Chapter 871

Most people who build houses like open terrain. Except for those who particularly like nature, they usually don't plant too many trees around the house, especially in front of the gate.

It's not just a matter of Fengshui, but also a scientific basis. Too many trees will block the sun, and it's easy to breed snakes and insects.

There are exceptions to everything. Now many manors outside Akara are surrounded by trees, and even the roofs are planted with grass.

In this era without pesticides, one can imagine how many insects and ants will breed in the manor in this environment. Under normal circumstances, only nature enthusiasts can stand it.

In this era where most people have to work hard for three meals a day, there are obviously not so many nature enthusiasts. Most of these manors are newly built, and some are still under construction.

Most of the trees are native, and a small number are transplanted. Looking from the sky, it's not much different from an ordinary grove.

It's all brought about by the war. Since the bombing of Akara, there have been more environmentally friendly and green manors outside the city.

The Austrian airship would hover over Ankara from time to time and drop a few bombs into the city without any target to leave their mark.

Regardless of the specific results, the rich and powerful don't dare to live in the city. Everyone has become a lover of nature and the big forest.

Among the many manors, one is particularly special. It's surrounded by "a guard every three steps, a sentry every five steps," and it's heavily guarded like a palace.

Yes, this is the temporary palace of Abdul Aziz I. In this inconspicuous small manor, there are complete civil defense fortifications with multiple exits that can be moved at any time.

It's said that even if a bomb weighing hundreds of kilograms is dropped from the sky, it can't be shaken. Unfortunately, the Austrian airship seems to be only interested in the city and has never bombed outside the city. These fortifications have no opportunity to test in actual combat.

At first, Abdul Aziz I was worried that the enemy would attack at any time and hid in the basement for a week.

Later, he found that he thought too much. The airship is not omnipotent. Night, wind, heavy rain, fog, and sandstorms are the nemesis of the airship. The Austrian airship never travels in bad weather.

After being bombed many times, the Osman government also summed up a set of response plans and established the world's earliest and most primitive air defense early warning system.

The speed of the airship is not fast, at least much slower than the telegraph, which creates conditions for the Osman government to warn.

The airship takes off from the base into Akara and passes through many areas. If the airship is found along the way, it will be immediately reported by telegraph.

Of course, in the absence of air defense, this warning has little practical significance. In such a short time, it's too late to inform the people to hide, but it's still possible to inform the big shots to hide in time.

The Austrian airships had been bombing for almost half a year, causing tens of thousands of casualties. However, not a single high-ranking official of the Ottoman Empire had been scratched. This was enough to prove the advanced nature of this warning system.

Abdul Aziz I's condition was getting worse. He had thought that the Ottoman Empire would become stronger after the reforms, but the cruel reality told him that the Ottoman Empire was just a weak chicken.

From a military point of view, the performance of the Ottoman army this time could be considered as conforming to the norm. He didn't make any big mistakes, nor did he have any outstanding performances.

On the battlefield, they were able to hold their own against the Russian army. The counterattack planned by the military almost succeeded. Unfortunately, a careless move turned defeat into victory by the Russian Army. There is no other way.

After losing control of the air, the Osman Army is in a passive state. It was a meticulously planned strategy, but the movement of the troops was exposed right under the enemy's nose.

In addition to bombing and demoralizing, the airship can also be used to investigate the enemy. The Austrians and Russians don't cooperate closely, but if they detect the Osman Army's troop movements, they will still inform the Russians.

Unfortunately, the Osman Army didn't react in time and ignore the spies in the sky.

Of course, even if they take precautions, it's actually very difficult to be effective. Small-scale troop movements can deceive people, but how can there be no movement when tens of thousands of people are marching?

Even if it's on a mountain road, the abnormal movement of birds will be exposed. They can't specifically choose bad weather where the airship can't appear or march at night, right?

In this case, they can avoid the detection of the airship. Bad weather doesn't happen all the time. On the battlefield, speed is the most important. They can't specifically wait for bad weather.

The only feasible way is to march at night. Unfortunately, more than 90% of the world's armies in this era don't have the ability to march at night. The Osman Army is no exception.

With the structure of the Osman Army, if they really want to march at night, it will be very sad when the final headcount is done. They don't even need to fight the enemy, and they will lose themselves.

Interior Minister Abdulaziz Bouteflika: "Your Majesty, the British just sent news that Austria intends to increase their troops by 500,000."

"500,000" is not a simple number. It should be known that the total number of troops that Austria and Russia invested on the battlefield is less than 500,000.

Austria and Russia already have the upper hand on the battlefield and don't need reinforcements at all. Now that Austria is adding 500,000 troops, it's obviously not to win the war, but to carry out a war to destroy the country.

Since Austria is going to increase their troops, will the Russians be sending more troops soon?

Abdul Aziz I asked in a panic, "Is the news confirmed?"

There is no doubt that the Osman Empire can no longer withstand this blow. Not only are the frontlines defeated, but the country is also unstable.

A large number of war refugees poured into the interior. In order to compete for living space, there was a fierce conflict with the local people. In the battle, the Government of Sudan chose to favor their own people. Naturally, the ethnic minorities are divided.

At present, there are seven or eight rebel armies in the Osman Empire with more than a thousand people. The largest of them is the Armenian rebel army, with a total strength of more than 20,000 people.

The Osman Empire lost the Black Sea coast so quickly, which is directly related to the rebellion in the country.

Abdulaziz Bouteflika lowered his head and replied, "We have confirmed it from the French side. A week ago, the Government of Vienna submitted a proposal to the Imperial Parliament to increase the number of troops by 500,000.

The Imperial Parliament of the new Holy Roman Empire is only a silent response and has never rejected the government's proposal. If there are no accidents, it should have been passed by now. "

Get the information from the British and ask the French for confirmation? This is not a joke. With the intelligence capabilities of the Osman government, it is impossible to send the news back in such a short period of time.

After confirming the news, Abdul Aziz I fainted on the spot. It is not that his endurance is poor, it is just that the news is too exciting.

After a period of chaos, Abdulaziz I woke up in a hospital bed. Naturally, he does not need to make the decision.

After the outbreak of the war, the Osman Empire was blockaded by the Austrian Navy, leaving only Persia as the external passage.

Ankara received the news, and the Foreign Minister in London must have received the news earlier.

Thousands of miles away, waiting for the Government of Sudan to make a decision would definitely not be able to make it in time. Abdulaziz I has long delegated full authority to the Foreign Minister.

There is no hope in the country. The population of the Osman Empire is limited. In the successive defeats, they have lost a large number of effective forces.

Moreover, modern warfare wasn't just about people. In a short period of time, where will weapons and equipment come from?

The Osman Empire is not an industrial power. Although there are munitions factories, their production capacity is quite low.

War waits for no one. Based on the current speed, the enemy will reach Ankara before they can gather weapons and equipment. The Government of Sudan can only pin their hopes on international intervention.

…

In the Prime Minister's official residence on Downing Street, Prime Minister Gelston, who has always been well-mannered, could not help but slap the table.

The Austrians are too disrespectful. They have just started the mediation, and the Government of Vienna wants to destroy the Osman Empire. What position do they have?

If the Osman Empire is destroyed, then the London Peace Conference will become a joke, and the international reputation that the Government of the United Kingdom has painstakingly built will also fall to the bottom.

The Foreign Minister, Marquis Macklin, analyzed, "According to the information we have received, the Osman Empire is about to be destroyed.

Since the beginning of the war, the Osman Empire has lost at least 600,000 troops, and more than a quarter of the population has become refugees because of the war.

The most important thing is that their domestic economy has suffered a devastating blow, and the accumulated contradictions have been stimulated. Rebellions are emerging one after another.

Even if the Austrians do not increase their troops, as long as the war continues, the Osman Empire will be dragged down.

The House of Habsburg and the Osman Empire are old enemies, and these grievances can be traced back to the Middle Ages. Getting rid of the Osman Empire can be said to be the long-cherished wish of every monarch of the House of Habsburg.

In addition to the hatred, there is also a lot of benefits. Although it is not known how the Austrians and Russians are going to divide it, it is certain that once the Osman Empire is destroyed, the entire Eastern Mediterranean will fall into the hands of Austria.

The problem now is not only that the Government of Vienna wants to destroy the Osman Empire, we must also consider the position of the Tsarist government.

In terms of grievances, the hatred between the Russians and the Osman Empire is no less than the hatred between the House of Habsburg and the Osman Empire.

The most recent one is the Prussian War. If it is not for the Osman Empire stabbing them in the back, the Tsarist government would not have lost so badly.

Alexander II Of Russia has personally experienced it, and it is painful. His desire to destroy the Osman Empire is much stronger than Franz's.

Looking at the current situation, the Government of Vienna and the Russians have reached an agreement. If there is no accident, the Tsarist government will also increase their troops. "

Hatred and benefits are complete, and the Osman Empire deserves to be unlucky. If the Government of Vienna and the Government of Saint Petersburg show mercy to the Osman Empire, then there will be a problem.

Prime Minister Gelston rubbed his forehead and said helplessly, "In any case, the Osman Empire must be saved, or we will become a joke.

The current international situation is very bad, and we must take flexible diplomatic means to protect the Osman Empire. We can't let the situation get out of control. "

There is no other way, the French are not helping. The Government of Paris is in serious internal strife, and by the time they make a decision, the Osman Empire will be history.

Without the French involved, the Government of London can't intervene by force even if they want to.

The Royal Navy is strong, but if they want to send their main fleet deep into the Mediterranean, the Government of London will also be afraid.

This is not simply a matter of the number of warships, but also the power that can be released.

If the Royal Navy is concentrated, there is no danger of entering and leaving the Mediterranean. The warships of the FAO and the two countries in the Mediterranean may not be able to stop them, so naturally they will not take the risk.

In fact, this is impossible. As a colonial empire, the warships will inevitably be scattered, and the mobile forces that the British can mobilize are at most half of the fleet.

The hatred between Britain and France is not shallow, and the French Navy is sitting on the sidelines. If they just send themselves to the door, who can guarantee that the two countries of the FAO won't join forces and pull them down from the position of maritime hegemony?

The Mediterranean is different from the Atlantic. Once it is blocked, there is no way out. In other places, even if they lose in a naval battle, they can still escape.

In a naval battle, as long as they are not surrounded, or the performance of the warships is very different, it is rare for them to be completely wiped out. The vast sea is not so easy to chase.

The Mediterranean is an exception. The British only have a few ports in the Mediterranean, and it is not very safe.

If they really fall out, as long as the Royal Navy goes deep into the Eastern Mediterranean, the French can cut off their retreat.

As long as the Suez Canal is closed and the island of Malta is taken, the Royal Navy will be trapped inside. It is not a question of whether they can escape, but what about the logistics and supplies?

The endurance of warships in this era is not as strong as in the future. From the Eastern Mediterranean to running back to the British mainland, the straight line distance is thousands of kilometers, and the actual route distance is even longer.

Most of the warships didn't have enough coal, so they needed to resupply before they could return safely.

Along the way, there is also the Royal Navy intercepting, so they can only run at full speed. Changing sails also needs to look at the direction of the wind. What's more, many warships give up sail power and don't have this option.

The Royal Navy does not need to fight them, they just need to attack the supply ships. Or cut off the coal supply, or consume the ammunition, they can achieve their goal.

What's more, the performance of the steam engine in this era, under normal circumstances, can not run at full horsepower. Every time the engine runs at full horsepower, it must be overhauled.

There is no port to stop for maintenance along the way, it can be said that as long as they do not run out in the first place, they will not be able to escape. A navy without logistics does not have the ability to fight for a long time.

In this era, there is no radio station, wandering at sea for ten days to half a month is a common thing. As long as the Royal Navy and the Royal Navy block the news, it is possible that the Government of London will not receive the news even after the battle is over.

Of course, luck plays an important role. If luck is good, such as encountered foggy weather, escaped the intercepting fleet, carried enough supply ships, and did not hit the reef, it is still possible to escape.

As for defeating the enemy interception and forcibly breaking out of the encirclement, it is possible to think about it. Winning may not be difficult, the problem is after winning, how many supply ships will be left?

Will they be injured, and will the enemy's main fleet catch up? If it is a decisive battle, half of the Royal Navy will definitely not be able to win.

Without enough confidence, the British will definitely not gamble on their character, the Osman Empire is not worth the risk. Success may not necessarily achieve their goal, failure will be a big loss.

Now that they have entered the era of ironclad warships, it is not as easy to replenish sail warships. As long as the Royal Navy is defeated, their position as the ruler of the sea will be shaken, and the British cannot afford to lose.

This is how the world's big boss attracts hatred, once there is an opening, it will be a situation of wolves devouring tigers.