Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 252 Summation
After learning of the capture of Baghdad, Nasser al-Din decided to go to the front lines to see for himself. He realized that if he wanted to rule a vast region in the future, moving the capital would be inevitable. Baghdad was a very suitable location, both in terms of its geographical location and water resources.

However, at this time, something inexplicable was happening on the Iranian front. From high-ranking officers to low-ranking soldiers, everyone was wondering if Osman had been trained in long-distance running.

Iranian forces at Trabisun penetrated directly into Tunjeli, Erzurum's rear, forcing frontline troops to abandon the city and retreat. The Iranian army then launched another attack, completely overwhelming the enemy.

The supplies seized by Iran in Erzurum included: 35 cannons of various calibers, 550 repeating rifles, 610 breech-loading single-shot rifles and other guns, 792 artillery shells, 50 rounds of ammunition, 1092 military tents, 354 military cooking pots, 4700 kilograms of various grains, 156 wagons, 250 riding and pack horses, 12 kilograms of gold bricks, 130 kilograms of gold ingots, as well as countless amounts of gunpowder, banknotes and other supplies.

In this battle, Ottoman general Nizam Pasha, facing the retreat of his allies and the advance of the enemy, resolutely fought to the death, ultimately sacrificing his life. Iran gave him a grand funeral.

The Ottoman army suffered a devastating defeat, its morale severely damaged and it never recovered. This was not only a contest of strength but also a battle of wills. The Ottomans were defeated not so much by being outmatched in strength, but rather by their commanders' lack of a strong fighting spirit and the courage to fight for victory.

On September 2, Iranian troops crossed the Euphrates River and advanced towards the key city of Aleppo. The Ottoman Empire suffered a complete defeat on the eastern front.

Meanwhile, to the west, Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria, and the Principality of the Danube all declared war on them. While calling on the Bulgarian people to fully commit to the uprising, Rakovsky also urged Bulgarian officers serving in the Russian and Serbian armies to return home and revolt.

The actions of the Ottoman army in the Balkans perfectly illustrated the situation: if they couldn't defeat Iran, why couldn't they defeat the Ottomans? Demands were made for the Ottoman army to refrain from indiscriminate killing, but the brutal Ottomans still burned many men, women, and children, along with churches, to the ground.

Such atrocities naturally shocked European countries, and some liberals went to the Balkans and waged war against the Ottoman Empire. Istanbul then deployed even more troops for a severe crackdown. These troops were all transferred from the East.

In Thessaloniki, the local Greeks were expelled, their shops were smashed, churches were burned, and people were killed. To make way for the Ottomans, they perpetrated numerous atrocities, forcing the locals to relocate, thus creating a situation where the Ottomans constituted the majority of the population.

But this situation was too much for Europe to bear. Russia warned the Ottomans that if they continued to take such measures against the Balkan people, Russia would not hesitate to wage another Russo-Turkish war.

The Ottoman government cabinet requested the Sultan's resignation, but the request was rejected. Now is not the time to shirk responsibility; they still need to do one last thing: negotiate peace.

At this time, the Ottoman deployment on the front lines became a mirage, and both the East and the West were under pressure. Sudan repeatedly requested the intervention of Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, and Russia, while Britain, fearing that the sudden disintegration of the Ottoman Empire would lead to instability in the Middle East, also put pressure on Iran.

Britain has warned that if Iran continues its offensive, the previously peaceful Middle East could be engulfed in war. As a peace-loving nation, Britain will intervene.

The message, both overt and covert, is that it's time to back down on Iran. While there's dissatisfaction with Britain, a tiny country, Iran truly needs to stop its actions.

Although Iran holds a military advantage, after months of war, it is finding it difficult to launch larger-scale military operations. Military campaigns, especially in the desert, are particularly costly. Furthermore, with Mecca now involved, Shia tribes must prioritize defending against any potential attacks from there.

By this time, Iran had completely exhausted its 55 million rife war funds. It had also imposed temporary tariffs on goods such as tea and coffee. The stark contrast between the costs of this war and the previous one made Iran realize that past war expenditures were history, and that costs would continue to rise as the military was re-equipped and upgraded. It could no longer be calculated using the old methods. On September 26th, the Iranian government, through the British Minister to Tehran, telegraphed the Ottoman government, stating that the negotiation location would be Tabriz, and that the terms of the ceasefire would be announced only after consultation between the two countries' plenipotentiary commissions.

However, the Ottomans objected, believing that reaching Tabriz would only allow Iran to extort more from them. Therefore, they wanted to negotiate elsewhere. At this point, a willing country offered to provide a venue for the peace talks.

Britain offered London, France offered Paris, Prussia offered Berlin, Austria offered Vienna, and even Russia offered St. Petersburg and Moscow as options.

The reason why countries are so enthusiastic about the negotiations is not only to increase their prestige in the world by choosing to hold the talks on their side, but also to boost the confidence of their people.

However, choosing a location that satisfies everyone among so many options is not an easy task. After several days of wrangling and disputes, Baghdad became the location accepted by all countries.

The reason is simple: this war is ultimately between Iran and the Ottoman Empire. Other countries can at most send a representative, but he is not the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire or Iran, and cannot decide these matters.

The Ottomans were also helpless, as most of their elite troops had entered Iranian territory. The Balkan rebellions in the west forced their eastern armies to turn back and quell the uprisings, making their continued operations unsustainable.

Now that the location was decided, there was nothing more to say. Each person naturally led their negotiation team to Baghdad to fight for their country's interests.

The Iranian delegation for this round of negotiations was led by Grand Vizier Amir and assisted by Foreign Minister Pezeshkian.

During yesterday's discussions, Nasser al-Din laid down the bottom line for the peace talks: to restore the Safavid dynasty's largest territory, reaching the Euphrates River. In addition, he demanded the independence or semi-independence of the Danube Principality and Bulgaria, and, if the opportunity arose, to also secure Cyprus and Damascus as concessions.

Meanwhile, on the Ottoman side, a diplomatic team led by Reshid Pasha went to Baghdad for peace talks. They knew this was likely their last visit to Baghdad. Iran certainly wanted Mesopotamia, but it was unclear what else it desired.

Britain's pressure on Iran can be said to be based on the instability in the Middle East, but they are also considering that it might be more beneficial to let Iran and the Ottoman Empire fight each other.

Britain's signature offshore balancing strategy is about to be deployed again, but Egypt's interests will prevent them from intervening for the time being. Britain will only make the Middle East its top priority when there are significant interests at stake.

Moreover, if Britain uses offshore balancing, won't Iran use it too? Just find them a more formidable adversary.

(End of this chapter)