Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 237 The Unsinkable Fortress

The two most powerful nations in the religions were at war, their conflict spreading throughout the world via merchants and the telegraph. All of Europe was watching to see who could seize the throne of religion.

Egypt once sought to seize it, and nearly succeeded. Now, Iran is charging towards the throne; it remains to be seen whether the Ottoman Empire can withstand it.

Van, a historic border town of the Ottoman Empire, was mostly inhabited by Armenians. Upon hearing of the impending Iranian invasion, many fled. However, they couldn't escape, as the Ottomans demanded they hand over their money before leaving. Thus, this small town of less than 20000 people was reduced to only 4800 after paying £4. The Ottoman Empire then stationed its 13th Division there.

The main force of this army came from the Anglo-Saxon region, and its officers and soldiers were staunch Sunni Muslims, considered the backbone of the Ottoman army. Placing them in Van was also a precaution against Iranian troops from Tabriz.

Besides the 13th Division, there were also the Ottoman First Macedonian Army, the most elite force, and the Third Anatolian Army Corps stationed in Izmir. These were elite troops that the Ottomans had painstakingly reorganized, and their presence in Van was also intended to prevent a rapid Iranian advance.

The defense of Van was overseen by 44-year-old General Aksuna, who believed that strengthening the city's defenses was of utmost importance. To this end, he ordered the digging of deep trenches and the construction of fortifications, attempting to transform Van into an unsinkable fortress.

The day after the two countries declared war, he planned to go to the city to check on the progress of the troops' fortifications. But scouts reported that Iranian troops had crossed the border and were heading their way.

"War has broken out after all," Aksuna sighed. But that wasn't the time to think about that; he needed to get the defenses of Van City sorted out as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Major General Soleimani was tasked with leading the attack on Van. Intelligence indicated that the Ottomans had deployed the majority of their forces along the Van-Trabison line, a tough nut to crack; it remained to be seen whether he could succeed.

"Are we prepared enough ammunition?"

"General, we have prepared enough ammunition, both artillery and firearms, enough to last for more than six months."

The original ammunition reserves were enough for three months, but Soleimani repeatedly requested an increase in shell stockpiles from his superiors, which eventually raised the reserves to six months. This time, however, he intended to use them up in just two months.

"During this period, the Ottomans have completely renovated Van, inside and out, and it seems they are preparing to fight us to the death here. Not only are there observation posts and trenches, but also a new batch of cannons."

Looking at the current defense map of Fancheng, simply charging forward won't work. In this area, either the enemy surrenders, or we'll be completely wiped off the map. Currently, the second method seems more effective.

"Is the artillery ready?"

"Most of them are already in place, but some will take a little longer to be delivered."

"Tell them to hurry! If they delay, I'll go to the Shah and complain about them!"

They weren't idle during the artillery transport. Small-scale fighting had already broken out between Iran and the Ottomans, with both sides vying for control of the town of Al-Aal, just outside Van. Iran had bombarded the area with artillery, but the Ottoman army, being a modern and elite force, displayed remarkable courage in halting the Iranian advance, even under machine gun fire.

The Ottoman army used the religious school, the highest point in the town, as its command post to control its troops in the area. However, this wasn't a sustainable strategy. Their plan was to rely on a strong defense to wear down the Iranian army, and then, when the time was right, launch a counter-offensive. Admittedly, this plan perfectly suited the Ottoman army's situation. However, it also meant that some Ottoman territory would have to be relinquished. This territory was Mesopotamia.

Actually, giving up some land wasn't a big deal. Mesopotamian cities were mainly located along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, so giving up a little land wasn't a problem, since they would get it back later anyway.

The Ottoman government once again sought aid from European countries, just as it had done during the Crimean War. However, France, with Iran's cooperation, lost Ottoman interest, while Britain, for well-known reasons, was unavailable.

The Ottomans even turned to their arch-enemy, Russia, but unfortunately, their Tsar was locked in a bitter struggle with the landowners over the serf reform laws. Other countries were also too busy, leaving the Ottomans truly facing Iran alone.

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Naser al-Din learned of the progress at the front via telegram. The Ottomans had been prepared for Iran's advance, so despite several days of fighting, Iran had gained very little. They essentially stopped after reaching Trabisun and Van.

"General, the Ottomans have laid down heavy defenses in Van. It will take at least two months to capture this place."

Salami, upon seeing these messages, demanded that the army speed up its progress, questioning what other countries would think if they continued to remain at the border.
"Alright, don't be so impatient. It's only been a few days since the war started, and you're already talking about this," Rouhani said from the side.

"How can I not be anxious? Back then, I confidently told the Shah that I would make the Ottomans surrender within a year. Now that we've started the war, we're already facing such a huge obstacle. What will happen to the rest if we don't take it down?"

Rouhani felt the other side was being too hasty, thinking of advancing into Istanbul after only a few days. Given their supply lines, reaching Damascus was already their operational limit.

"It seems that the Ottomans have also brought up their own resources. This is the main reason why we are making such a difficult progress."

But the Ottoman Empire was inferior to ours in every other aspect, and no matter how good other places were, the will of the high command was destroyed, and that couldn't be reversed.

Hearing Rouhani's words, Salami calmed down. The war had only just begun; there was no need to be angry about a standoff in one or two cities. Iran would definitely take this place, it definitely would.

On the sixth day after the start of the war, Iran captured the town of Arleigh. The front line was only a few hundred meters away from the main city of Van.

The town was now a ruin, filled with rubble and broken walls. Before retreating, the Ottoman army burned everything usable, without even asking the local residents how they felt.

However, the residents dared not complain; they were all drawn into Fan City. The flames of war, dormant for a century, had now reached this place. Fan City, along with the Fan Lake behind it, became a crucial defensive position. A long stalemate began.

(End of this chapter)