Chapter 204: Greece’s Entry into the War

  Chapter 201 Greece Joins the War

With the Balkan Battle underway and the balance of victory beginning to tip in favor of the Russians, the Greeks, who had been watching coldly, couldn’t help themselves.

The hairy bears are not so nice to talk to, if it drags on, when the Russians win the war, there will be nothing left for them.

Apparently, the Greek government had made a strategic miscalculation, believing that as soon as the Russians won the battle, Britain and France would back down.

This was an era when the Maoist Bear brand was still very much in play, recognized as the number one power on the European continent and the number one army power in the world.

The Greeks had so much confidence in the Russians that even when Britain and France joined forces they were more favorable to the Russians.

As authorities, they did not realize that they were blinded by interest in coming to this conclusion.

Deep down, they were just very eager to expand their territories and regain their once great power status. Therefore they hoped that the Russians would be victorious and thus get the chance to expand their territory.

As for the possible threat posed by the victory of the woolly bear, it has been ignored by the Greeks. Blinded by interests, who would consider so much?

On November 12, 1852, with a secret order from Otto I, the Greek Army announced their retirement, then changed their clothes and appeared on the battlefield as civilian volunteers, launching an attack on the regions of Thessaly and Epirus.

Don’t get me wrong, they simply wanted to go for a land grab and had no intention of helping Russia win the war.

By this time, the Greeks had not forgotten the British and French threats, and explicitly they were in complete denial about this military action.

It didn’t matter what they said, but when it came to the actual action, the Greek government was not restrained at all, and the fact that truckloads of strategic materials kept being shipped to the front was enough to illustrate the problem.

The Greeks picked a good time, the Ottoman Empire’s troops were all committed to the battlefield, and what was left were some police forces to maintain law and order.

Although the Greek army’s combat power is not great, but 70,000 troops to deal with a bunch of police is still no problem, the opening to kill the Ottoman Empire.

If at this time, the Greeks do not care, all the way to Constantinople to fight over, the Ottoman Empire can not even draw out an army to block their way.

The eyes of all of Europe were cast on Athens, the key to deciding the outcome of this war actually came into the hands of the Greeks.

There was nothing to say, of course it was to buy + bully. Representatives of Britain, France and Russia gathered in Athens, and each made their own conditions.

There were no Austrian representatives, not that Franz was not interested in pulling the Greeks in, but the Austrian government simply didn’t have to pay for it.

Or perhaps buying off Greece was too expensive, so expensive that it was unaffordable to the Austrian government, and Franz was not prepared to waste his energy on it, and the government of Vienna simply gave up making an offer.

Otto I hesitated, not knowing what to choose. Whether the Greek government admitted the military operation or not, everyone thought it was their doing anyway, and the windowpaper was broken.

On the one hand, there was a serious warning from Britain and France, and on the other, there was a lure from the Russians. It seemed like an easy choice, but in reality it was fraught with crisis.

The Ottoman Empire was still an ally of Britain and France, the war was still going on, and the Ottoman Empire was still making a remarkable contribution to the war.

Even if it is to sell teammates, Britain and France can not be sold at this time, the powers also need to eat, Britain and France to give the sweet dates is a loan.

The Greek government’s lack of money is well known, especially if they don’t know what to do – run to develop the navy, the finances are naturally not good.

The Russians’ offer was more to the liking of Otto I. As long as they were willing to send troops to Constantinople, the regions of Thessaly, Epirus, Thrace, and Macedonia were all negotiable.

Of course, how much they could get depended on whether the Greeks could conquer Constantinople. If they were able to capture it, then it proved their strength and all these promises could be honored.

On the contrary, the situation is not wonderful. If you are not strong enough to be a neighbor to the Woolly Bears, then you will become their prey.

The latter situation, naturally, was ignored by Otto I. Otherwise at this time, they wouldn’t have taken advantage of the fire.

Otto I was very clear that public opinion had been mobilized, most of the people in this military operation were volunteers, and the government was no longer capable of controlling the whole situation.

Without these warriors who brought their own dry food, the Greek government could not afford to recruit an army of 70,000 men. Now that the arrow was on the string and had to be fired, there was no way for Otto I to back down.

The prime minister rushed in, panicked, “Your Majesty, something is wrong, something is wrong!”

Otto I asked, “Slow down, what’s going on?”

The Prime Minister said with a worried frown, “Your Majesty, the news of our negotiation with Britain, France and Russia has been leaked out, and the people are in an uproar.

Just now countless citizens took to the streets and submitted petitions to the government. They asked the government to reject the conditions of the three countries and also presented their demands.”

Receiving the petition and scanning it for the first time, Otto I’s face instantly turned ugly.

He now hated to break the person who leaked the news into pieces, this was just too much of a pitfall.

Now the people demanded the government to negotiate with the three countries according to their opinions, in short: they demanded the government to send troops to occupy Constantinople and restore the territory of the Byzantine Empire era.

Isn’t this a joke? Otto I also wanted to restore the territory of the Byzantine Empire, but his strength did not allow it!

This kind of thing can be done by shouting slogans. If you really do it, are you sure you won’t be killed?

Otto I said angrily, “Find the map of the Byzantine Empire, mark out the spheres of influence of each country, and issue 10,000 copies to the whole country.

Send someone to popularize the basics to the populace, and don’t make this kind of joke out again.”

This was supposed to be a joke, with the strength of the Greek Kingdom, even if it were to increase tenfold, shouting this slogan would be a joke.

If it could be increased by a hundred times, it would barely be qualified to implement it, and this difficulty was not much easier than unifying the European continent.

The Prime Minister grimly said, ”Your Majesty, according to our people’s analysis, this could be a plot by the Ottomans. The public opinion has been brought mad now, even if we explain it any more, it’s useless.

The public’s desire for Constantinople has turned into an obsession, and it is estimated that many people will consider giving up their territorial claims to Spain, Italy, and the African region as a concession.”

Nationalism is the craziest of all, and once it goes to extremes it can’t be controlled. Right now the Greek government has been kidnapped by public opinion, and it’s Otto I’s pot.

He chose to side with public opinion in order to gain popular support in the first place. Nationalism with the king’s support was soon out of control.

Otto I said fiercely, “Then the government should not take a stand, the ones fighting the Ottomans now are the civilian armies and have nothing to do with us.”

Sending troops to sneak into Constantinople? Forget it, it’s okay if they don’t get it down; what will they do if the population doesn’t agree to give it up if they do?

To fight the Russians for Constantinople after offending Britain and France, do they really think they are the Byzantine Empire revived?

Under this guiding principle, Otto I ordered the armies at the front to hold steady and push forward along the borderline.

He also recruited more volunteers in the country, taking the opportunity to send ultra-nationalism to the battlefield as cannon fodder, removing the threat which was the instinct of the ruling class.

Patriotic slogans shouted to the heavens and earth, this time if you wimped out, that is false patriotism, sell the name of the generation is the most easy to be despised.

The Greek government took action and sent the cannon fodder to the front as quickly as possible, increasing the number of troops on the front and stabilizing the country.

The price is that the front line army’s combat power has dropped, originally their combat power is low, now added a bunch of mouth cannon party, combat power naturally more down a level.

Constantinople

In normal times the Sultan’s government didn’t give a damn about the Greeks, and if it wasn’t for the intervention of the Great Powers, they could have slapped the kingdom of Greece with one hand.

Now it’s different, the main armies of the Ottoman Empire are in a dead heat with the Russians, and the Greeks, even if they are weak, need armies to hold them off.

“This little worm Greece has jumped out too, what does everyone think?” Abdul Mejid I calmly asked

It was probably because he had been angry too much during this period of time, and now Abdul Mejid I instead had no fire left in him. Those who knew him knew that this was just an appearance.

A sultan who was angry was terrifying, and a sultan who suppressed his anger, that was even more terrifying. Only those who have experienced the battle for the throne know clearly how Abdul Mejid I talked about killing people.

Mudra replied, “Your Majesty, the strength of the Greeks is limited, but this is a critical time, and their jumping out to take advantage of the fire at this time should not be underestimated, and we must treat it with caution.”

Abdul Mejid I reprimanded, “Don’t talk about this useless nonsense, just say what to do!”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Mudra replied with apprehension in his heart

“According to the analysis of our collected intelligence, the Austrians have gotten everything they wanted and have no intention of continuing to use troops against us.

At this time, we can send someone to negotiate with the Austrian government, no matter if we can end up negotiating or not, we can stabilize the Austrians first.

After stabilizing the Austrians, we can withdraw the troops that are holding against them and use those troops to deal with the Greeks.”

Abdul Mejid I turned an expectant gaze to Foreign Minister Sangad and waited for his answer.

After a few moments of thought, Banner Ade gave his answer, “Your Majesty, to stabilize the Austrians we must offer heavy benefits, and they will most likely use this opportunity to force us to cede the two Danube duchies and the Serbian region.”

“Cession,” Abdul Mejid I hesitated, he had to weigh the pros and cons of reaching a compromise with the Austrians now.

“If the Austrians are willing to cut off the Russians’ logistical supply, all these territories can be ceded to them!” Abdul Mejid I said fiercely

The ceding of land made his insides drip with blood, but it was nothing compared to survival. It was better to be neighbors with Austria than with the Russians.

If he had Austria to keep the Russians at bay, Abdul Mejid I felt that he should be able to sleep well.

“Your Majesty, I’m afraid that can’t be done. There must be a covenant between the Russians and Austria, and I’m afraid they’ve already divided up their spheres of influence in the Balkans and won’t break with the Russians just for those benefits.

It is said that Britain and France once had secret contacts with the Austrians as well, and in the end they all came to nothing.” Amplitude explained

Not to say no, in case the Sultan’s expectations are too high, and in the end can’t do it, the unlucky one is still the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Banner Ade does not think that the Austrians are so easy to buy, even if they can be bought, they can not afford to pay this price.

In terms of interest, Britain and France sold up to them certainly more no pressure, the Sudanese government how to say that there is a bottom line, can not make unlimited concessions.

Abdul Mejid I thought about it and said: “Then we will take another step back, as long as Austria is willing to truce with us, will cede the Principality of Moldavia to them.

For the specific negotiations, you, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at your own discretion, we already have enough trouble, in short, we can’t let the Austrians get involved again.”

The Principality of Moldavia encompassed the latter: northern Romania, the Republic of Moldova, and parts of Ukraine.

This was the area on the Balkan Peninsula where the Ottoman Empire and the Russians met. In order to be able to not be neighbors with the Russians, Abdul Mejid I didn’t mind giving away this hot potato.

After a pause, as if he felt that this condition was not safe, Abdul Mejid I added: “The bottom line is the Principality of Wallachia, and the rest of the Balkan Peninsula, only small concessions can be made.”

When he said this, he still had some meat on his bones.

If he had known that the war would evolve into the present situation, he should have agreed to the British proposal and thrown the two Danube Basin duchies to Austria, provoking them into conflict with the Russians.

Abdul Mejid I knew very well that even if the Allied Forces had won the war, there was no way for them to recover their pre-war sphere of influence.

This world is spoken by fists, without strength what right do they have to take so many benefits. At that time, the powers only need a little provocation, want to be independent of the Balkan nation still do not have to respond.

The Ottoman Empire’s ethnic conflict is not a day or two, although the Sultan’s government has made a lot of efforts, but because of the grassroots implementation of the relationship between the ability to achieve little results.

If the wave of independence could not be prevented, the fall of the Ottoman Empire would be a foregone conclusion.

Other countries can still act like grandchildren and be cute if they fall. Anyway, there are many small countries on the European continent, so as long as you follow the right boss, you can still live a very comfortable life.

Only the Ottoman Empire can not, enemies all over Europe, not to mention, hate and can not be eaten, more reparations to apologize, things can always be passed.

Unfortunately, they are not a small country, the family base is very thick, geographic location is very important, located in Asia, Europe and Africa at the junction of the three continents, known as the heart of the world.

A little inventory will know, the future of the world’s most important ten major straits, controlled by the Ottoman Empire or the influence of three: the Black Sea Straits, the Red Sea Straits (Suez Canal), the Strait of Hormuz (Persian Gulf).

With so many strategic locations, if there is not enough strength to guard them, it would be a case of people sitting at home and misfortune coming from the sky.

Historically, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire, is to cut meat, cut meat, and then cut meat, these hot potatoes, almost lost before it is considered stable.

Obviously this is not the Sudanese government can accept, who does not have a big country dream? Even the corrupt Sudanese government, the same is not willing to sink.

The reforms that began in the last century were their self-help movement. Through these reforms, they succeeded in bringing the Ottoman Empire back to the ranks of the great powers.

Unfortunately, it was only a pseudo-power, and the battle with the Russians tore the tiger’s skin and exposed its weak nature.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Sanad replied cautiously

Pressure, now he felt heavy pressure. There was no credit for getting this done, and any cession would not be pleasing.

If it went wrong, the Ottoman Empire would be in danger. The Greeks could be the last straw that breaks their backs, and Ade did not know that the Greek government simply wanted to grab the land.

(End of chapter)