Chapter 485

Abdul Mejid I couldn't understand Franz's worries. If he knew about Austria's plan, he wouldn't have to give up the Serbian region.

In fact, the Government of Sudan didn't just give up the Serbian region. Bosnia and Herzegovina was also in the range.

The reason was very realistic – they couldn't defend it.

Since they knew they couldn't defend it, why waste their troops? The Osman government made a decision that they thought was correct. They concentrated their forces to defend against Russia's attack.

As for Austria, after occupying Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the battle line was too long. They didn't even have time to stabilize the rear, so how could they continue to attack?

Britain and France had already made a promise to the Osman government: as long as they defeated Russia, they were confident that they could make Austria spit out everything they had eaten.

With so many advantages, Abdul Mejid I naturally concentrated his forces to fight against Russia.

In order to delay the Austrian army, the Osman army destroyed the roads and bridges along the way, burned down the granaries, and gathered a large number of young men to leave.

…

Constantinople

Staring at the big map on the wall, Abdul Mejid I sighed. He didn't want to give up the foundation of his ancestors, but the reality was beyond his control.

Abdul Mejid I never fully believed in the promises made by Britain and France. For example, the reinforcements promised by the British didn't arrive in full.

There were 80,000 reinforcements, but only 20,000 came. The rest of the troops would have to wait until they expanded their army. They really couldn't afford it now.

This was true. The British army really couldn't send that many reinforcements. The Government of London didn't mean to cheat their allies this time.

As for Palmerston's promise in the Paris negotiations, if they didn't say that, how could they fool the French?

Didn't they see that the French army was fooled? In order to achieve a good result, Napoleon Iii only sent elite troops. He didn't send new recruits.

Abdul Mejid I calmed down and asked, "Has the camp of the allied forces been arranged?"

"It's ready. We've evacuated the surrounding residents. We must ensure that nothing goes wrong," Bessara Mejid replied seriously.

The British and French army in this era had strict military discipline at home. Outside the country, they were no different from bandits. Robbery was also an important part of their business.

When the first batch of French reinforcements arrived, the Osman government suffered a loss. Now, they had to learn their lesson.

Abdul Mejid I didn't mean to look down on the British and French military discipline. In fact, the Osman army's discipline was even worse. At least the British and French army followed the rules at home. The Osman army was a disaster at home.

The only difference between the two sides was that the Sultan could still restrain the Ottoman army, but he could not command the British and French armies at all.

Abdul Mejid I continued to ask, "Has Britain and France not decided who will be the commander-in-chief of the allied forces?"

The alliance of the British, Fao, and Tasman was different from the alliance of Austria and Russia. They had to cooperate with each other, so the command of the alliance was a big problem.

On this issue, the Ottoman Empire originally had the right to speak. However, after the defeat of the Bulgarian War, this right disappeared along with it.

In the face of the British and French, the Government of Sudan couldn't afford to offend either of them. Silence was golden.

The British and French had been enemies for hundreds of years. The hatred between the people of the two countries had accumulated. It couldn't be solved by a government order.

The French broke the British's continental dream, and the British broke the French's hegemonic dream. The two sides had been fighting for hundreds of years. It was no longer clear who was right and who was wrong.

Now the French thought that their army was the world's best, so they had the highest command of the alliance.

Napoleon Iii wanted to improve France's position in the world and gain political prestige for himself. So, the French had to fight for the command of the alliance.

The British thought that they were the world's hegemon. (Although it wasn't recognized) The world's best in terms of comprehensive national strength. The world's biggest boss naturally had to act like the world's biggest boss. The British also couldn't give up the command.

The British didn't want to be commanded by the French, and the French didn't want to be commanded by the British. Not only the top officials, but the soldiers were also the same.

Even though they were allies, the officers and soldiers of the two armies didn't like each other. It was good enough that they were cold to each other. Fights also happened from time to time.

Then, Sultan Abdul Mejid I had a headache. The two bosses argued endlessly, but the war still had to be fought!

The Russians stopped attacking. It wasn't that they didn't want to fight, but they were preparing for a new battle. They seized the time to transport strategic supplies and let the resting troops wait for reinforcements.

"No, the British and French representatives are still arguing endlessly." The Foreign Minister replied with a bitter smile.

It wasn't that he didn't work hard. Since the Government of Austria secretly stirred up public opinion in Britain and France, this issue became sensitive. Neither government dared to give in easily.

In the words of The Times, "Don't let the French shit on our heads!"

The French media also had similar comments. The position of the commander of the coalition forces had now risen to the status of the dignity of the two countries.

No one had expected such a situation to occur. If they knew this would happen, the two governments wouldn't have argued endlessly on this issue, giving the opposition a chance.

Austria didn't have the ability to control the public opinion of Britain and France. Only their domestic forces could do it.

They had no reason not to do something that could cause trouble for their political enemies and was politically correct.

Abdul Mejid I sighed, "Sigh!"

He then said, "Tell the British and French representatives that if they still can't reach an agreement, then we will form a joint command of the three countries. Each of our countries will send one person to command.

If it still doesn't work, then we will split the troops. Each one will command their own troops. As long as they cooperate with each other, it will be fine! "

Obviously, Abdul Mejid I also knew that these were two bad ideas. But there was no other way. The Osman government couldn't convince the British and French.

The war was imminent again, but the problem of command was still not resolved. Once the Russians launched an attack, they would suffer a great loss.

No matter what, they had to establish a joint command first. If it really didn't work, Abdul Mejid I could accept it.

Anyway, the British only had 20,000 troops. The main force of the war was still the Osman and French troops. The British were only responsible for supporting.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Abdul Mejid replied.

…

Turin

Ever since the total defeat of the Austro-Sardinian War, the unlucky king Charles Albert was abandoned by the Sardinian people. His son, Vittorio Emmanuel II, succeeded him.

Unlike in history, this time, Charlie Albert left behind a huge mess.

Not only did he owe a huge debt, but he was also visited by the Austrian army. The Sardinian economy suffered a devastating blow. Until now, they still hadn't walked out of the shadow.

The legendary Prime Minister Gaffer stepped onto the stage of history. Unfortunately, he was a man and not a god. Facing this super mess, he also had a headache.

Development? This problem had nothing to do with the Kingdom of Sardinia for the time being. It was better to recover first! If they couldn't solve the domestic problems, then what was the point of talking about development?

"What? Prime Minister, you actually want to go to war with the Russians? "Vittorio Emmanuel II roared.

Ever since the Austro-Sardinian War, Vittorio Emmanuel II was filled with the shadow of war. Now that he heard that Gaffer wanted to go to war with the Russians, he immediately exploded.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Gaffer replied.

Vittorio Emmanuel II asked angrily, "My Prime Minister, are you sure you're not joking?"

Prime Minister Gaffer replied without changing his expression, "Your Majesty, of course I'm serious. How can I joke about such a thing?"

Vittorio Emmanuel II asked, "Crazy! Why are we going to war with the Russians for no reason? Do you have a grudge against the Russians? "

There was no conflict of interest between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Russians. Vittorio Emmanuel II really couldn't find a reason to fight the Russians.

Prime Minister Gaffer explained unhurriedly, "Your Majesty, I have no grudge against the Russians. Even if I don't like them, it will definitely not rise to the level of hatred.

Now that the UK, Fao, and Tasman are all at war with the Russians, we want to seek help from Britain and France. This is an opportunity.

Join this war and seek an opportunity to form an alliance with Britain and France. Use this war to get rid of the domestic economic crisis and let us out of our predicament. "

Vittorio Emmanuel II seriously thought about it. Although Prime Minister Gaffer's proposal was bold and imaginative, it might not be impossible for the Kingdom of Sardinia.

The Kingdom of Sardinia was far away from Russia, so there was no need to worry about the military threat of the Russians. Even if they offended the Russians, they were not afraid of their retaliation.

Vittorio Emmanuel II shook his head and said, "This is not enough. Just getting the opportunity to form an alliance with Britain and France is of no value to us.

Right now, we don't have the bargaining chips to negotiate with Britain and France. We don't have the right to intervene in the interests of the Near East.

Use the war to get out of the economic crisis. My prime minister, it's difficult for the Kingdom of Sardinia to gather equipment for an infantry division.

Do you want Britain and France to provide us with weapons and equipment? If we take their weapons and equipment, it will be like sending the young men to the battlefield as cannon fodder. "

Reality was cruel. The Kingdom of Sardinia was too weak. After the Auschwitz war, even the army was disbanded. This was not forced by Austria, but by the financial situation.

The British were not charities. The loans and interest could not be missing a single cent and had to be repaid on time. The Kingdom of Sardinia would not have the money to develop an army.

Anyway, the national defense was protected by the British. They only needed an armed force that could stabilize the country and a police force. Now the only army in the Kingdom of Sardinia was the King's Guard.

Prime Minister Gaffer said passionately, "Your Majesty, I know that Britain and France's weapons and equipment are not easy to get, and I don't want the young men to be cannon fodder on the battlefield, but the country needs them now!

If we can't get the support of Britain and France, the Kingdom of Sardinia will not have the chance to develop and grow. The blood of the Auschwitz war has not dried yet. With our own strength, we will never be able to take revenge on the Austrians.

They will leave … "

Vittorio Emmanuel II said unhappily, "Stop! Prime Minister Gaffer, I don't want to listen to your long speech.

Are you worried that the Austrians have forgotten about us and want to remind them that there is still an enemy in the Regions of Italy?

In the Auschwitz war, the Kingdom of Sardinia lost 110,000 brave soldiers, 80,000 civilians, and more than 100,000 wounded. The economic losses were incalculable, and the entire Kingdom of Sardinia was crying.

The casualties of the war and the deterioration of the economic situation have caused the total population of the Kingdom of Sardinia to drop by 670,000 from 1848.

Do you think we have any extra manpower to expend? Even if we get the support of Britain and France, do you think we have the ability to take revenge on Austria? "

Revenge? Vittorio Emmanuel II also wanted to, but reality did not allow for it. The Kingdom of Sardinia was just a small country with a territory of 70,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 5 million.

After suffering a blow, it was not only Vittorio Emmanuel II who had lost confidence, but the entire Kingdom of Sardinia had lost confidence.

The main purpose of Prime Minister Gaffer's promotion of revenge on Austria was to use the power of hatred to inspire everyone's fighting spirit and work hard to unify Italy.

Gaffer continued to explain, "Your Majesty, the international situation is ever-changing. Now that Britain and France are close to each other, and Russia and Austria are standing together, it is only a matter of time before we choose a side.

Instead of being forced to choose a side, it is better to take the initiative to join now. The Auschwitz war two years ago decided that we had no choice.

Declaring war on the Russians now is just an attitude. Our strength is limited, and Britain and France will not ask us to do much.

Now that Montenegro and Greece are on the side of the Russians, Britain and France also need someone to help them internationally, and with the strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia, it is just right for this. "

After hearing this explanation, Vittorio Emmanuel II's expression softened a little.

There was no need to invest a large number of troops, so it was still negotiable. After losing the last war, the losses were too great, and his father turned from a hero to a coward. In the end, he was forced to abdicate, and he did not want to do it again.

Vittorio Emmanuel II said very calmly, "We also have to consider Austria's attitude. The Russians can't do anything to us, but they are by our side. With an order from the Government of Vienna, in less than a week, we will be in exile again. "

Gaffer was helpless in the face of an Arcanophobia patient. It was not only Vittorio Emmanuel II who had this. After the Auschwitz war, many people had it, including himself, but he had strong self-control and did not show it.

This kind of emotion was especially serious among the people. After experiencing a war, many people knew the horror of war, and their fear of Austria was even more serious.

This was the aftereffect of excessive propaganda. During the period of Charles Albert, the decadence of Austria was widely publicized, the strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia was exaggerated, and the self- confidence of the Sardinians was cultivated.

Unfortunately, this self- confidence was lost in the Auschwitz war, and then the reaction force broke out, and those who experienced this war became Arcanophobes.

The nationalists and youths who were not afraid of anything in the past were now not making a fuss. The country was stable, but the plan to unify Italy was also aborted.

After hesitating for a moment, Gaffer said, "Your Majesty, I will find a way to solve the problem of Austria. If they are determined to oppose, we will give up this opportunity!"

This problem could not be avoided. If Austria made a military threat, Gaffer himself would also be afraid. The current Kingdom of Sardinia did not have the power to fight at all. In fact, they could only participate in this Near East war.

After hearing Gaffer's answer, Vittorio Emmanuel II nodded in satisfaction, indicating that he agreed.