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When the London Government chose to watch and wait, war became inevitable. The decision by England and France didn’t come as a surprise to the Sultan Government; after all, Austria and Russia were the enemies this time. Without sufficient interest, how could England and France be expected to fight desperately on their behalf?
According to the original plan, Abdul-Aziz I believed that the Prussians would restrain the Russians from behind, and they would only need to face Austria. Asking England and France to intervene, and giving up some interests, Austria would most likely back off.
This was not without basis, as early as ten years ago the Vienna Government had proposed to the Sultan Government to purchase sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula, and three years ago they proposed to buy the sovereignty of the Palestine region.
Of course, the transaction was not concluded, as the Sultan Government feared that once Austria got hold of these regions, it would become even more ambitious and continue to gnaw at the Ottoman Empire.
Business not concluded, righteousness remained; in politics, this was inapplicable. After the failed purchase attempts, the Vienna Government didn’t give up but kept infiltrating these areas, forcing the Sultan Government to make concessions.
Because Jerusalem was involved, the Sultan Government, heavily influenced by religion, dared not compromise, and relations between the two countries continued to deteriorate.
At the Ankara Palace, ever since receiving the news of the diplomatic failure, Abdul-Aziz I’s fury had flared up. In the past two days alone, three maids had died, and many had been punished.
"Why are you silent now? Didn’t you assure me, with utmost certainty, that the European nations do not want to see Austria continue its expansion?"
Listening to Abdul-Aziz I’s sarcasm, everyone respectfully bowed their noble heads, appearing to listen to a lesson.
This did nothing to abate Abdul-Aziz I’s rage, as in recent years the reforms in the Ottoman Empire had not gone smoothly. Although the Conservative faction was hit hard in the previous internal conflict, a new Conservative faction had emerged.
Abdul-Aziz I had not failed to try changing this situation; it was genuinely beyond his power. This was the fault of his predecessor, who failed to change the system in time, leading to the birth of new vested interest groups.
In fact, the former Sultan had also been compelled. After the defeat in the Near East War and the loss of the Balkan Peninsula, the Ottoman Empire was severely weakened. With rebellions breaking out internally, compromises were necessary to stabilize the domestic situation.
The War Minister, Koksar Toputan, braced himself and stepped forward: "Your Majesty, given the current situation, we should prepare for war.
The situation now is extremely serious, unlike any previous wars. The enemy comes not only from the land but also from the sea.
Any port could become a point of landing for the enemy. We cannot make accurate judgments and can only defend passively, which puts us under tremendous military pressure."
The Ottoman Empire had already started its military preparations, except that the efficiency of the Sultan Government’s bureaucracy wasn’t great, and even up to now, they weren’t ready for war.
Koksar Toputan was being very tactful, stopping just short of saying outright that this war could not be won and that it was best to prepare for the aftermath!
On land, we share borders with the Caucasus region, the Palestine region, and the Arabian Peninsula; the border line is over a thousand kilometers no matter how you look at it.
At sea, the length of our coastline is as long as the potential routes of enemy attack. The navy of the Ottoman Empire does not have the strength to protect the security of the Empire.
Abdul-Aziz I suppressed his anger: "Mobilize all the citizens for a Holy War, everyone regardless of age or gender must fight the enemy; this is…"
…
The Ottoman Empire was desperate, a fact that nevertheless drew Franz’s attention. Once a religious state erupted, it could be incredibly fanatical.
For the sake of safety, on February 16, 1874, Franz decided to sever commercial trade between the two countries, to withdraw the embassy and expatriates stationed in the Ottoman Empire and to expel the Ottomans within the Empire.
The evacuation was not forced; those who wished to stay were not coerced. On the brink of war, relations between the two countries were already very strained, and Franz had no time to persuade anyone.
Frankly, the more fiercely the Ottoman Empire resisted, the more beneficial it was for Austria. If they collapsed at the first blow, it would ruin the subsequent plays – Austria’s army couldn’t just play dead, could it?
Playing dead was actually simple – send in an Italian army and anything could happen in a battle.
This time, Franz had a similar plan in case the Ottoman Empire was defeated too severely, then they could give it a try.
But this was also uncertain. According to the military, any army sent to fight the Ottoman Empire could sweep across it.
Especially concerning religion, fighting with the advantage – it may not be impossible for the Italians to fight. After all, the Austrian Italian Region had been influenced by Teuton culture from a young age, with military training, and could not be uniformly judged.
The government’s higher-ups knew the purpose of this war – it wasn’t to annihilate the Ottoman Empire but to stage a grand play for the strategy in Europe.
Compared to sabotaging competitors on the European Continent, the declining Ottoman Empire was not worth mentioning at all. Controlling the pace and advancing steadily was the best choice.
At the Vienna Palace, during the military conference.
Army Minister Albrecht: "Your Majesty, taking into consideration our strategic needs, the Army Department recommends launching an offensive from the Middle East Region.
The war can proceed on two fronts, one from the Arabian Peninsula and the other from the Palestine region.
We’ll deploy four infantry divisions, four artillery brigades, and recruit a native troop of eighty thousand from Africa, advancing steadily in unison.
The Ottoman Empire’s rule over the Arabian Peninsula is nominal; the enemy cannot deploy heavy troops there, so just one infantry division, one artillery brigade, plus twenty thousand native cannon fodder will suffice."
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"The rest of the troops were concentrated in the Palestine region, and due to Jerusalem’s highly significant religious status, the Ottoman Empire would not easily let go; it would be the main battlefield of this war."
"The plan seems quite good, requiring the deployment of just over sixty thousand regular troops. The cost of the war would not be high, sparing the treasury any significant strain."
"Eighty thousand cannon fodder troops were decisively ignored by Franz. Such a level of troops hardly cost anything."
"These troops would fully rely on pillage for their pay, with ’fed and clothed’ as their welfare; each soldier would receive two sets of military uniforms, and their equipment could be either retired rifles or long spears and swords."
Foreign Minister Weisenberg questioned, "General Albrecht, do you think the Russians would agree to such a military deployment?"
The answer was quite obvious. The Tsarist government was not foolish. Austria’s military deployment was entirely focused on grabbing territory without directly confronting the main forces of the Ottoman Empire, thus throwing most of the pressure onto Russia."
Albrecht explained calmly, "The issue is quite simple. We have naval superiority, which allows us to land at any location."
"At the start of the war, there’s no need to collide head-on. Our navy will be responsible for escorting and covering Russian troops as they make probing landings at various ports, completely disrupting the Ottoman military deployment."
"The transportation networks on the Asia Minor Peninsula are very poor. Once the enemy has deployed their troops, attempting to reshuffle them would not be a task accomplished in a day or two."
"We can completely avoid their strengths and exploit their weaknesses, finding areas where their troop deployments are thin to execute our landing plans."
"After landing, we don’t necessarily have to push forward. When their troops have been diverted, we can rely on our naval advantage to change the point of attack."
"In every place we attack, we’ll employ a scorched earth policy, destroying all facilities we can, and expelling the local population inland, causing trouble for the Sultan government." 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝒐𝒎
"In a year at most, we’ll have shattered the coastal areas of the Ottoman Empire. These regions happen to be the last essence of the Empire. Preliminary estimates suggest they will lose half of their industry, over sixty percent of their economy, and will face millions of war refugees."
"By then, either the Sultan government will compromise, or it will collapse; they have no third option. To complete this plan, one hundred and fifty thousand Russian troops would be more than sufficient."
"Neither us nor the Russians would need to pay too high a price, and I see no reason why the Tsarist government would refuse."
Franz was startled inwardly; he couldn’t deny this strategy was ruthless. Without a major battle, the Ottoman Empire would be dragged down."
Indeed, dragged down. Several million war refugees were not so easily resettled. The Ottoman Empire was not exactly a major food-producing country, barely self-sufficient; where would the Sultan government find so much food?
"Keep in mind that their grain-producing lands are mostly in the coastal plains. Destroying the coastal areas also destroys the Ottoman Empire’s agricultural production."
"Of course, theoretically, the Ottoman Empire cannot be completely blockaded; they can still import grain from the Persian region."
Glancing at a map of the Middle East, Franz knew this was an impossible task. Without railways, relying on ox carts and horse-drawn carriages, one can estimate that most of the grain would be consumed en route from Persia to Ankara."
"Even England and France, the two financiers, cannot afford this terrifying rate of consumption. If the Ottoman Empire manages to hold out for a year, it would be a miracle."
Franz frowned. "In that case, the Ottoman Empire would be grievously weakened. How will the play proceed afterward?"
This was the crux of the problem: how to convince England and France that Austria’s rearguard was unstable and that Austria had no capacity to strive for dominance in Europe in the short term if the Ottoman Empire was wracked by this ordeal?
A shadow passed over Albrecht’s face as he slowly uttered two words: "Hatred!"
"Only if the Russians act in a way that enrages heaven and resentment in man, making the Ottomans wish to eat their flesh and crush their bones, then they will continue to persist."
"It doesn’t have to be the Sultan government; even a new regime would do. There are severe internal conflicts in the Ottoman Empire, and there is a great possibility of a revolution breaking out once the situation deteriorates."
"A nascent authority would emerge, reforming the country’s political system, making it appear stronger on the surface. This outcome should lead to a misjudgment by England and France."
Seeing everyone lost in thought, Albrecht added, "War is not child’s play. If we deliberately pull punches against the Ottoman Empire, the problem would be obvious to anyone."
"This war plan is not difficult, and the Russians too could come up with it. When they bring it up on their own, we lack a legitimate excuse to refuse."
Franz nodded in agreement with this point. Such a simple war plan could be figured out by anyone with a bit of military knowledge; it was just a matter of time."
"It would be absurd to forsake our maritime advantage and insist on a foolish head-on confrontation; if that got out, Franz wouldn’t bear the shame."
"First, communicate with the Russians to see if the Tsarist government has any objections. If our plans are roughly in alignment, then let’s proceed with this!"
Handing over the task of stirring up enmity to the Russian army was something Franz was absolutely content with; they hardly needed any direction, just playing their part naturally."
The repercussions of a deep-seated vendetta were willfully ignored by Franz. The more debts, the less worry. With centuries of hatred accumulated between them, what was there to fear?
"Following the set strategy, if the Ottoman Empire somehow survives, it is destined to become a minor state in the future. Beneath Austria’s watchful eye, they stand no chance of a recovery."
