NOVPUBVienna Palace had just received the good news of Ava’s capture when Franz hadn’t even had time to rejoice before bad news followed right on its heels.
Franz didn’t care about the reasons provided by the Russians. The massacre had become a fact, and it was too difficult to keep a secret with so many participants involved. What was needed now was to manage the aftermath.
If this had happened at another time, it wouldn’t have mattered. The reputation of the Russian bear was already poor, and adding the nickname "Butcher" wouldn’t make much difference.
Massacres rarely happened in Europe, but similar actions were common. On the surface, looting seemed more civilized than massacres, but often, looting resulted in almost the same consequences. With all the food plundered, how were the people to live?
Before the 19th century, the main reason for the stagnant population on the European Continent was the looting that accompanied wars, which led to the deaths of many civilians from lack of food.
As for the colonies, it goes without saying that no one was much cleaner than anyone else. It’s just that Colonial Empires controlled the narrative of the world, and everyone pretended not to see.
Foreign Minister Weisenberg said, "Your Majesty, news of Ava’s massacre definitely can’t be concealed. We need to take immediate action to manage the situation.
We’re not worried about public sentiment, since the people won’t care about the fate of the Ottomans. At most, they’ll express a few sentiments, but the trouble comes from the British. If the London Government takes advantage of the situation, it would be highly disadvantageous for us politically."
Fine, this is directly assuming that it was a Russian Army massacre, without any faith in the Russians’ explanation.
Franz didn’t believe the Russians’ explanation either. He believed that there was fierce resistance from the locals, but the idea that everyone would jump out to resist the Russian invasion was absurd.
The Ottoman Empire was a multi-ethnic nation, with many ethnic groups dreaming of independence. Since the outbreak of the war, the Vienna Government had already made contact with leaders of several ethnic groups within the Ottoman interior.
Greek people, Armenians, Jews, Arabs, Kurds, and other ethnic groups all had tendencies toward independence.
Encouraging them to rebel might have made them hesitate, but expecting them to lay down their lives for the Ottoman Empire was definitely impossible.
Were there no ethnic minorities in Ava City? This claim would hardly be believed by anyone. To cover up the past, some people needed to be left behind to testify, didn’t they?
Given the severe ethnic tensions within the Ottoman Empire, under normal circumstances, it wouldn’t be difficult to find a handful of oppressed minorities to testify against them; who cared about the truth in the face of hatred?
Perhaps many would cheer and say the Russians did a good job. Not to mention these oppressed people, even within Austria itself, there would be many cheering for the Russians.
Prime Minister Felix said, "Napoleon III has just died, and Napoleon IV has just ascended the throne; internal conflicts are enough to keep him busy for now, and the French won’t have the energy to get involved in the Near East war in the short term.
If the Paris Government is just making noise without taking any actual action, then the London Government can’t really do much either.
The Prussians, busy with the annexation of Poland, won’t care about the fate of their Ottoman allies. Perhaps they are even glad that this event occurred as it helps distract international attention.
The war in Ava was entirely a Russian undertaking; it doesn’t implicate us at all. As long as the Russians firmly deny involvement, this can be dragged on indefinitely.
The world is not at peace, with news happening at every moment. If we handle it coldly for a while and wait for new news to emerge, public opinion will become distracted."
This approach was somewhat cunning; the Tsarist Government would bear all the pressure. Austria had no troops on the ground and could easily distance itself from the situation.
After hesitating for a moment, Franz made a decision, "There’s no need to hurry. Let’s leave this choice to the Tsarist Government.
Either the Russian Army disciplines its troops to avoid similar incidents, or they continue their campaign of killing all the way down, which, although opposed by many, is equally supported by others.
The Ottoman Empire has been the nightmare of Europe, and now that it can be thoroughly cured, it is unlikely that people will resist. The Russians already have a bad name; being a little worse won’t matter."
Dead men tell no tales. Since the Russian Army started the debacle, the Tsarist Government should come forth to manage the situation; Franz didn’t want to take the fall for someone else.
Perhaps for the Tsarist Government, it might even be a good thing. The Russian people have never feared a brutal Tsar towards enemies, and the Ava massacre could even distract domestic attention.
No matter what, as long as victory was secured, the Tsarist Government could use the prestige brought by the war to suppress any backlash caused by reforms.
…
In St. Petersburg, Alexander II’s face was terribly grim. At a crucial moment, there had been a failure, and the true nature of the "Ava massacre" was not important; what mattered was how to deal with the aftermath.
No matter what, it was the Russian Army that killed the people, and even if they denied it, they couldn’t stop the overwhelming public opinion; this responsibility could not be shirked.
Alexander II discarded the document in his hand with a flick of his wrist, and with a cold snort said, "Hmph!" He then turned his back to everyone and asked, "What is the stance of the Vienna Government, as they are responsible for the diplomacy of this war?"
Indeed, Russia and Austria had their divisions of responsibility. Diplomacy, an area in which the Tsarist Government was not skilled, wasn’t something they would seize.
After a series of harsh societal lessons, Alexander II had come to a sober realization that diplomacy was not child’s play and couldn’t be resolved on a whim.
Foreign Minister Chris Basham stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Vienna Government has made a promise: they will handle appeasing the European nations, but they are powerless regarding international public opinion."
This answer was somewhat unexpected for Alexander II. In his view, since this incident was caused by the Russian Army and had such repercussions, the Vienna Government should also be worried, so how could they readily agree to it?
In contrast, public opinion was never a concern for Alexander II; if the newspapers wanted to vilify him, then let them. After all, he had grown accustomed to it. If there came a day when there wasn’t a single piece of news in the European newspapers chastising the Tsarist Government, that would be the real "news".
"It can’t be that simple, can it? The Vienna Government agreed so readily, what is Franz up to?"
This is the experience that Alexander II had gathered from dealing with Austria – basically, whenever the Vienna Government agreed readily, there would be additional conditions.
Foreign Minister Chris Basham awkwardly explained, "The Vienna Government proposes two options: either we enforce military discipline to avoid similar events from happening, or we continue the massacre."
Upon hearing this answer, Alexander II was initially startled but then saw a glint of opportunity.
"Sacking" would incite international criticism, heighten the Ottoman People’s will to resist, and also encourage more people to flee.
It was not easy to drive the local population away, but a dreaded army with the notoriety of "butchers" might just send most people running for the hills.
No matter how hard the Ottoman Empire tried, it would be impossible to confine all of its people to one place; such a difficult task was beyond the capability of a feudal empire.
Only by creating panic and getting a large number of Ottoman People to join the ranks of refugees could the Allied Forces claim strategic victory.
As the Russian Army swept across the lands, refugees alone might be enough to bring down the Ottoman Empire. People need food, and if the Sultan Government cannot solve this problem for them, desperate people are capable of anything.
If the rear is in chaos how can one fight at the front? Alexander II did not believe that the supplies stockpiled by the Ottoman Empire for the frontlines would suffice for the war’s consumption.
After giving it some thought, Alexander II still dared not make a hasty decision and asked those present, "What do you think?"
Finance Minister Kristanval said, "Your Majesty, it’s a matter of finding the right degree. The Ottomans number in the tens of millions; it’s not possible to kill them all, and the international community would not tolerate it.
The Austrians’ intent is to create a climate of panic to force the population from the coastal areas inland, not to actually slaughter all the Ottomans.
If we really push the Ottomans into a corner and exhaust all options to a bloody end, this war could become endless. We have been dragging our feet for too long. Let’s defeat the Ottoman Empire first, forcing them to cede territories and pay indemnities.
To destroy the Ottoman Empire is not an overnight task; we must be prepared for a protracted war.
Launching a war against the Ottoman Empire every decade or two and gradually eroding them is the best choice."
This "best choice" was based on finances; the resources of the Tsarist Government were limited. If they outright destroyed the Ottoman Empire, they would be unable to cope with the aftermath, and it would merely benefit the Austrians.
After pondering for a while, Alexander II nodded, "Send a telegram to the frontlines; we’ll proceed with that plan. Remember to tell that fool Ivanov that he must fight well in the upcoming battles.
I don’t want to see another blunder like this one. The Russian Empire cannot withstand such turmoil. If he can’t handle it, he should come home early."
As the supreme commander of the Russian military, Ivanov bore inescapable responsibility for the outbreak of the "massacre" in Ava.
As for the actual perpetrators, even if accountability had to be established, it was not for Alexander II to personally handle. Otherwise, what would be the purpose of having subordinates?
Dealing with issues that are beyond one’s rank is taboo in any country. If the Tsar takes care of everything, what are the ministers there for?
Once these people become idle, infighting is bound to erupt. A glance at history reveals that most factional disputes ignite because the ministers are overly idle.
Being idle could lead to undesirable thoughts. Today I’m plotting against you, tomorrow you’re scheming against me. Over time, internal strife ensues, and nothing else is accomplished.
"The more you do, the more mistakes you make; the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; if you do nothing, you make no mistakes." Once this twelve-word motto becomes the norm of official conduct, the country is in for tragedy.
... 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓅𝓊𝓫.𝒸ℴ𝓶
After the bloodbath, Ava became a foreboding place, where even walking on its streets could send shivers down one’s spine.
After all, the Russian Army was an outsider and couldn’t possibly search every nook and cranny; some escaped their net.
Akeul and his disciples were among the lucky ones, hiding in the cellar of a smithy during the chaos and escaping disaster.
In the dead of night, the Russian military had already returned to the camp. With the people of Ava City wiped out, there was no reason for them to keep a tight guard.
The few that slipped through were not of much concern to the Russians. During the fight, many had already taken the opportunity to flee.
With so many Russian soldiers involved, secrecy was impossible. And it was beyond the Russians to eliminate all witnesses to maintain it.
Rather than expending energy on the potential survivors, it was more worthwhile to consider the next steps in battle. Having people escape could help spread panic; perhaps there would be no need to forcibly evacuate anyone, as the surrounding villages might already be deserted.
...
