Chapter 772: Human Nature
Chapter 755 Humanity
As the absolute protagonist in this war, Abdul Hamid II only felt pressurized, the situation was just too unfriendly.
Throughout history, the Ottoman Empire has never had a sultan as shabby as him. Thinking back to the glorious days of his ancestors, they were invincible and invincible.
The Habsburg dynasty was beaten by them to doubt their lives, the Russians were shivering under the front of their soldiers, and the European continent was shrouded under the cloud of the Ottoman iron horse.
However, “three hundred years east of the river, three hundred years west of the river”, the wind and water turn, staged a realistic version of “do not deceive the elderly poor”.
From punching to being punched, every time he thought of this amazing reversal, Abdul Hamid II couldn’t help but vomit in his heart against his own ancestors.
It’s all right to go around drawing hatred, but if you’ve made a grudge, then cut it down to the roots! It is said that “if you don’t get rid of the roots of the grass, it will grow again in the spring breeze”, this is simply a model of pitfalls for the children and grandchildren.
Suppressing the injustice in his heart, Abdul Hamid II asked: “Prime Minister, how are the preparations?”
Midhat slowly replied, “The government has already mobilized 1.2 million young men to enlist in the army, and it is expected that the number of mobilization will be raised to 2 million in the next three months.
Considering that the enemy is coming in strong, the government is ready to give up the coastal areas, and the military will lure the enemy in and fight them inland.”
“Luring the enemy deeper”, a statement Abdul Hamid II would never believe, who would want to give up the best of the coast if the fight is winnable?
In fact, after the last Near East War, the Ottoman Empire strengthened its sea defenses. However, the time was too short and the coastline too long to take care of it.
As the newspapers sneered, “The Ottoman coastline stretches for miles, but only the beaches belong to themselves.”
The Ottoman Empire’s truest portrayal was that it had a sea but no defense.
Abdul Hamid II shook his head, “This is not enough, during the Russo-Prussian War, the Tsarist government alone mobilized more than eight million people to enlist in the army, and at its peak, the total military strength was as high as five million.
In this war, we are facing not only the Russian Empire, but also the more powerful Austria.
Not to mention two million troops, even if we mobilize another two million, it will not be enough. Let’s order the entire population to be armed.
Men, women and children must take up arms and fight the enemy. Only then will we have a chance of survival.”
Midhart was tempted to correct the Sultan’s statement that not all of the Russians’ five million-strong army were front-line combat troops; at least half of them were militia carrying supplies.
It was only the fact that the militiamen also had to defend the supplies and took up arms as well that they were counted in the army.
Although the Russo-Prussian War was fought fiercely, the first-line combat troops committed to the front never really exceeded two million.
This is the limitations of the times, the army combat must be subjected to logistical constraints, it is impossible to blindly increase the number of troops.
Thinking of the poor relationship between the two, Midhat decisively chose to give up on correcting the Sultan’s misconceptions.
One is the representative of the conservatives, one is the spokesman of the reformists; one side is the embodiment of imperial and ecclesiastical power, the other side is the subject of phallic and secular power, and is essentially not all the way.
In a sense, the sudden Near Eastern war saved Midhat, or he would not have been able to return to the position of chancellor.
“Your Majesty, we are already mobilized to the limit. The young and strong have entered the army, the women and children have taken on the responsibility of production and logistical transportation, there is not a single idle person in the entire Ottoman Empire who can move anything.”
There was no mention of the old and the weak, Midhat was really afraid that the Sultan would send everyone to the battlefield, and that would mean that defeat would literally mean the end of the race.
Turning over the history of Ottoman succession to the throne, you know what is the representative of barbarism, every sultan succession is less than killing, brutal sultan is true to its name.
The same goes for Abdul Hamid II, who overthrew his brother and father and succeeded to the throne by a coup d’état.
Monarchs who grow up in this environment lack everything but ruthlessness.
In a sense, they were all psychopaths. Stepping on the bones of their father and brother to get to the throne, it is hard not to have a twisted heart.
Abdul Hamid II glared fiercely at Midhat, seemingly realizing that this was not the time to turn the other cheek, and forcefully suppressed the dissatisfaction in his heart.
Warningly, he said, “My vizier, it would be better to be able to say as you said, that there is not a single idle person in the Ottoman Empire.”
……
Midhat could not represent the Ottoman populace, and as a multi-ethnic country with serious ethnic conflicts, Ottoman was never calm.
Not everyone was worried about the coming of the anti-Turkish alliance, on the contrary, there was a part of the Ottoman Empire that welcomed the alliance.
Where there is oppression, there is resistance.
Deep in the interior of Asia Minor, an unassuming town welcomes an unexpected guest this evening.
“My old friends, the butcher’s knife of the Ottomans is about to cut into your necks, are you still asleep?”
The plainly dressed middle-aged man shook his head, “Holman, after so many years, you are still so alarmist.
You have started the Near East War, the Ottoman government has been left to fend for itself, it’s too late to stabilize the domestic situation, where would it have the time to create trouble at this time.”
Holman laughed, “Save your breath Draco, there is no need to hide it anymore, your expression has already revealed your true thoughts.
This is fear on your part. The last defeat has taken away the hotheaded Draco and now all that’s left is a greedy rich man who is afraid of death.”
Draco nodded, “You’re right, I am indeed afraid. The young and ignorant Draco is dead, now it’s the Draco who recognizes reality.
Don’t even think about trying to use me as a pawn again. I am not going to take the lives of my compatriots and pave the way for you to reach the blue sky.
It’s ridiculous that I still consider you a friend, did you ever honor your promise of Armenian independence last time?
……”
Listening to Draco’s incessant whining, Holman was not half as impatient and waited until his mouth was dry.
“All right, old friend. I know you’re aggravated, why don’t you take a sip of water to moisten your throat before you continue with your complaints?”
Looking at Holman, who handed him a glass of water, Draco knocked it away with one hand, too angry to speak.
Seeing that the momentum was almost over, Holman continued, “My friend, is it really all our fault for the last failure?
We offered to let you move to the Caucasus and build a country in Transcaucasia at the junction of Asia and Europe, but certain people couldn’t let go of the prosperity of the Asia Minor Peninsula and insisted on staying.
It’s fine to stay, but it’s a pity that you’ll be finished before the war is over. How do you expect us to fulfill our promise?
Austria doesn’t owe you anything. National independence is something you can only achieve on your own. Do you need us to be responsible for your government’s own failure?”
Seeing the downcast Draco, Holman patted him on the shoulder with his hand and continued, “The time left to you by your friends is running out, and if you don’t get your act together, there is no hope.
As long as you have not been isolated from the world, you should know that civil war has broken out in France and there is no one left in the European world to save the Ottomans.
Once the Ottoman Empire falls, it will be ours and the Russians’. Without having contributed to this war, why should we support your independence?
No, perhaps you can’t wait for which time. In normal times, the Ottomans have the richer coastal plain and don’t care about your rotten land.
But this time is different. When war breaks out their coastal areas will be turned into battlefields, and tons of refugees will flood inland.
How can the Sudanese government feed so many people if they don’t come to you for land? Even if the Sudanese government doesn’t take your land, it will at least increase your taxes, right?
They are mobilizing two million troops, on average one in four people will be enlisted, and all the young and strong will go to the battlefield.
If nothing else, it won’t be long before the conscripts come.
Once you enter the Ottoman army, what fate awaits you should be clear to you.”
Threats + Intimidation + Lure, Draco had made it very clear that he had no choice.
Regardless of whether Holman’s promise would be honored or not, now he had to take a stand, all the peoples of the Ottoman Empire had to take a stand.
There were no human rights to speak of these days, and it was deadly to be on the wrong side. It wasn’t a matter of one or two, but the kind of death that killed tens or hundreds of thousands.
The Russo-Prussian War has proved that the European world is not so civilized. Millions of people were starved to death, and the international community only yelled a few times.
Comparatively speaking, Austria was still considered a good eater among the powers. Although the deportation and exile things often do, but after all, did not play the massacre.
Draco asked bitterly, “I’m not the only one of your choices, am I not the only one, and if I refuse, will I not see tomorrow’s sun?”
Holman shook his head, “You think too much, my friend. I’m just an intelligence officer, not a hitman, killing is not my job.
With my understanding of you, even if you don’t agree, it’s unlikely that you’ll go snitching.”
Draco could only half believe this, killing was indeed not Holman’s job, though silencing him would be hard to say.
As far as he knew, there were a very large number of Armenians with ties to Austria, including those in this unassuming town.
In normal times, perhaps he would still be the highly respected Mr. Draco, but now he was afraid that any word of disapproval would cause these people to be dealt with as a hidden danger.
Draco sighed, “It seems I have no choice! If you think I’m a friend, help send all the children in town away!
They are innocent and the war has nothing to do with them. I know you have the strength for this, send them away and I’ll work for you.”
Holman laughed bitterly, “This is still a bit difficult, if before the war broke out, not to mention a few hundred, even if it was tens of thousands we were able to send them away.
But it’s different now, Austria’s face doesn’t work well here. If we want to send away so many children, we must use the channels of Britain and France.
We are on the opposite side of this war, and the Anglo-French-Austrian alliance is now only a facade, so it is very difficult to use their power.
If it’s just a matter of sending your children away, I can still help ……”
Draco waved his hand and interrupted, “Alright, my friend. Enough of this nonsense, I know you can do it.
What would it make the others think to just send away my children? If you want to start a wave of independence in the Ottoman hinterland, it won’t be enough for me to sell my life alone.
Don’t worry, old friend. I’m not going to make things difficult for you, we can give you all our money, just support these children to adulthood.”
That’s right, it can indeed be done, it’s just a matter of money. Having money didn’t necessarily make a ghost push a mill, but it could definitely make someone push a mill.
There were quite a few European capitalists active in Ottoman, and as long as money was given these people didn’t mind transporting a special cargo for once.
Draco didn’t look for these capitalists, not because he didn’t have the money, but because he couldn’t guarantee that these people would fulfill his promise.
Greed was the nature of capital, and there was no guarantee that the capitalists would take the money and sell the children to the Ottomans.
It was different with Austria involved, the capitalists could ignore them but not the Austrian government.
Seeing that Holman was still hesitating, Draco continued to lobby, ”My friend, I’m sure that after this war is over, you’ll be a big man, and getting a fiefdom won’t be a problem at all.
I know that you are of noble origin, but your family has long since fallen and is not capable of providing you with the resources to follow up.
These children can be cultivated just enough to become your squad.”
Holman nodded, he really couldn’t find a reason to refuse such a generous offer, even if he needed to take on quite a few favors, it was still worth it.
“Don’t worry, my friend. From now on, your son is my son, and I will take him as my godson and raise him to adulthood.”
……
Push book “Eagle Britannia”, written about WWI and WWII, unfortunately the author is a salty fish.
(End of chapter)