Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 248 Weakness
"General, our army has encountered strong resistance from the Ottomans in Mosul. Our soldiers have launched several attacks, but all have been repelled."

Salami knew Mosul was difficult to attack, and he worried that the situation might change if things continued this way. Mosul means "connecting point" in Arabic. Historically, it served as a crucial stop on the Silk Road, linking Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf, making its strategic location extremely important and earning it the title of Baghdad's northern gateway.

In response, Iran launched a prolonged siege and artillery bombardment. However, the Kurds, clearly more familiar with the area, used guerrilla warfare to continuously harass Iranian forces.

"Keep fighting, that's all the Kurds can do. Also, the armies must advance in unison, we can't give them a chance."

Iran has met its match, but the Chief of Staff isn't going to take a hard line; that would break his teeth. So, it's best to get them to surrender willingly.

"General, you wanted to see me."

Delsin Malatya, an Iranian Kurd, also distinguished himself in the war against Russia, earning the rank of Major General. He was also the first Kurd to hold the rank of Major General.

"Mosul is more fortified than we imagined, and it seems unlikely that it can be taken in the short term. Do you have any good ideas?"

Malatya thought for a moment, then said, "Currently, our army has the advantage in artillery and soldiers, but they are skilled in guerrilla warfare. In addition, we are fighting them in the mountains, so we are naturally at a disadvantage. Moreover, even if we occupy the area, they will probably continue to fight endless battles to wear us down."

Therefore, instead of confronting them head-on, it's better to subdue them and bring them to our side.

Salami felt good about this, so he asked the other party to explain in detail.

"They have had conflicts with the Ottomans many times in history, and an uprising broke out 10 years ago. Although it was suppressed, most of them still harbor hatred towards the Ottomans. This conscription is also a forced act, which has deepened their hatred."

If we can attract them with enough benefits, I think they will acknowledge the Shah's authority.

One point he didn't mention is that historically, the Kurdish-inhabited region has long been the front line of conflict between Middle Eastern and Iranian highland regimes. The local Kurds, rather than seeking independent statehood, preferred to serve as mercenaries under powerful regimes. Before nationalism, they never envisioned establishing a nation-state based on their own ethnicity, primarily because their relatively primitive nomadic culture made it difficult to forge a strong national cohesion.

Salami admitted that it was indeed good, but they didn't know what the Kurds wanted.

“In that case, you will be in charge of this matter. You are also a Kurd, so I believe you will have a lot in common.”

The chief of staff gave the order, and Namalatia was also given the mandate. He was given a considerable amount of funding; if he could secure it, great; if not, he would accept it.

At this time, Mosul was filled with wounded and groaning soldiers, their heads, hands, and legs wrapped in bandages, some even missing limbs. These were the survivors of the Iranian shelling.

"Please, this is our last food supply, you can't take it away!"

"Enough with the nonsense. With war at hand, everything needs to be confiscated. Take it."

Ottoman soldiers ruthlessly took the food from the citizens' hands, and even led away their livestock. The civilians were left weeping behind.

Even within the army, the situation was far from ideal. Soldiers were divided into different classes based on their beliefs and ethnicities, with the Ottomans of Anatolia looking down on these native Middle Eastern residents. This was also very evident in the military.

"You want to get beaten up, don't you!" A soldier threw the food he was holding at the other man, and upon closer inspection, he saw that it was covered in green mold.

"What's wrong with you? This is it, eat it or don't!"

As they argued, more and more soldiers gathered around them.

"Rejep, don't forget, if it weren't for you guys holding us back, the results of the last raid on the enemy would have been even greater!" a soldier roared.

"What do you mean we're holding them back? It's clearly your attack that's ineffective. If it were us, we would have wiped them out completely."

"Honestly, you guys are no good. Just for your rebellion ten years ago, the Sultan should have killed you all. It's a pity he was merciful and spared your lives; otherwise, you would all be gone long ago."

The two argued more and more fiercely, and eventually they started hitting each other, attracting other onlookers to join in.

This wasn't the first or second time such a situation had occurred. Because they deliberately used the Kurds as cannon fodder, even those eager to serve as mercenaries couldn't withstand such attrition. Coupled with the oppressive policies of the Ottomans, the conflict escalated.

Originally, the Ottoman government implemented a lenient policy of control over ethnic minorities within its territory under the Milet system, and the Kurds enjoyed semi-autonomous privileges. However, starting in the 19th century, as the Ottoman Empire faced an intensified crisis, the central government adjusted its policies toward the Kurds within its territory, successively abolishing the privileged status enjoyed by the Kurds, which resulted in a large-scale armed uprising by the Kurds.

The Ottoman sultans originally wanted to create a pluralistic atmosphere, but the introduction of nationalism turned them into a narrow, Anatolian-centric nationalism. They viewed Mesopotamia as a burden that needed to be shed.

This Iranian offensive forced the Kurds to send troops to defend themselves, resulting in heavy losses for them. The strength of many tribes was also weakened. This was part of the Ottoman strategy: to weaken the Kurds through Iran, making them easier to control.

To better suppress the Ottoman forces, officers employed a series of methods, including requisitioning food and continuously conscripting soldiers, draining their war potential from both resources and manpower. However, the gradual siege of Mosul by Iran intensified the officers' desire to break out.

“I don’t think Mosul can be held. Let’s take advantage of the current opportunity to break out and run away to Latakia to catch a boat back,” an officer suggested.

"Wouldn't doing this have some negative impact on other people...?"

"What's the use of saying all this at a time like this? Iranian shells don't discriminate; if they hit you, you're basically dead."

It's better to die somewhere else than here; at least you'll survive.

The officers had already planned that Kurds and Ottoman soldiers would form a suicide squad to fight against Iran. They would then break out from another direction and head straight to Latakia. Once there, they could take a boat directly back to Istanbul.

"No one can know about this. Otherwise, we'll be dead."

"Who would know about this place?"

The officers were in a secret room. There were no soldiers there except for their personal guards.

(End of this chapter)