Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 645 Balkan Turmoil

Having done all they could, they naturally adopted a tit-for-tat diplomatic approach.

On February 4, France demanded that the Ottoman Empire pay 1.2 million riyals in compensation for the shelling of its naval warships, and also demanded the establishment of French concessions in Gaza, Alexandria, and Izmir.

Taking advantage of France's provocation, the smaller alliance also put forward its own demands. Simply put, they wanted the Ottomans to cede 95% of their territory in the Balkans. This unreasonable demand was outright rejected.

What more needs to be said? On February 10th, Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro declared war on the Ottoman Empire. Simultaneously, the Bulgarian National Independence Organization launched uprisings in Sofia and Burgas.

"finally come!"

When the news of the declaration of war arrived, Nasser al-Din breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he no longer had to play this game of appeasement with them; all conflict would be resolved on the battlefield.

According to the simulations of the hastily established Ottoman General Staff, the main strategy of the Small Alliance was to quickly occupy most of Macedonia and Thrace, completely expel Ottoman forces from Europe, and tie down a large number of Ottoman troops, preventing them from supporting the northern front.

France and Russia would then seize the opportunity to join in. After declaring war, Russian troops had already approached the Prut River, which borders Romania, and continued to put pressure on Romania.

"The cities of Sudan, Sofia, Burgas, and others have fallen into the hands of the insurgents, but Varna and Plovdiv remain under our control."

The Bulgarian uprising wasn't surprising; after all, seeing Greece and Serbia gain independence, they couldn't resist joining in. However, thanks to Sudan's policies, a portion of the Bulgarians sided with them, which was a very positive outcome.

"Hold the Danube Corps in place and dispatch the 1st, 4th, and 9th Divisions to quell the rebellion. What is the situation in Bosnia?"

"They withstood the Montenegrin army's attack, but could not stop the Serbian army. They were already very close to Sarajevo."

Chief of the General Staff Saidam Pasha reported to the Sultan on the current situation, stating that the Balkan rebellion, reported via telegram, was still quite serious.

If we include those Ottomans who supported the uprising or were allies, the total number of people the army had to fight against could have reached more than 500,000.

"Order the Macedonian and Thracian garrisons not to prioritize holding the cities. Utilize the mountains, rivers, and pre-existing fortifications for defense. Their task is to slow the advance of the main Greek and Serbian forces, maximizing the depletion of enemy manpower and supplies. Make the enemy pay with blood and time at every bridge and every pass."

"The frontline commanders are authorized to abandon some difficult-to-hold areas if necessary, but before retreating, they must destroy roads, railways, and warehouses, implementing a scorched-earth policy. Also, inform the Bosnian defenders that they must hold out for at least three weeks! Buy time for the legion to return to reinforce!"

"Yes"

As Saidham Pasha was leaving, he ran into Amir. The two exchanged a brief glance and then immediately parted ways.

"Shah, this is Russia's ultimatum, demanding that we agree to the demands of Serbia and Greece, or they will send troops themselves!"

Nasserdin didn't even read the ultimatum; he tore it up immediately.

"There's no need to report this; the Russians are always so direct. The teacher probably already knows the situation; even Crimea isn't this bad. Russia, Britain, and France—this time they've truly met their match." Amir had long anticipated this, given Iran's growing power and its steps towards unifying the Middle East. This would inevitably offend Britain, France, and Russia, and war with them was only a matter of time.

Besides, it's just a gamble. If you win, you have everything; if you lose, you just start over. Of course, Iran will also fall into the abyss, but it won't be too badly affected.

"This was indeed the most stressful time, but it's remarkable that Shah didn't surrender directly like other countries."

Everything in the world boils down to self-interest. If Britain is willing to cooperate with its arch-enemy France for its own benefit, then there's nothing to worry about. Only by thoroughly inflicting pain on them will they see the results of Iran's reforms over the years.

After listening to Amir's words, Nasser al-Din recovered.

"The teacher is right. This is a gamble, a gamble on the fate of the nation, a gamble on the destiny of the next hundred years. Britain, France, and Russia thought that by joining forces they could easily crush us, just as they had crushed countless other challengers in the past. But they forgot that we are not the Mughals, much less the stagnant old Ottomans."

Amir began his analysis for Nasser al-Din.

"Shah, our disadvantages are obvious: at sea we face the combined British and French fleet, in the Balkans we have to deal with the Greek-Serbian-Montenegro coalition and the Bulgarian uprising, and on the northern front we have to defend against the main Russian force that is about to move south."

Moreover, whether in terms of total naval tonnage, industrial capacity, or overall financial strength, we cannot compare with the combined total of Britain, France, and Russia.

Furthermore, the newly formed empire was plagued by complex ethnic and religious conflicts within the Ottoman Empire. Although these conflicts had been addressed, the empire remained highly vulnerable to exploitation by external powers during wartime.

Even a single flaw in this system, if exploited by the enemy, could cause enormous damage.

“But,” Amir changed the subject, “they may not see our advantages.”

"We are fighting on our own soil, with vast depths in Anatolia and the Iranian Plateau. The enemy is on a long march with long supply lines, while we know every inch of the land and the climate."

The Anglo-French-Russian alliance was far from monolithic. Britain's bottom line was the Suez Canal and India, France's McMahon desired a swift victory to consolidate its power, and the Russians were solely focused on conquering the Channel and Constantinople. Their strategic objectives were fundamentally conflicting, and this was our opportunity. If we could withstand the initial, fiercest offensive and drag them into a protracted war, the cracks between them would become apparent.

As for the most fundamental economic aspects, war is one of the steps that drives heavy industry and technological progress. This war can also test Iran's developing financial system, and the patriotism of the people is beginning to surge. They will certainly issue national bonds, and it shouldn't be a problem for them to sustain themselves for a year.

“Send a telegram to Baghdad, saying that the royal family will contribute 500 million to buy government bonds, and hope that others will also buy them.”

Nasserdin is going all out this time. Since it's a war fought by the entire nation, those who profited from industrial development must also contribute a portion of their wealth. If Iran loses, their interests will also suffer. They don't want that, do they?

"Shah!" Amir was also shocked by Nasser al-Din's generosity. The royal family had never spent so much money at once before; now, the military expenses were secured.

"I don't want to say anything more. I've done everything I can. Now it's up to the soldiers. They are our protectors."

(End of this chapter)