NOVPUBOn June 12, 1875, Austrian Ferdinand I passed away in Jerusalem. Following his last wish, Franz held a state funeral for him in Jerusalem.
Ferdinand I did not have a strong presence in Austria, nor did he make any notable contributions in his life, and he certainly did not have a bad reputation; he left the image of a "good old man" behind.
The funeral was grand, with all guests already present, having just attended Franz’s coronation ceremony and still sightseeing the landmarks and historical sites of Jerusalem.
Of course, that was just a courtesy expression. In reality, Jerusalem was one big construction site, with the city’s buildings being reconstructed according to the Vatican’s wishes; there was nothing pretty to look at.
The truth was that Franz had notified everyone, European nobility are all family, some closer, some more distant, but relatives all the same. Since they were already there, naturally they could not fail to pay their respects.
Ferdinand I was not a competent monarch, and in the eyes of the older generation of the Habsburg dynasty, he was a disgrace. However, to the younger generation, he was a qualified elder, and the atmosphere at the funeral was very solemn.
Under the influence of the mournful mood, Franz was not himself by the end of the funeral. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ordered their return to Vienna.
No one could persuade him otherwise; July was almost upon them, and staying in Jerusalem at that time of the season would be a disaster.
Those who wanted to stay there to nurture their spirit could stay if they wished, but Franz was not going to accompany them.
In the end, Empress Sophie, Maximilian I, their family of three, and several collateral members stayed behind, while Franz and the rest returned.
This was the result of Franz’s efforts, forcibly ordering his two brothers to go back. In these times, noble networking was also an important task; the Royal family could not be left unrepresented.
Besides, Franz also feared history repeating itself. In the original timeline, one of these two unfortunate souls caught a disease and perished after drinking water from the Jordan River on a pilgrimage.
The ones staying behind were different; they all had hermit tendencies, capable of staying indoors without leaving the house, never wandering around aimlessly.
…
Ankara, since accomplishing the diversion of disaster eastward, the situation within the Ottoman Empire had improved greatly, and social order was gradually being restored.
Every advantage has its disadvantage, though. Even as social order was stabilized, the Young Turks government, led by Midhat, still faced widespread condemnation from all sectors of society.
Armchair critics came up with countless reasons to lash out at the government for brutality, corruption, incompetence, bloodthirstiness...
Sultan Abdul Hamid II also criticized the government on multiple public occasions for serious negligence in dealing with the refugee issue.
These changes left the politically inexperienced Young Turks flustered and at a loss as to how to respond.
Foreign Minister Albij: "Grand Vizier, the Russians have used force to expel all refugees, with around five thousand people dying under the Tsarist army’s blade.
This is a diplomatic note from the Tsarist Government; the Russians demand that we immediately stabilize the situation and threaten to intervene militarily."
After taking the document, Midhat sighed. Normally, hearing that the Russians had slaughtered so many Ottoman people would make him rage with fury, but now it was reduced to just a number in his ears.
A weak nation has no diplomacy, and these people died in vain, as the Ottoman Empire could not possibly hold the Tsarist Government accountable.
After a moment of silence, Midhat slowly said, "Since they cannot go to the Russian Empire, let’s send them all to Persia!"
He paused, then added, "Have there been any disturbances in Austria, did the Vienna Government accept the refugees?"
It wasn’t that Midhat was heartless; he was simply forced by reality. With food shortages in the country, some people were destined to starve to death.
If he allowed the refugees to stay in the country, many areas that had restored production would be ruined, and then even more people would starve.
To save more lives, he had to be ruthless. This decision was also predicated on avoiding the interferences of the great powers, especially Austria.
Foreign Minister Albij: "No, the Austrians arrested all refugees under the charge of illegal entry, gathered them for a trial, and then they all ended up in prison."
The law does not punish the masses, which might work in a later age when Marianism rises, but in this era, it has no place. The Vienna Government acted according to the law, and nobody could find fault in it.
Midhat wanted to say more but held back. The outcome was bad, but not unacceptable. With Russia’s precedent, Midhat’s initial expectations were already low.
…
At this time, the situation in Persia also changed. As the refugee crisis snowballed and international intervention was stalled due to British meddling and the inability of nations to unify their opinions, the Persian Government realized the danger.
Persia was just an agricultural country, with limited productivity, totally incapable of settling so many refugees. Even simple relief efforts were beyond their capacity.
These locust-like uninvited guests were deeply loathed by the Persian people. They were truly unwilling to hand out money and grain to aid these individuals.
After repeated warnings went unheeded, the Persian Government once again showcased the sharpness of the "Persian Blade," and the massacre began.
Regardless of right or wrong, everyone was fighting for survival. Refugees wanted to live, needing more food, so they had to plunder; the Persian Government needed to protect the lives and property of its people, which meant eliminating these unwelcome guests.
Right when Franz set sail to return, the most brutal scene unfolded in the Persian region, where both sides fought a bloody battle.
Without any surprises, a disorganized mob was doomed to lose to a regular army, even with the Ottoman Government pulling strings.
But even the victorious Persians had a rough time, as their military took no prisoners, cutting off the refugees’ chance to surrender, which made the fight all the more fierce.
This was to be expected, perhaps just a greater loss. The most troublesome part was the sheer number of refugees; defeating them was easy, but completely annihilating them was difficult.
Even with the Persian Army on high alert, many groups of refugees still managed to infiltrate the hinterlands, causing unrest in the Persian countryside.
Driven by hatred, these refugees morphed into bandits, burning, killing, and looting along their way, with atrocities that even bandits and thieves would be ashamed of.
According to incomplete statistics, after the war, Persia’s total population decreased by 1.5 million, and its economy shrank by a quarter. One can only imagine the extent of the losses.
...
The tragedy in Persia quickly spread across the European Continent, but the impact was far less severe than Franz had imagined. Most European civilians were merely disinterested onlookers.
In this era, whether Ottomans or Persians, they were considered races without rights, and mainstream society simply did not take them seriously.
Apart from a minority in the Saint Party calling out for European countries to aid the refugees, most people watched indifferently. Struggling for a meal themselves, who would care about others?
For a day’s meals, most workers had to toil in the factories for over a dozen hours daily, without daring to fall ill or take days off, and the wages they earned were barely sufficient to keep them fed.
Asking the government to fund relief for Ottoman refugees, are you kidding? There were already plenty in desperate need of aid within the country, and the government couldn’t manage it all. Daring to give money to the enemy would be nothing short of blatant treason!
The Saint Party failed to stir any significant reaction before being drowned out by a barrage of criticism. The Ottoman Empire had not long fallen, and it would take a century or more before the hatred could be forgotten.
London
As one of the orchestrators of this tragedy, Prime Minister Gelson was quite satisfied with how things were unfolding. Even though the casualties were high, it was all worthwhile.
With such a significant loss of people at once, the internal conflicts of the Ottoman Empire had substantially eased, and the nail that constrained Austria was finally secured.
The refugees wreaking havoc in Persia also created an opportunity for Britannia to invade; it was truly killing two birds with one stone.
Foreign Minister McLean: "Your Excellency the Prime Minister, we have received a diplomatic note from the Ottoman Government. They hope we will fulfill our promise to provide them with funds to suppress the rebellion.
From the current situation, the greatest crisis in the Ottoman Empire has already passed, and the risk of providing them with loans has greatly decreased.
However, we cannot be sure, as the Persians are currently slaughtering the refugees. To survive, these people might return to the Ottoman Empire again.
Perhaps their numbers will be greatly reduced, but if as much as one-third return, the Ottoman Government will immediately be in a predicament again.
Moreover, having gone through this ordeal, these surviving refugees are likely to become troubled and no longer suit the role of law-abiding citizens. Essentially, they’ve learned bad habits and are unfit to be obedient citizens."
Prime Minister Gelson nodded: "It’s an inevitable outcome, but overall, the situation in the Ottoman Empire has improved.
As for these refugees turned rioters, let the Ottoman Government deal with them! Whether they are eliminated or strictly controlled, it’s none of our business.
Regardless, they did help us severely weaken the Persians, and they count as our friends; Britannia never treats its friends unfairly.
As long as we can verify that the Ottoman Government’s rule has stabilized and they are able to repay their debts, we can provide them with loans.
The Foreign Office can communicate with the French, if we’re to support a nail to constrain Austria, we can’t be the only ones to exert effort.
If the French are willing to make an effort, then the training of the Ottoman Army can be handed over to them."
