizing the inflict of heavy casualties on Russian troops rather than the loss of individual cities or territories. Utilizing their familiarity with the terrain, they were instructed to conduct extensive mountain guerrilla warfare, harassing Russian supply lines.

The main battlefield is expected to be on the Danube River. Iran has begun constructing numerous forward observation posts, minefields, and obstacles along the Danube, equipped with elite snipers and mobile artillery squads. These positions are located on the south bank and large islands in the river. Relying on fortified permanent fortifications and artillery emplacements, a network of interlocking fire is being formed, with a focus on defending potential river crossing points.

These were all plans, and the wealth seized from Galata was used to fund the military. Another portion was used to repay a debt of 1.2 million riyals that was due to mature.

A preliminary conscription system is under construction. If the calculations are correct, an army of 20 men could be raised in the Ottoman Empire. Combined with the mobilization situation in Iran, the number could be comparable to that of Russia.

(End of this chapter)