NOVPUBStarting in May, the Ottoman Government subconsciously began to cut relief grain supplies; even bread mixed with leaves and sand could no longer be guaranteed.
Hunger is an undeniable feeling, and discontent was escalating among the refugees. News of food shortages spread through the camp like wildfire, with all kinds of rumors flying, causing widespread panic.
Within a refugee camp by the Persian border, Akeul, having just received his daily ration, left the distribution point dissatisfied.
A potato the size of his fist was all the food he had for the day. It was not enough for an adult, let alone a five or six-year-old child.
Oh, there were no more young children in the refugee camp; the youngest were boys around ten years old. During the years of famine, the first to die had always been the young children and the elderly.
The Empire was poor to begin with and having a full stomach had always been an extravagant hope for most of its citizens. Once one became a refugee, there was even less need to mention it.
After receiving his ration, Akeul immediately left with a few companions and family members. The camp wasn’t safe either, and without sticking together, you never knew when you might become someone else’s food.
Human decency is worthless in the face of hunger. Akeul had seen too many resort to cannibalism to survive, and now he dared not fully trust anyone.
"Akeul, you’re well-informed," a worried companion asked. "The food is getting scarcer by the day, what are we going to do moving forward?"
They were among the refugees with some scruples, having not resorted to eating human flesh even in hunger.
Of course, this principle was only for the present. If the situation continued, no one could guarantee they wouldn’t be assimilated.
Akeul answered bitterly, "All the food that could be found in the surrounding areas has been eaten by everyone. The army at the rear has blocked the roads, forbidding anyone to pass through.
If you don’t want to starve now, you can only take the risk of crossing the border and trying to make a living on Persian territory. I fear that the officials back home feel the same way; they would prefer us all to perish."
The situation had deteriorated to this extent; the former Sultan Government bore the primary responsibility. The government failed to control the refugees and provide effective relief, creating even more displaced people.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be nearly as many war refugees caused solely by the Russians.
After the initial outbreak of refugee crisis, the Ottoman Government failed to provide timely relief. As the number of refugees grew and begging was no longer enough to fill stomachs, many gave up their moral bottom line and began to rob the local population of food.
Once Pandora’s box was opened, it could not be closed again. The populace, stripped of their food by refugees, became new refugees themselves, and the cycle continued.
It was only after the war ended that the Ottoman Government began to address the refugee issue, by which time the situation had already spiraled out of control. 𝔫𝖔𝔳𝔭𝔲𝔟.𝖈𝔬𝔪
Harsh measures are used in chaotic times; in the process of providing relief to refugees, the Ottoman Government also took ruthless measures to suppress, barely managing to re-establish order.
By then, it was too late; the refugee crisis had become a nationwide crisis. Due to the previous inaction of the Ottoman Government, many among the refugees held deep resentment towards it.
Akeul was a craftsman, made a living in the city, and could barely read and write, holding some insight into the current affairs.
The Ottoman Young Turks had good propaganda and were well-regarded domestically, with many people placing high hopes in them, including Akeul.
He had thought that once the Youth Party took power, they would arrange for everyone to return home and resume production. Instead, under the pretense of dispersal and resettlement, they were deported to the borders.
Watching the rationed food diminish day by day, with the government giving no explanation, Akeul was gradually losing faith in the government.
Heading to Persia for a living was a rumor circulating in the refugee camp, largely a complaint that Persia had a bumper grain harvest this year, yet the government’s attempt to borrow grain from Persia had failed.
The border between the Ottoman Empire and Persia was long, and in some places, mountains and forests marked the division; it was very difficult to seal the border completely.
Already, some had taken the risk of crossing the border, but they never returned, and the situation on the other side remained unknown. Just a few kilometers away at the border, unfortunate souls caught by the Persians were hanging on poles.
"But what if we encounter the Persians? They’re all brutal and ruthless!"
Schinker John was trembling as he spoke, as if Persians were right before him.
Akeul shook his head, "It’s true that there’s a shortage of food in the country, and this war has created millions of refugees; the nation genuinely has no money. Expecting those officials to dip into their own pockets to buy grain for relief is just dreaming. You’ve probably heard it too. Someone has proposed a traditional culling of the population to get through the food crisis.
If this turns into reality, we common folk without any influence are likely to be purged."
"If we don’t run now, we’ll find it impossible to escape later. I’ve thought it through, we should leave now and disguise ourselves as wild vegetable foragers. If the Persians discover us, we’ll just insist we wandered in by mistake, at worst, we’ll take a beating,"
As Akeul spoke, he had no real confidence, but to survive, he had to urge everyone to run with him.
In this era, xenophobia was extremely severe. If someone entered a foreign land alone, how would they survive?
Now, with thousands of refugees along the border, the Persian people would surely take action to block them if they didn’t want their land overwhelmed by the refugee wave.
It was a matter of luck at this point; if they were unfortunate and encountered a military patrol, death would be in vain.
Getting off with just a beating would be considered a stroke of good fortune, a luxury only the lucky could afford. Most would be hanged as a warning to others.
…
Not far from the camp, within the Ottoman encampment, Major Shen Di’erc, who was responsible for executing the refugee expulsion plan, was at his wit’s end.
Despite spreading rumors to tempt the refugees and reducing food supplies to exert pressure, encouraging them to seek a living in Persia, those who successfully crossed the border were still too few.
"Few" was relative, for along the lengthy boundary, hundreds, sometimes even thousands of refugees entered Persia daily, prompting the Persian guards to tighten security.
But relative to the entire refugee population, this number was negligible. Watching the granaries empty day by day, Major Shen Di’erc was growing desperate.
"Gentlemen, our food supply will run out shortly. In half a month, we’ll face complete starvation. We must send the refugees away within this half-month, no matter what.
The Persians are vigilant now, and the success rate for refugees crossing the border is very low. Especially after the bloody massacres by the guards, many refugees dare not cross the border.
This situation must change, or else the consequences are clear to all."
A young officer, unable to bear it, asked, "General, is there really no other way? Considering the ruthless nature of the Persians, sending the refugees there, at best only one in ten or one in twenty will survive."
Major Shen Di’erc shook his head, "Even one in ten or two would be good, it’s better than staying here waiting to die. I must remind you, put away your pitiful sympathies.
You should know, there weren’t originally so many refugees; it is due to the sympathies of some that we have these current circumstances.
If no changes are made soon, all Ottomans will become refugees. The government’s reserves have long been depleted by war, the treasury is so empty mice could run through it. Even military operations to suppress rebellion have been halted to provide relief to refugees.
Let me tell you the bad news, this year’s domestic food yield is expected to be only about sixty percent of a normal year. If we do not send the refugees away, we’ll all starve before the autumn harvest."
In response to famine, the Ottoman Empire did have extensive experience. According to Turkish tradition, such times usually meant waging wars, reducing the population through conflict to overcome crises.
Regrettably, this ancient practice was increasingly outdated. With the advent of the Age of Hot Weapons, the Ottoman Empire was in decline and no longer had the strength for conquest.
After a brief silence, a middle-aged officer suggested, "General, the Persians have tightened their guard, and to let a large number of refugees through, we must first deal with the guards.
Why don’t we have our soldiers disguise as refugees and directly attack the Persian guards, tear open a hole with force, and let the refugees through?
For caution’s sake, we should clear the surrounding area of fifty miles, making sure refugees know there’s no food left around, to eliminate their hopes of returning."
"Clearing and emptying the fields" was a mere nothing to the Ottoman Empire at present; the area around the refugee camp for dozens of miles had already been devastated, and the local population turned into refugees themselves.
Having seen so much, people’s sympathies gradually faded, and many began to see refugees as a plague. This view wasn’t entirely wrong, as human nature can’t stand the test of hunger.
…
On the morning of May 18th, 1875, members of the Ottoman Army shed their military uniforms and, disguised as refugees, launched surprise attacks on the Persian border guards from multiple locations.
The Persian guards, caught off guard, were completely disoriented by the sudden onslaught. Before the Persian Government could react, a countless number of refugees followed immediately.
In a single day, over a million refugees crossed the border and poured into Persian territory. Guided by the Ottoman Army, the refugees rampaged through Persia like marauders, wreaking havoc.
And this was just the beginning; the Ottoman Government continued to drive domestic refugees into Persia, treating it as if it were a dumping ground for waste material.
