Chapter 768: The Anti-Turkish Alliance
Chapter 751: Anti-Turkish Alliance
The sudden murder of the minister made the European public opinion, which was already unfavorable to the Ottomans, tilt one way or the other, and the politicians, experts, and scholars who were originally inclined towards the Ottomans, shut their mouths at this time.
As a result, the Vienna government terminated the second round of negotiations on May 7, 1882, the third day after the murder.
Immediately after that, the Vienna government issued a war memorial to the Ottoman government on May 9, ordering the Ottoman government to hand over the real culprits of the “massacre” within a week.
It was not a question of agreement or disagreement, but rather the impossibility of doing so.
The group of people involved in the massacre was too vague, the identity of the dead, the number of people, the place where they were killed, were not precisely defined, and it was impossible to know how to start the investigation.
Not to mention a week’s time, even if the Ottoman government was given a year’s time, they would not be able to find the real culprits.
At the same time when the Vienna government issued the announcement, the Greek government also issued a war circular to the Ottoman Empire, and the content was similar, both of which were to let the Ottoman government hand over the murderer.
Everyone knew the war was coming, and the international community turned its attention to London and St. Petersburg, the only two countries that could have any influence on the war.
It would have been France too, except that they had two governments, and if one was for the other they had to be against it.
At the critical moment of pulling the hearts and minds of the people together, it would be wrong in the head to support the Ottomans at this time and offend the religious forces in the country.
At the Gatchina Palace in St. Petersburg, Dimitri Pasha, the Ottoman minister to Russia, had been waiting in the parlor for more than three hours, and was about to burn out the cigar he carried with him.
At the moment, Alexander III is leisurely fishing, although it is not yet possible to do “the tsar is on vacation, let Europe wait”, but it is possible to make the Ottomans wait.
“Your Majesty, the ministers have arrived.” The maid’s crisp voice rang out
“Bring them here!” Alexander III said
As for the waiting Ottoman minister, let him continue to wait, Alexander III was not prepared to see him at all.
If it wasn’t for the sake of making a show to the Austrians and increasing the bargaining chips on the negotiation table, the Ottoman minister might not even be able to enter the royal palace.
Alexander III, who seemed to have a smile on his face, was not in a good mood at this time, but his good upbringing made him happy and angry.
This sudden war in the Near East was different from the past, and the Austrian government did not communicate with them beforehand, which made Alexander III’s self-esteem suffer a shock.
The world was realistic, the Russian Empire was at its peak during the First Near Eastern War, everything revolved around the Tsarist government, and with their strong power, they got the coveted Constantinople.
The situation changed during the Second Near Eastern War, when the main force of the war became Austria, and the Russian Empire could only play auxiliary.
Even if it was an auxiliary, it was coordinated beforehand, and the position of the Russian Empire in the alliance was still not low.
Things change, by now this time, the Russian-Austrian power contrast has undergone a sea change, they are actually in a dispensable position.
The Tsarist government had been delaying in making its position clear, in order to put pressure on Austria and increase their voice in the war.
Unfortunately, the outbreak of the civil war in France, so that Austria has no worries, Russia in this war in the importance of greatly reduced.
……
Putting down the fishing rod, Alexander III stood up and straightened his clothes: “The third Near East war broke out in the interstices, now we need to make a choice, what do you think?”
Marshal Ivanov, the military bigwig, was the first to speak, “Your Majesty, the opportunity is rare, this is the best time for us to revive the Russian Empire.”
Interior Minister Zirnomel: “Your Excellency Marshal, this war doesn’t mean much to us. What the Empire needs now is recuperation and recovery, not territorial expansion.
After the first two Near Eastern wars, the Ottoman Empire has lost its threat to the Empire, and the only thing of value in their hands is holding the other side of the Black Sea Straits.
If it had been twenty years ago, it would have been very important to us indeed, only by now it was dispensable.
The Black Sea Fleet, which the Empire has worked so hard to build, is gone, and with the government’s current financial resources, it will not be able to rebuild it anytime soon. Even if we get the key to the Mediterranean Sea, it’s meaningless to us.”
Hearing this explanation, Ivanov became furious and said, “How can you say there is no significance, to be able to finish off the Ottoman, the arch-enemy, in one fell swoop, and to fulfill the wishes of the Russian Empire’s successive generations of forefathers, is the greatest significance of all.
Imperial Revival ……”
Listening to Marshal Ivanov’s gushing speech made Alexander III feel like it was a mistake to let him come to this meeting.
However, the Russian Empire was a place that believed in the strong, and with that dazzling war record, no one could ignore Marshal Ivanov’s opinion.
The good-tempered Alexander III quickly adjusted his mindset, the military’s main battle was inevitable, and any other military general who came over would have the same result.
Without war, how can there be a war? The Ottoman Empire, a copy of a sure win, is not going to be brushed, which makes the military bigwigs how to explain to the people below?
Do you really think that “the tsar who does not attack the Ottoman Empire is not a real tsar” is just a joke?
The Russo-Turkish wars, which took place less than once every twenty years, were not just about the capture of Constantinople. In fact, more often than not, it was known that it could not be done before the war was started.
The Tsarist government still insists on painting this copy, mainly because the Tsar needs needs prestige, the military needs war credits, and the government needs ……
Beating up the Ottomans all paid off handsomely, and after nearly two hundred years of festering time, destroying the Ottoman Empire paid off even more handsomely.
Ivanov is to beat the Ottoman started, if you can destroy the Ottoman Empire, bring the historical impact of the absolute can be famous in history, at least the Russian history books will be greatly exaggerated.
Finance Minister Alisher Gurov couldn’t help but interrupt, “Your Excellency Marshal, we all know the benefits of taking out the Ottomans, the problem is that the government doesn’t have the money right now.
If we participate in this war, we will have to rely on the Austrians financially, take their money to fight the war, and we will definitely suffer in the distribution of benefits after the war.
Standing up for the empire, delaying this Near East war backward and waiting until we have recovered our strength before engaging in this war will maximize the benefits.”
This is true, leaving the half-dead Ottoman Empire out of the way and taking it after a decade or two is not much of a problem.
Instead, exterminating the Ottomans now and leaving most of the Near East in Austrian hands would really insulate them.
Ivanov was unmoved and said, “You are being completely idealistic, Austria already has the strength to destroy the Ottomans independently.
The countries of Europe were limited by the wave of revolutions and simply could not spare their hands to interfere with Austria’s actions in a short period of time.
Unless we are out of our minds and run to join hands with the Ottomans, the end of the Ottoman Empire’s destruction is already predetermined.
I don’t think there are any such fools among those present. As for the question of profit, that will put our diplomatic skills to the test.
But no matter how bad it is, it’s still better than sitting back and watching the Austrians destroy the Ottomans.”
While the words were unpleasant, there was really no fault in the logic. The Tsarist government really couldn’t have supported the Ottoman Empire, or it would have coup d’étated at home without having to wait for Austria to retaliate.
The Russo-Turkish enmity was already deep in the bones of the Russians, especially for the nobility.
Any inheritance more than two hundred years of the Russian nobility, ancestors and the Ottoman Empire pk, friends and relatives always fall on the battlefield, blood feud is so generations passed down.
Go up the history books, the last thirty years Russia and Turkey are pk twice, even if the government wants to dilute the hatred, it is too late to operate.
Hatred aside, the interests of the same is the key. Do not participate in this war, Austria after the demise of the Ottoman, the power extends to the Black Sea, that is a real threat.
……
On May 11, 1882, the Tsarist government asked the Ottoman Empire to redraw the border line, and everyone knew that there was one more protagonist in the war.
Perhaps spurred on by the entry of the Russians, the Duchy of Montenegro jumped in to join in the fun.
On May 12, 1882, the Montenegrin government presented the Ottoman Empire with a huge list of claims of “860 million guilders”.
It was a detailed list of the damages caused to the Duchy of Montenegro due to the Ottoman military invasions in the past centuries.
The government of Vienna warmly welcomed the sudden appearance of the Duchy of Montenegro, even if it was not afraid of having many allies, and it did not matter if it was just a matter of making up the numbers or brushing up its presence.
Thus, the anti-Turkish alliance led by Austria was formally established.
(End of chapter)