Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Chapter 30: International Response

Since the outbreak of the Near East War, the Ottoman Empire had relocated its capital to Ankara. Compared to Constantinople, Ankara was truly a remote small city.

Located in the inland mountainous region, with blocked transport routes, it had a population of merely tens of thousands, not even half as many as the administrative staff of the Ottoman Government. Its only advantage was that it was easy to defend but hard to attack.

Following the principle of safety first, the Sultan Government resolutely chose this place. If transportation was blocked, then railways could be built, and England and France were very willing to help.

Even after undergoing modernization reforms, the Ottoman Empire’s barbaric nature had not changed. After the failure in the Near East War, the nobility whose interests were harmed during Abdulmejid I’s reforms launched a counterattack.

They criticized Abdulmejid I’s reforms and advocated for the restoration of the traditional feudal religious system, claiming that the reforms had made the Ottoman Empire vulnerable.

These were merely superficial excuses. At a deeper level, it was about the Ottoman nobility and bureaucrats on the Balkan Peninsula losing everything, now aiming to carve out a share on the Asia Minor Peninsula.

When it came to a struggle over interests, neither side could back down, so naturally, it was impossible for them to come to an agreement. Once the Vienna System had just been re-established and secured their own safety, the two groups started their conflict.

Up to this point, the Reformists led by Abdulmejid I had the upper hand, but of course, this advantage was also the result of external influences.

As the saying goes, the debtor is the lord. The Sultan Government owed England and France a big debt, and if they were to fall, it would be uncertain whether this debt could be repaid.

This was also the reason why the Vienna Government had set its sights on the Ottomans; those who lag behind will suffer. The current Ottoman Empire was obviously in decline and had become a target for attack.

Ankara

Foreign Minister Fuad said gravely, “Your Majesty, the Vienna Government has sent us a formal diplomatic note, requesting to purchase the sovereignty of Crete, Rhodes Island, Cyprus Island, the Big Solavino Islands… and Libya.

The Austrian navy has already taken action. They have forcibly landed on Crete and expelled our officials on the island.”

Half a year earlier, the Vienna Government had already made a request to the Sultan Government to buy territory. However, at that time, the Vienna Government was more amenable, and with England and France’s intervention, the matter was dropped when the two sides couldn’t agree.

The news of the Indian Rebellion hadn’t reached Ankara yet, and the Sultan Government had no idea that the British were already overwhelmed.

Asymmetry of information influenced the judgment of the Sultan Government. Upon hearing this message, Abdulmejid I became furious immediately.

This was simply intolerable. Even if the Ottoman Empire had declined, it was still a force to be reckoned with, and how could such a vast empire suddenly fall so low?

“Immediately invite England and France to mediate, and at the same time, send a strong protest to the Vienna Government, demanding that they comply with the rules of the Vienna System!”

There was no choice; only a few nails were left, and they couldn’t all be thrown out at once, could they? With the Ottoman navy in its state, there was no way they could win a fight, so it was better to lodge a civilized protest.

Foreign Minister Fuad hastily replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

After the Near East War, the Vienna System was quite disharmonious with the Ottoman Empire, which made the position of Fuad, the foreign minister, unstable.

The main reason he had remained in his position was political necessity. The Ottoman Empire was short on diplomatic talent, and even fewer qualified to become the Foreign Minister.

Fuad, a leader of the Pro-British Faction, had the support of John Bull; additionally, everyone understood that at the Vienna Peace Conference, the powers had dominated the proceedings, leaving no room for bargaining, allowing him to keep his position.

In such a situation, it was essential for him to be extremely careful and circumspect. If he caused any dissatisfaction for Abdulmejid I, it would be the end for him.

London

The British Government received the news of the Indian rebellion somewhat earlier than the Vienna Government, and the Rebellion Suppression Army had already started to prepare by this time.

Receiving a request for assistance from the Sultan Government, Granville frowned and said, “We tried hard to block the news, but it was exposed sooner than we expected.”

Finance Minister John Russell said indifferently, “There’s nothing surprising about that. Once a matter is up for discussion in Parliament, it becomes an open secret.

In a few days, it will be published in the London newspapers. It’s not difficult for the Austrians to receive the news.”

This was the nature of British politics where significant matters required Parliament’s discussion. Members of Parliament were notorious for not being able to keep secrets.

Managing to keep matters secret for a few days was commendable for them. In fact, by the time they discussed it, the London newspapers had already published the news.

Granville thought for a while and then said, “Well then, let’s end the discussion of the leak here. This is determined by the system, not our fault.

The trouble now is: since the Austrians know about the Indian rebellion, I can boldly assume that most European countries are aware of the news.”

“The original plan to quell the rebellion in the shortest time possible and leave them no opportunity is clearly not going to work. What do you think we should do about the aftermath?”

The importance of India to the Great Britain Empire goes without saying. Without India, British hegemony would collapse.

At this time, Australia was still a penal colony, the New Zealand settlement had just begun, South Africa was merely a transit point, and Canada had not yet developed.

Without the large market and source of raw materials that India provided, the British would quickly lose their industrial edge, as their small and sparsely populated homeland could not sustain their hegemony.

This was a well-known fact, and there were many who coveted British dominance. Even if they did not dare to challenge them directly, it was inevitable that they would take advantage of the situation to make some moves.

Austria was just the first to jump out. ‘Kill the chicken to scare the monkey’ is one option, but the prerequisite is to make sure that the chicken can’t fly. If the chicken isn’t killed, it just backfires.

Foreign Minister Thomas replied, “Prime Minister, India is our Achilles’ heel, and now that a crisis has arisen, our enemies will emerge.

However, countries are also full of contradictions, wary of each other, afraid of becoming the fisherman who benefits from others’ strife, and dare not challenge us directly.

The Austrians are most likely using the Ottomans as a raft to test our reaction. Since they want to probe, we might as well play along.

First, we use negotiations to buy time. As long as we suppress the Indian rebellion in the shortest time possible, they will retreat on their own.”

That was the reality. If the London Government could quell the Indian rebellion in a few months, then Franz would have no choice but to back down.

John Russell reminded, “Mr. Thomas, don’t forget about the Russians. Other countries may fear our retaliation, but the Tsarist Government will not.

They are still supporting the Persians against us, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they also supported the Indian rebellion. Perhaps the Russians are even behind this Indian uprising.”

There was nothing to be done. The recent Near East war was different from the historical Crimean War. Although the Tsarist Government suffered heavy losses, they were, nominally, the victors.

This preserved the Tsarist Government’s pride, and as victors, they naturally would not bow to the British. The struggle for supremacy between England and Russia was still ongoing.

If the Russians didn’t stir up trouble now, could they still be called Russians? The British could no longer intimidate them, and even an economic blockade was out of the question.

After a pause, Thomas explained calmly, “Of course, the Russians are as annoying as ever. However, the Tsarist Government is notoriously inefficient, and by the time they take action in interfering with India, I think this farce will already be over.

The roads through Central Asia are also difficult to traverse. Given the Tsarist Government’s reputation, neither Afghanistan nor Persia dares to give them passage unless they could fight their way through.”

“I do not believe that the Tsarist Government has the financial resources to wage such a war. At most, they could send military instructors and provide weapons and equipment to the rebels.

This would only cause us minor trouble, the Indians, even if armed, have negligible combat effectiveness.”

Upon hearing this explanation, Granville’s expression changed, and he spoke gravely, “What if someone provides the Russians with funding?”

Everyone’s expression turned sour at the prospect; Russia’s biggest weakness was its finances. With a backer, the situation would change immediately.

Finance Minister John-Russell said, “Currently, only two powers, the French and the Austrians, have the ability to provide funds to the Russians. If the Foreign Office can keep them stable, then there’s no problem.”

As he spoke, he cursed London’s capitalists in his heart. They had lent money to the Austrians just as trouble arose.

If it wasn’t for the huge construction bonds recently issued by the Vienna Government, the French would be the only ones capable of supporting the Russians, which would have simplified the problem by half.

Designated funds for specific purposes, how much is a politician’s promise worth? It’s not about defaulting; it’s about the size of the interest. As long as the benefits are sufficient, loyalties can shift in minutes.

Wiping sweat from his forehead, Thomas forced himself to calm down, paused for a while, and then slowly began, “The situation isn’t that dire. Neither the French nor the Austrians want to see Russia grow stronger.

If the Russians were to swallow India, Austria would be the first to bear immense pressure, and the Vienna Government would have to have considered this.

In such a scenario, the most likely course for the Vienna Government would be to use this as leverage to trade interests with us.”

“The French have just fought a war with the Russians; even if they want to ease relations, it will take time, and this is not something that can be done quickly.

We can deploy our influence within the French government to stir up infighting and prevent this from happening.”

This explanation eased everyone’s worries somewhat. As long as it wasn’t the worst-case scenario, everything was negotiable. Interest swapping was their forte, after all.