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Thanks to the merit of the telegraph, the events in Persia spread quickly across the European Continent and shocked the world in an instant.
In Jerusalem, as one of the first to learn about the Ottomans’ actions, Franz was also shocked by the decisiveness of the Ottoman Young Turks.
It wasn’t the best choice, but it was the most suitable one for the Ottoman Government. In the face of depleted finances, displacing refugees to neighboring countries was the most effective way to get through the crisis.
Austria and Russia couldn’t be offended, for they had sealed their borders, only allowing a few to slip through; thus, they could only crack down on Persia, the softer target, with all their might.
As for the horrific consequences that ensued, weren’t the British underwriting it? The London Government desired to see Persians beaten down, and with the British intervening, the matter would likely be played down to triviality or resolved quietly.
Franz asked with concern, "In recent times, how many Ottomans have entered illegally?"
Despite Austria being unsuitable for smuggling, under the pressure of starvation, the number of illegal Ottoman entries had surged recently.
Felix replied, "Roughly more than 80,000, of which 78,000 have been caught. The guards have tried to capture as few as possible, but some Ottomans, driven by hunger, deliberately sought out the guards to be taken.
According to the law, these people violated Austrian law and must be punished. The guards had no choice but to arrest them."
Franz unscrupulously thought that it was probably not just a portion who deliberately got caught, but many who intentionally presented themselves for capture.
On the brink of starvation, who cared about the consequences of being captured? The worst outcome was to be killed on the spot by the guards, which would serve as a release.
Besides, whether they were sent back to their country or sentenced to prison, wouldn’t the Austrians have to feed them first? If they could score a full meal, that was already a win.
After contemplating for a moment, Franz made a decision, "Sentence them according to our laws. The Arabian Peninsula needs reforestation and grass planting, so let these people stay to plant grass and trees.
Once their service is complete, then they’ll be repatriated back to the Ottoman Empire; by then, the Ottoman Government should have the capacity to take them back."
The dignity of the law must be upheld. No matter the reason, those who violate the law must be held accountable.
As for finishing their service and being repatriated, that was directly overlooked. By Austrian law, illegal entry meant a minimum of five years, with collective offenses receiving doubled penalties.
By the time these people finish their service, they would likely be worn out. For a long period in the future, the Arabian Peninsula will be fallow, desolate, saving a lot from not needing guards.
In those days, being in an Austrian prison was tough, especially for repeat offenders.
Whether assigned to the mines or building railroads, one had to complete daily tasks to earn the next day’s food. Otherwise, starve!
Now that human rights were not a concern, no one was responsible for starvation deaths. It was best not to fall ill, for the chances of survival were very slim.
The entire society was like this. The lifespan of workers after entering factories was only about a decade, even after the Vienna Government tightened its management.
Not to mention the prisons, those serving over ten years should not expect release. Surviving beyond five years was a blessing from God.
Foreign Minister Weisenberg stated, "Your Majesty, the Persian Government protests the Ottoman Empire’s atrocities in the international community, requesting our intervention in this event.
The Persians are quite sincere, and if we intervene, our influence in the Persian region can increase. Considering the upcoming strategies, the foreign ministry believes I need to be involved."
Intervention was necessary, for Austria was now the "enemy" of the Ottoman Empire. How could they not indulge in the opportunity to complicate the enemy’s situation?
If the Vienna Government didn’t act upon such a delivered excuse, everyone would likely think something was amiss.
Intervention was compulsory, but the diplomatic finesse needed to be tested. Faced with an enemy riddled with weakness, selective strikes were essential to avoid accidentally delivering a fatal blow.
Franz instructed, "Form an international investigation team and create diplomatic trouble for the Ottomans. The British will likely meddle, let them handle it.
As for Persia, it’s not our target for expansion. If the British are willing to pay the price, let them have it."
Austria now needed time to develop the African Continent and lacked the resources to continue expanding into South Asia. Thus, accepting Persians and confronting the British was strategically unreasonable.
Franz disliked betraying allies, so the benefits promised by the Persians had to be regretfully forsaken.
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Of course, all these are predicated on the British being willing to pay the price; otherwise, stabbings in the back are unavoidable.
With international relations having evolved to this point, the likelihood of England, France, and Austria breaking into large-scale conflict in the short term has become infinitesimally small. The most common tactics used in the future will mostly involve backstabbing.
This is somewhat similar to the original timeline, where the collapse of the Colonial Empires and the spread of nationalism were actually the result of imperialist nations stabbing each other in the back.
...
In St. Petersburg, the Tsarist Government was also troubled by the sudden influx of refugees. Although the number entering the Russian Empire was not as many as in Persia, the unit of count was still in the tens of thousands.
The Caucasus region is mountainous, which is not conducive to the passage of large armies and is very advantageous for defense. But it’s also advantageous for refugees to sneak in, as they can simply slip through from any mountaintop.
The border guards are powerless to defend, unless they deploy heavy troops on every hilltop; otherwise, refugees will pour in unabated.
Of course, the mountains also have their benefits, at least stopping some refugees who lack the physical strength. Those who managed to enter the Russian Empire were mostly the young and strong; the elderly and weak mostly died on the climb.
For some countries, increasing their workforce might be a good thing, but this definitely does not include the Russian Empire.
As one of the most populous countries in Europe, Russia has more than enough people. Coupled with the low levels of industrialization and limited demand for labor, the Tsarist Government simply has no love for the refugees.
Alexander II said listlessly, "Send someone to contact the Austrians and ask if they still need labor."
In order to develop the African Continent, Austria has been recruiting immigrants throughout the European Continent. This is done in the name of Civil Colonial Companies, and the Russian Empire is also one of the major sources of immigrants.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chris Basham explained, "Your Majesty, the Austrian Colonial Company has never accepted Ottomans; they will not take these refugees."
It’s true that Austro-Africa lacks people, but they are not desperate for just anybody. Unfortunately, the Ottomans are excluded; the colonial government has clear regulations that organizing illegal immigration is punishable by forced labor in mines.
Not only will the enforcers be out of luck, but even the shareholders of the Colonial Companies will be held accountable. Vienna Government regulates this very strictly, those who dare to defy the law are fined to the point of bankruptcy.
Alexander II, unwilling to give up, asked, "What about the American Countries? Is there anyone willing to take this batch of refugees?"
Alexander II was now very eager for someone to take over, no matter the price, as long as these people could be dealt with, it would be a win. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Chris Basham shook his head, "Your Majesty, if they were black slaves, there might be a chance to sell them, but if they are ***," Basham continued, "they simply cannot be sold.
Capitalists and Plantation Owners only like obedient black slaves; they have no interest in Ottomans. If they could have been sold, Austria would not have deported all Ottomans back to their country."
The slave trade was nominally suppressed by European countries, yet it has always existed behind the scenes. Even the British, who championed abolitionism, were surreptitiously continuing with it.
When it comes to interest, capitalists have never had integrity. They only abstain because the profits are not high enough. Austria’s ability to replace workers on the African Continent is the result of the Vienna Government subsidizing labor output companies.
If the Tsarist Government were willing to pay, none of these issues would be problematic. During this era, American Countries are rather mediocre; despite needing immigrants, the governments rarely actively recruit immigrants from Europe.
On one hand, immigration costs are high, and on the other, locals fear losing jobs to immigrants. The public is generally against foreign immigration; the government needs to please the voters, so naturally, they can’t act against their interests.
Unfortunately, Alexander II’s reluctance to take these refugees is essentially because he does not want to spend the money. The Russian Empire’s industry is underdeveloped, lacking in positions to accommodate refugees.
Even sending them to mines is a loss-making business. This would steal jobs from the original miners, exacerbating social conflicts.
After a moment of hesitation, Alexander II furrowed his brows and made a decision, "Order the border troops to deport these people back to the Ottoman Empire. If more refugees enter—kill them!
Have the Foreign Ministry warn the Ottoman Government that, if they are unable to maintain order within their country, we would be all too happy to send troops to assist."
"Reputation" is of some use to others, but for the Tsarist Government, things are already as bad as they can get, so it cannot really get any worse.
Not ordering the massacre of the refugees is already a consideration of international impact by Alexander II. Otherwise, given the animosity between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, killing them all would have been the norm.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Chris Basham replied.
