Chapter 400

Constantinople

Ever since the start of the negotiations, Abdul Mejid I had not been in a good mood. He had just been threatened by the Russians, and now the Austrian representative was on the stage.

Mejster was a pure diplomat. He was not as aggressive as Menshikov, and Austria's appetite was not as big as the Russians. There was still room for negotiation.

Abdul Mejid I said firmly, "Mr. Mejster, your request is too much. The Principality of Moldavia and Wallachia are sacred and inseparable parts of the Osman Empire. They must not be ceded!"

(Note: The Principality of Wallachia is in the southern part of Romania. The Principality of Moldavia is in the northern part of Romania, Moldova, and parts of Ukraine.)

However, when he said this, he did not have much confidence. Who asked them to be targeted by the Russians and the Austrians at the same time?

If they were to face one on one, with the support of Britain and France, they could still be tough. But if they were to fight one against two, not to mention Abdul Mejid I, even Britain and France would not have the confidence to fight.

Dividing Russia and Austria had become their top priority. Otherwise, if war broke out, the Osman Empire would almost be finished.

Mejster calmly explained, "Your Majesty, these two small principalities are not your former territories. They are just two affiliated countries. Why can't they be transferred?

Looking at the current situation, your country does not have the ability to protect these two principalities. If you sell them to the Austrian Empire, you can also reduce your border with Russia. "

The Qing Dynasty was not the only one who cared about their reputation. The Osman Empire was no exception. "Transfer" and "sell" were Mejster's way of giving face to Abdul Mejid I as much as possible.

Due to the influence of European culture, selling land was not a big deal. This was much more acceptable than simply ceding it to others.

If Austria really wanted to buy these two principalities, Abdul Mejid I did not mind selling them. They could not defend them if war broke out anyway.

Although these two principalities were flat and fertile, suitable for agriculture, because they were close to Russia and Austria, the Osman did not really develop them. Selling them would not hurt.

"How much is your country willing to pay?" Abdul Mejid I asked expectantly.

No matter what, some negotiation was better than none. Even if it was just for time, Abdul Mejid I had to continue negotiating with Austria.

"Your Majesty, the Austrian government is willing to invest 100 million guilders!" Mestse said in a sonorous voice.

This price was very sincere. In this era, of land that was not developed was not valuable.

Without waiting for Abdul Mejid I to reply, Mestese added, "However, the Austrian government is currently in financial difficulties and cannot afford to pay such a huge sum of money in one go. We are prepared to pay it off within a hundred years."

Paying in full within a hundred years? Wasn't that nonsense? Not to mention inflation, with the strength of both sides, would the Ottoman Empire have the ability to receive money?

Anyone with a brain would know that Mestre was talking about buying, but in reality, he wasn't going to pay at all.

Paying in full in a hundred years was an empty promise. As long as the time was not up, it could not be said that Austria had breached the contract.

Pay in 100 years was an empty promise. As long as the time was not up, it could not be said that Austria had breached the contract.

Even if they received the money in 100 years, it would be useless. 100 million now could buy more than 200,000 square kilometers of land. Whether they could buy 20 square kilometers of land in 100 years was a question mark.

If they were threatened and gave in, it would be the same as telling the world that the Osman Empire had declined. If they wanted to divide the inheritance, come quickly.

Abdul Mejid I asked, "Mr. Mestesse, are you joking? There is no such ridiculous business in the world! "

Mejid smiled and did not say anything. The Government of Austria was not prepared to buy it. He was just giving the Government of Sudan a fig leaf.

Mejid was not that naive to negotiate for the two principalities of the Danube River. If it was so easy, why would they need to mobilize the army?

The bottom line in China was very clear. They could just negotiate. Even if they could negotiate, they could not reach an agreement now. Otherwise, how would they act?

If they reconciled with the Osman Empire, would Austria stop preparing for war? If they stopped, all their previous preparations would be wasted. If they did not stop, it would be even worse. Their strategy would be exposed.

By that time, the South German States would be prepared. With the intervention of the Great Powers, the westward strategy would be almost useless.

In order to make the negotiations reach a deadlock, Mejid made further territorial demands on the Osman Empire after the two principalities of the Danube River. He took more than half of the The Balkans in one go.

Even though Britain and France tried their best to mediate the conflict between the two sides, it was to no avail. Of course, he had to go through with the act, and Mestse slowly began to give in.

…

While the negotiations were going on in Constantinople, Paris was bustling with activity. The battle between the parliamentary faction and the presidential faction had reached a climax. There was no way to ease it.

After a long time of preparation, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was finally ready.

With the support of the British, on June 12, 1851, Louis Napoleon Bonaparte launched a military coup in Paris and forcibly dissolved the parliament.

The parliamentary faction was unwilling to accept their defeat and organized an army to fight back. They failed because they were betrayed by a traitor, and Louis Napoleon Bonaparte took power.

When the news of the coup reached Vienna, Franz was not surprised at all. Even though the coup was brought forward by half a year.

The butterfly effect was getting bigger and bigger. Even France was affected. The future of the world had become unrecognizable. The advantage of being able to predict the future was slowly disappearing.

Franz was already prepared. His arrival had changed the fate of many people. It was inevitable that he would affect the situation of the world.

After the coup in Paris, it would not be long before Louis Napoleon Bonaparte was restored. The British and French duo would also appear on the stage of history.

Franz did not make a move to stop it. In comparison, Napoleon Napoleon III was not too difficult to deal with.

France had a strong foundation. It was not terrible to have a king who liked to cause trouble. If there was a king who liked to farm, it would be a real disaster for Austria.

The Usury Empire should just let them continue to lend money. As for the development of the industry, Austria could do it for them.

After the coup in Paris, the pressure on the British was instantly reduced. With France as a fighter, they had a greater say in European diplomacy.

Abdul Mejid I felt the most. The support from France increased. The soon to be restored Napoleon Napoleon III sent him military instructors to help train the Osman Empire's army.

However, this support was not enough to change the current unfavorable situation. As time passed, the attitude of the Russian representative, Duke Alexander Menshikov, became more and more unyielding.

Rather than saying it was a negotiation, it was more like the Russians were making conditions and giving the Osman government a choice: accept or go to war.

The Russians seemed to be ready for war. On July 23, 1851, the Anglo-Russian negotiations in St. Peter Castle ended in failure because the bottom line of both sides was too far apart. A new round of Russian-Turkish war entered the countdown.