1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 282 Osman's Dilemma
As May approaches, the snow and wind in various places gradually stop, and the warm spring finally arrives.

The southern foot of the Taurus Mountains, the Cilicia Gate.

The terrain of the Anatolian Peninsula is high in the east and low in the west, with mountains and hills everywhere, a large arid or semi-arid plateau in the middle, and most of the densely populated areas are located along the coast.

The Aegean Sea coast in the west of the peninsula is of course the essence of the entire peninsula. The terrain here is relatively flat and the climate is relatively suitable. The coastal plains and stream valleys are sufficient to cultivate large tracts of farmland. It has a large population, a prosperous civilization, many large cities, and excellent prospects for the development of handicrafts and commerce. It is also the main distribution area of ​​the Roman remnants.

The eastern part of the peninsula is relatively backward, with an average climate and numerous mountains. There are a large number of nomadic tribes, most of whom came from the east, including Turks, Turkmen, Kurds... a mixed bag.

However, there are also two very good farming areas in the eastern part of the peninsula. One is the coastal lowlands of Trebizond north of the Pontic Mountains, which is relatively small in area. The other is the Cilician Plain south of the Taurus Mountains. It has a flat terrain, numerous rivers and lakes, and a suitable climate, making it suitable for growing wheat and many cash crops.

The Cilician Plain was once the site of the Cilician Armenian Kingdom. It is across the sea from the island of Cyprus in the south and is surrounded by towering mountains on the east, west and north, forming large and small mountain passes that are easy to defend but difficult to attack.

The most dangerous of them is the Cilician Gate located at the junction of the Taurus Mountains and the Cilician Plain. It is very narrow and only a small number of troops are needed to stop an army that is dozens of times larger than its own. It has always been a battleground for military strategists.

A few decades ago, the Cilician Plain was occupied by the Karamanbey State and the Ramazanbey State respectively. In addition to the Turks, there were also a large number of Armenians living here.

With the collapse of Karaman and the decline of the Mamluks, the Karaman Beys were unable to stop the Ottoman army, and the Ramazan Beys were unable to obtain support from the Mamluks, and the plain was gradually occupied by the Ottoman Empire.

However, the Ottoman Empire, which had suffered several consecutive defeats, was no longer able to completely control the former territories of Karaman and Ramazan. It could only support its confidants and allow them to retain considerable autonomy and obtain food, tribute and soldiers on time.

After the outbreak of the Great Turkish War, Mehmed II declared that he would fight to the death and divided the entire country into two war zones. The most important western zone was guarded by him personally, while the eastern zone was handed over to Prince Bayezid.

The Ottoman Empire's defense policy was very clear. It would do everything in its power to defend the core area along the Aegean coast as much as possible, while focusing on defense in the east. If necessary, it would even condone the White Ayuntamiento's invasion of the eastern lands.

Since Osman I launched his rebellion, the core area of ​​the Ottoman Empire has always been western Asia Minor, where the ruling institutions are the most complete, the defense facilities are the most solid, the industry and commerce are the most developed, and the war potential is the greatest.

As for the nomadic tribes in the east... no one can say how much cohesion these people can retain during the war after Mehmed II's successive defeats.

After the outbreak of the war, the Ottoman Empire launched a national mobilization, transferring all available resources to the front line to maintain the indestructibility of the Aegean Sea barriers.

However, the continuous cooling still brought devastation to Asia Minor, with slow crop growth, insufficient food reserves, drought, frost and floods.

These disasters occur every year and may be insignificant in normal times, but for the Ottoman Empire at this time, they are undoubtedly adding insult to injury.

The Anatolian Plateau in central Asia Minor was undoubtedly the worst-hit area. It is at a high altitude and far from the sea. Most of the farming areas are located on the edge of the plateau. The rivers here are heavily dependent on meltwater from snow mountains. The drop in temperature caused the snow line to move downward and the snowmelt decreased, which soon led to a widespread drought.

In fact, during the Little Ice Age, the average surface temperature dropped by as much as 1°C, but 70% of the Earth's surface is ocean, and the specific heat capacity of seawater is much higher than that of land. The farther away from the sea, the more obvious the temperature drop, and a temperature drop of 3°C or even 5°C is not surprising.

Under the double blow of cold and drought, the Anatolian Plateau fell into an unprecedented predicament. In order to prepare for the war, the Ottoman Sultan had stored his grain in various granaries and transported his cattle and sheep into pens as early as the end of last year.

Of course, His Majesty the Sultan was still very merciful and had no intention of exhausting all the resources. The food he left for them was enough to last until the next harvest.

However, the cattle and sheep could no longer be counted on, and the next round of harvest was about to begin. On the dry and yellow farmland, the people looked at the sparse and malnourished wheat, feeling sad but without tears, and not knowing where to go.

In the fortress of the Cilicia Gate, Bayezid stood on the rooftop, gazing at the lowland plains below the mountain with a frown on his face.

A line of cavalry came from the rear and headed straight into the fortress.

After a while, Bayezid's confidant Ishaq quickly walked up to the rooftop and bowed to him.

"Ishaq, what's going on?"

Bayezid looked at Ishaq's gloomy face and pursed his lips.

"The situation is not good, Your Highness."

Ishaq said truthfully.

"Those Karaman princes who pledged allegiance to us have indeed fulfilled their promise and agreed to your request. They will send their troops here soon."

"but?"

Bayezid's expression remained unchanged, and he obviously did not think that the Karaman princes, who had a lot of autonomy, were loyal to the Ottoman Empire.

"But they say there's been a disaster on the plateau, and even around Konya the harvest is not very good."

Ishaq sighed.

"They said that the nomadic tribes in the interior are not stable and they need to retain more garrisons to deal with their harassment, unless you can restrain these people."

"I saw the soldiers they were going to send. They were all old, weak, sick and disabled. They had never touched a sword or a gun. There were no elite soldiers at all. They were all poor peasants who were temporarily recruited."

"They probably want to keep their troops to themselves and wait and see how the situation develops."

"Assholes! If it were a few years ago, how dare they be so arrogant!"

Bayezid cursed angrily.

"Do they really think we will lose?"

Ishaq lowered his head and did not answer.

Everyone knew that eastern Anatolia was originally a weak area under Ottoman rule, and Karaman and Ramazan had just been incorporated into the rule. There were still many bandits and gangsters in the mountains, gathering together.

If the White Sheep King Uzung Hassan defeated Bayezid's improvised troops, the fall of these places would be a foregone conclusion. Rather than dying for the Sultan, these people would rather preserve their strength and keep bargaining chips for themselves.

"I suggest you leave them alone for now, and don't accept the old, weak, sick, or disabled. We don't have much food and military supplies, and we can't waste them on these people."

Ishaq looked at Bayezid.

"Except for the princes of Karaman and several city lords of Ramazan, the others have responded to our call. If we integrate them, we may be able to negotiate with Uzon Hassan. If that doesn't work, we can negotiate."

Bayezid was silent for a moment, then nodded and rubbed his forehead irritably.

"His Majesty the Sultan has asked us to send another batch of food to the west."

"The army in the west is the largest. They need to eat and drink, wear warm clothes, and prepare for a protracted war. The amount of supplies they consume every day is astronomical."

"My father has begun to forcibly collect the surplus grain from the Phanar Greeks. In order to prevent them from rebellion, he has also driven them into quarantine areas for custody."

"However, our war potential is far inferior to that of the Aries Dynasty, not to mention the Greek emperor. If we continue like this, even if they don't fight, we will have civil strife."

"The west is indeed the most important, but the food production in the east has also decreased. Where can we get it from?"

Ishaq looked away.

"I intend to collect as much grain and dried meat as possible in Cilicia, which can be preserved for a long time, and store them in warehouses."

Bayezid said.

"This is a weak area in our rule. Once Uzung Hassan arrives, they will probably surrender immediately. Instead of that, we should squeeze every last bit of value out of them."

"how do you feel?"

Ishaq thought about it and remained silent.

"Your Highness, it is Lent now. Armenians cannot eat meat products, so their consumption of grains is very high."

"If you force the collection, it will probably lead to rebellion."

"I can't do anything about it. The weather is too cold. The grain production in the whole Anatolia has decreased. There are not many places with a good harvest, and Cilicia is one of them."

"They had a good harvest in the past few years. Even if we have harvested their crops several times, they should still have a lot of food in stock."

Bayezid sighed heavily.

"We will take as much food as we can, then abandon this area temporarily, leaving a troop at the Cilicia Gate."

"The main force will head north to deal with Uzung Hassan's raiding party."

"The Cilicia Plain is surrounded by mountains on three sides, especially on the west side, which is the most precipitous. Uzung Hassan's army may be able to break in from the mountain pass on the east, but it will be difficult to rush directly to the plateau."

Bayezid paced slowly.

"According to intelligence, Uzon Hassan has the advantage in military strength and will likely split his forces into several groups. Unfortunately, we have no advantage against any of them."

"He hasn't launched a large-scale attack yet. He is probably in contact with the city lords of Karaman and Ramazan. We can't stay here for long."

"Harvest the food and leave immediately."

"Yes, I will arrange it."

Ishaq nodded.

As he was speaking, a middle-aged man wearing a white turban and dressed as a businessman was led over by the guards and knelt down in front of Bayezid.

"Okan, you're back?"

Bayezid helped him up.

"How's it going?"

"Your Highness, the situation is not good."

Okan's face was covered with dust.

"I'm afraid there isn't much food in Cilicia." "How come?"

Bayezid grabbed Okan by the collar.

"Did the Lords of Ramazan collect the grain in advance?"

“They did collect it early, but that was not the main reason.”

Okan looked in horror into Bayezid's angry eyes.

"It's the Egyptians. They've been buying up grain in Cilicia for a few months. They're very rich and are spending lavishly."

"I suspect this may be a Greek trick!"

Bayezid closed his eyes in pain and loosened Okan's collar.

"How did they predict that there would be a famine this year?"

No one answered.

"Can't we get food, clothing, and weapons and equipment from overseas?"

Bayezid asked.

"We can't get in. The Cypriot fleet is watching us closely and patrols outside major ports all day long."

"The situation in the east is also very bad. The White Aries raiders are everywhere. The caravans are intercepted by them, and the grain from the east cannot be transported in."

Okan said carefully.

"Of course... As long as you are willing to pay a high price, there are still smugglers... Even the items from the Constantinople Arsenal and the Carthage Arsenal can be obtained."

"What's the use? We don't have any extra money!"

Bayezid roared.

Ishaq and Okan dared not utter a word. They lowered their heads, their eyes on their noses and their noses on their hearts.

After a long silence, Bayezid spoke slowly.

"I'll let you do two things with your identity as a businessman. One is to purchase military supplies, and the other is to gather intelligence."

"You can't do anything about military supplies, but what about intelligence?"

"We did find some intelligence!"

Okan raised his head and spoke quickly.

"I have already told you the details about the White Aries King Uzon Hassan in the letter. You should have received it, right?"

"Received, but the information is similar to that of other intelligence officers."

Bayezid nodded.

"Your Highness, this time it's about the Greeks... but it may not be anything secret."

Okan hesitated.

"Just say it!"

Bayezid waved his hand impatiently.

"Yes, the Greeks seem to have suffered from the same disaster. The blizzard in the Rumelian Mountains is even worse than here."

"Oh? Keep talking."

Bayezid's expression calmed down a little.

"But their supply situation is very good. Wheat from Egypt and Carthage is continuously sent to the north. They seem to have invented a new type of fertilizer. I asked an Armenian merchant and he said it is very good."

Okan said.

"There are also coke and cotton clothes. They have a lot of reserves, and the morale of the army has not been affected much."

"After the waves subsided, they stationed some troops on Lemnos and Chios. We couldn't figure out their main attack direction for a while and were forced to disperse the garrison..."

"anything else?"

Bayezid's face darkened again.

"Also... I heard that the wife of the Cossack Emperor Justinian gave birth to a boy last winter. He was not in good health when he was born, and only recovered recently, so the news was released."

Okan's voice became quieter and quieter.

"It is said that some Castilian nobles came to visit Princess Isabella and wanted to take the child away, but were rejected."

"The Greeks probably want him to fight for the Castilian crown."

Bayezid sneered.

"I'm afraid the Castilians won't accept a Greek as their king, even a puppet."

"Yes, they want to make this child a Castilian from head to toe, which will make it easier for them to control him and gain recognition from the public."

Okan said.

"The rebellious nobles of Castile and the Greeks eventually reached an agreement that the child would be baptized by the Pope of Rome and raised in Constantinople until the death of King Henry."

"However, the Castilian nobles will send him a tutor, and the Greeks are forbidden to interfere in his education."

"Although he had not yet been baptized, his mother Isabella had given him a Castilian name, Carlos."

Okan said.

"This incident spread like wildfire in the West. The Vatican thought it would give them great prestige, so they publicized it so much that they even ignored Enrique's complaint."

"Francesco Rovere, who is the most likely candidate to become the next pope, has specifically proposed that he be the child's godfather."

"But the Greeks had little interest in this. Many conservatives were even unwilling to bless the child, and a demonstration broke out at the University of Constantinople."

"Oh? Can we use this opportunity to stir up civil unrest among them?"

Bayezid asked quickly.

"Not really. The Greek emperor has made it clear that this child will not inherit the throne. His prestige is too high, and not many people dare to offend him directly. At most, they can just complain."

Okan shook his head regretfully.

"The Greeks today are no longer the same as they were before. There are a large number of Muzarabis, Russians, Bulgarians and Albanians among them. These people disdain the old traditions of the Greeks and are loyal supporters of the Palaiologos family."

"The Greek emperor relied on his personal prestige to maintain unity, and there was no common culture among these ethnic groups."

"That means the news you brought back is worthless."

Bayezid spoke slowly.

"Your Highness, I've said it before, this is no secret, everyone is talking about it..."

Okan stood aside awkwardly.

"Okay, let's go."

Bayezid pushed Okan away, looking annoyed.

"The Greeks were really fertile. Manuel II had seven children, and Isaac had five more."

"You too, Your Highness, have three boys at the age of 22, and there will be more in the future."

Ishaq consoled.

"That's not what I meant."

Bayezid shook his head.

"Hurry up and go to Cilicia to collect grain. Don't worry about their feelings. Collect as much as you can. Don't let the Egyptian merchants and Greek pirates take all the grain!"

"Aries is a tribal alliance. They will definitely launch a massive attack in the fall. We must hurry!"

"Yes!"

Ishaq became serious, bowed and left.

Bayezid looked at the mountains on both sides and felt extremely depressed.

(End of this chapter)