Chapter 767: An Unexpected Incident
Chapter 750 Unexpected Incident
Events fermented too quickly, European dignitaries were dumbfounded. Negotiations broke down so quickly, this is completely out of order!
Under normal circumstances, isn’t it always the case that the first quarrel for a few months, and then only after making preparations for war and mobilizing the emotions of the civil society, does it officially turn the other cheek?
Mediation must be mediated, even if it is for the sake of brushing the sense of presence, it is necessary to make a statement.
Before April was over, the Vienna government had received diplomatic notes from a dozen countries, all calling for calm and peace.
Perhaps impressed by the sincerity of all, the Vienna government made concessions and decided to restart the second round of negotiations on April 29, 1882, although the countries’ offers of international mediation were politely declined.
……
Influenced by the tensions in the Near East, Sir Gladstone, known as Britain’s greatest prime minister, was now also sullen.
Gladstone: “Gentlemen, the situation has become very obvious. The Austrian government is determined to start a war, and the massacre is just an excuse for them.
Standing for Britain, I don’t want to see anything that breaks the stability of the Near East happen. Unfortunately, France is in the midst of a civil war, and we can’t intervene even if we wanted to.
What we are going to discuss today is: how to ensure that Britannia’s interests will not be shocked after the situation in the Near East has changed drastically.”
Foreign Secretary George: “A shock is inevitable, at least our interests in the Ottoman Empire are destined to be unprotected.
If we simply want to make up for the losses caused by the war, we can still exchange interests with Austria.
However, I do not recommend this. Judging from the current situation, an Ottoman defeat is a matter of time.
What will happen then is hard to say. If the Austrians just want to beat up the Ottomans to divert domestic conflict, that’s fine.
If Austria annexes the Ottoman Empire in one bite, the threat to us will be too great.”
After saying that, George got up and walked over to the hanging map, pointing with his smoking gun, “There’s just one Persia left from India.”
This was a reality that had to be faced squarely. The Ottoman Empire was in decline, and Persia was in even greater decline than the Ottomans, and it was completely impossible to expect Persia to block Austria.
To say that “the Vienna government is not interested in India”, this statement is probably only Franz will believe, in any case, the London government is never dare to believe.
When Austria’s power extended to the Persian Gulf, it caused the London government’s concern. Only there is still a sea to go, people are very comfortable with the Royal Navy.
Now it’s different, let Austria expand all the way down, it’s going to be land neighbors. You can’t expect lobster soldiers to kill the enemy and deter them, can you?
Colonial Minister Primrose complained, “This is simply bad. With the way things are going, the government in Vienna is making it clear that they want to annex the Ottomans, and there is absolutely no need to doubt their ambitions.
We must keep the Austrians out of the Two Rivers Valley if we don’t want a war of defense of India.”
The harsh reality was just as Primrose was feeling at the moment, as Colonial Secretary any issue involving the security of India could bring him irreparable political disaster.
George, the Foreign Secretary, added decisively, “No, this is nothing, there are worse things to come!
If the Austrians don’t eat alone and drag the Russians along to carve up the Ottomans, then we are going to be threatened by two great powers at once.
With the style of the Vienna government, the chances of this happening are very high. Even the Russo-Austrian alliance can continue again because the plan to carve up India is there.”
Surrounded by Russia and Austria on land, that would mean nothing.
There is no country in the world that can carry that level of blow, even if they have been operating in India for a long time.
Thinking of this terrible outcome, Gladstone said without question, “Immediately stop supporting the French Revolutionary Party and help Napoleon IV stabilize the domestic situation as soon as possible.”
Britain needed allies, and there was no moment when they were needed more than now. Facing a possible Russian-Austrian combination, without a meat shield, they really couldn’t roar.
Foreign Minister George added, “The French alone are not enough, we must find more allies, the Nordic Confederation can also be pulled over, perhaps it is time for us to accelerate the push for the establishment of North Germany.”
The aftermath of the Russo-Prussian War erupted, and after the loss of Prussia as the gold medal fighter, one France alone could no longer hold down the fort.
……
One wave after another.
Influenced by the wave of revolution in Europe, Ottoman nationalism was also active.
After the outbreak of the “massacre case”, the Ottoman nationalists felt that their dignity had been insulted and considered that Austria was interfering in their internal affairs.
At the critical moment when the two Austrians resumed negotiations, a strong anti-imperialist movement broke out in the Ottoman Empire.
Encouraged by patriotic youths, the people of Ankara, carrying banners, gathered in the embassy district to protest.
It was all a minor problem, the big hooligans had a good mindset, and being protested against was a daily operation. After a lot of experience, people get used to it.
The point is that there was an accident during the protest, Greek Minister Sextus was killed by the protesting public, and things got big.
Including Franz was dumbfounded, what’s this got to do with the Greeks?
Can’t we just say that the Greek imperialists invaded the Ottomans and want blood?
Out of the utmost malice, Franz had good reason to suspect that this was the work of Austrian agents, just without proof.
More news came in that solved the mystery in everyone’s mind.
It was said that the Greek minister was returning from an outing when his carriage struck and killed a child crossing the street, which stimulated the hot-blooded Ottoman population, and the clash ensued.
If the Great Powers couldn’t be bothered, couldn’t a little Greece be bothered too?
By the time the Ottoman police arrived at the battlefield, Sextus, the unlucky minister, together with his coachman and guards, had already met God.
No matter how the Ottoman government explains, it is useless.
Originally, the Ottoman government pursued Sextus car accident responsibility, but unfortunately the person concerned is already dead, dead people do not need to be responsible.
At this point, the relationship of responsibility has changed. Greece, which had become a victim, naturally would not admit that the carriage had hit the people.
The Greek government balked at the fact that the Ottomans were barbaric and brutally killed Minister Sextus, and demanded that the Ottoman government hand over all the suspects to be investigated by the Greek government.
That’s right “all”, the Greek government considered all the people who participated in the protest that day to be suspects and demanded that the Ottoman government hand them over to be examined by the Greek government.
This was impossible, the Ottoman government could not have handed over the people who participated in the protests, which numbered in the high five figures, even if they had wanted to put the matter to rest.
……
After figuring out the cause and effect, Franz laughed, “So, the Greeks are trying to rub it in to pick up the slack.”
“The murder of the minister provides the best opportunity for the Greek government to intervene.
Austria needed a reasonable excuse for war, and tying in the Greek “murder of the minister” would undoubtedly increase the persuasive power of the “massacre case”.
The Ottoman government couldn’t even try to clear its name. The “massacre” was a falsehood, but the “murder of the minister” really involved the death of a minister.
Foreign Minister Weissenberg replied: “Yes. Shortly after the murder, the Greek government contacted us and offered to join forces to crush the barbaric Ottoman Empire.
The attitude of the Greeks is good, but their appetite is not small. Not only are they interested in the islands of the Aegean Sea, but they also want a piece of the Asia Minor Peninsula.”
The dream of a great power is essential for a country like Greece, with its heavy historical baggage.
Unfortunately, Greece’s luck was not very good, any of its neighbors around them had the strength to hang them, and any ambition could only be held back.
The Ottomans were their only chance to expand their territory, and if they missed it again, they could only go home and dream.
Franz said as if nothing had happened, ”This world is fair, the harvest and the payoff are equal.
If the Greeks want to get a piece of Asia Minor, let them prove their strength first.
Tell the Greeks that we are distributing the spoils of this war according to contribution, and that if you want to take as much land as you can, make as much contribution on the battlefield.”
There is no doubt that the “distribution of spoils according to contribution” is a huge pit. The contribution on the battlefield must be based on strength, and the Ottoman Empire, even if it was weak, was not comparable to Greece.
The Ottoman Empire, however weak it was, was not comparable to Greece, and if they couldn’t restrain their greed, they might lose it all.
In this cruel world, it is always strength that determines the distribution of benefits. If you expect fairness, you might as well count on the integrity of the Vienna government.
(End of chapter)