Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 245 Ottoman Peace Treaty

"Reshid, do you think we can still win?"

Having just regained his strength, Sultan leaned against the headboard and asked Reshid Pasha a question.

"Sudan, this war is currently very unfavorable to our country. The turmoil in the Balkans is greater than we imagined. Iran's offensive has also exceeded our capacity to withstand it, and countries like Britain and France are unwilling to send troops to help..."

"Why? Why don't they send troops? Didn't they send troops before, whether it was Egypt or Russia?"

Magid I was somewhat saddened. Britain and France had previously sent troops to help the Ottomans, so why were they no longer coming out?
I wonder if the Sudanese have considered that they were only able to help you because the Ottoman Empire was struggling against both Egypt and Russia at the time, and Britain and France intervened to maintain regional balance. They won't make you strong, but you at least have to be capable in some way. What can you do if you always have to rely on military aid?
"Currently, the instability in the Balkans could endanger the capital. Perhaps we should negotiate peace with Iran first, and then return to fight them after suppressing the Balkans?"

This was the best solution Reshid Pasha could come up with. Compared to the war in the east, the turmoil in the Balkans in the west was even more critical for the Ottoman capital. It would be better to ease the situation first and then go to war with Iran after the situation in the Balkans was resolved.

"Can you be sure?" the Sultan asked.

"Your Majesty, this is the only way at the moment."

This was a last resort, given the incompetence of the Ottoman army. The Sultan reluctantly nodded and appointed Reshid Pasha as Minister of Peace to travel to Iran for negotiations.

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In London, Prime Minister Palmerston is explaining the major war taking place in the Middle East to Queen Victoria.

"Your Majesty, this war may change the landscape of the Middle East. Our country's foreign policy should be changed as soon as possible."

In this war, they underestimated the results of Iran's reforms. Previously, in the war against Russia, they believed the Russian army had become complacent and its combat effectiveness had declined. But now it seems the changes in the Iranian military are also significant.

"What impact will this have on us?" Queen Victoria asked.

"Currently, the impact is not significant. However, France has already begun constructing a canal in Egypt, preparing to connect the two oceans. According to estimates, if successful, ships traveling to India could reduce their journey by three months."

In fact, Britain had always coveted Egyptian interests. In 1851, Britain obtained the privilege to build the Alexandria-Cairo railway, while France obtained the privilege to dig the Suez Canal. The Suez Canal Company was established and began to build a maritime canal open to ships from all countries. The company could operate the canal for 99 years from the date it opened to traffic.

The canal was undoubtedly of great significance in both trade and military affairs, and Britain naturally coveted this prize. However, blatant robbery was unacceptable, as it would damage Britain's image.

"Prime Minister, what should we do given the current situation?"

The Queen inquired about her most pressing concern: the British Navy must control every major port. Egypt was no exception. The Nile and the port of Alexandria both had to be under the Union Jack. "We'd better do nothing for now," she said. "The situation in India is consuming a lot of our energy. If Iran wins, we can court them, because regardless of whether the Ottomans win or lose, their debts still need to be repaid."

Britain didn't know if betting on Iran would be a win, but the Ottomans would have to repay their debts anyway. Moreover, Iran had demonstrated independence and autonomy in recent years, not only raising tariffs but also encouraging exports; it seemed poised to replace the Ottomans as the ruler of the Middle East.

France, the victim of this misfortune, had no intention of sending troops. Firstly, it suffered heavy losses in the Crimean War, and secondly, it lacked funds. Extensive construction required capital, and even with the vast resources of the Bank of France, it couldn't sustain large-scale construction projects. Therefore, it could only allocate funds to critical projects.

Since France wasn't sending troops, Britain had even less reason to. So they remained observers, at most preventing Iran from excessively seizing Ottoman territory. Of course, the Iranian ambassador did approach Downing Street, explaining that a war between Iran and the Ottomans wouldn't harm British interests, and indicating that Iran would recognize Egypt as part of the British sphere of influence.

This was a matter of acknowledgment for Britain, but it was significant because if the canal were opened, Britain could also intervene. All these factors combined led Britain to choose to remain neutral.

Soon, news of Ottoman's request for peace talks from Iran reached Tehran. Foreign Minister Pezeshkian naturally welcomed this. Although the situation seemed very favorable, surveillance from European countries led Iran to consider backing down. After all, they had few interests in the Balkans and didn't want to get themselves bogged down in it.

However, he soon encountered a problem: Shah refused to agree.

"Our country has not yet captured Baghdad. Under such circumstances, we must not negotiate, not even to delay the inevitable."

Nasserdin's words were grand and dramatic, and the situation is indeed as described. Iranian troops have already reached Najaf and Sulaymaniyah, effectively placing Baghdad in a semi-encirclement. They were so close to capturing this ancient city; now, peace talks are out of the question.

“The Shah is right,” Amir also opposed peace talks now. “According to news from the front, the Ottoman army has suffered heavy losses. Not only have they lost the defensive lines of Van and Trabzon, but they are also fighting against local militias in Syria. Right now, the Ottomans are facing nationwide resistance. We absolutely cannot negotiate at this time; we must wait at least six months.”

Shah nodded, but Pezeshkian had a different idea.

“Shah, Grand Vizier. This peace talk by the Ottomans is not only the one spoken by the Sultan; it probably also involves Britain and France, and even Russia and Austria. If we refuse, they might interfere, just like in Egypt.”

Naserdin stood up, still holding a lit pipe. "At this time, I think Britain, France, Austria, and Russia are all busy with their own affairs. If they have to send troops for every situation, they will never finish even if they work themselves to death."

Britain excels in naval affairs and trade, so it is particularly interested in important seaports and trade routes. Allowing Britain to occupy Egypt would keep them on the sidelines. As for France, as mentioned before, it is busy exploring Africa with my country, and having suffered heavy losses in the war against Russia, it will not easily send troops.

As for Austria and Russia, they're both busy with their domestic affairs. Don't worry, even if they send troops, it will be to the Transoxiana region, not here.

Russia is currently suffering heavy losses and will not send troops until it recovers. Moreover, even if it does send troops, Iran could use the Transoxiana region to attack the Kazakhstan region that Russia has just pacified, which is also a concern for Russia, as it can no longer bully Iran as easily as before.

(End of this chapter)