Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 289 Discussion After Returning (Part 1)

Nasser al-Din has finally returned to his loyal Tehran, bringing with him a trade agreement with Russia and plans for trilateral talks.

Naserdin suffered greatly along the way; Russia was incredibly backward. He considered trying to travel directly south through Russia, but the only railway he found was from St. Petersburg to Moscow. From there, he had to use the Volga River for water transport to Astrakhan, cross the Caspian Sea, and reach Mazandran. Only then did he return.

"I can't stand waiting until Russia has built the railway before I go to visit them."

Nasser al-Din recounted the hardships of the journey to Amir, who listened quietly. The Shah, still young, naturally complained a little.

"Shah, the Prussian envoy has come to our country to discuss economic and trade matters."

Nasserdin nodded slightly, signaling Amir to continue. He had just returned from a grueling journey to Russia, exhausted both physically and mentally, but his concern for national affairs remained undiminished.

Amir continued, "The Prussian envoy proposed to establish closer trade relations with our country, particularly in railway construction and industrial technology. They are willing to provide technical and financial support in exchange for some of our mineral resources and market access."

Naserdin pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Prussia's proposal sounds good, but we cannot ignore the attitudes of Austria and Russia, which may cause their dissatisfaction."

Amir nodded in understanding: "Shah is wise. We can consider limited cooperation with Prussia while maintaining a balance with Russia. In addition, we can use this opportunity to promote domestic industrial development, which will greatly boost our economy."

As Nasserdin pondered this, he looked at the international situation on a map.

"By the way, did the Ministry of Finance make a fortune recently?"

Amir immediately realized, "It will take several years to see the results; for now, we've only spent a lot of money."

Austria's debt soared to 30 billion thalers due to its defeat in the war against Sardinia. To cover the deficit, Austria was forced to sell off 2 million thalers worth of state-owned assets at bargain prices, and the Iranian government also purchased a significant amount of these assets, mostly in the Venice region.

This money came from a fund established by the oil company's revenue, which has investments not only in Austria, but also in Cyprus, East Africa, and the Far East.

"That's good. In a few years, the Chancellor of the Exchequer won't have to worry about revenue. Maybe."

Nasser al-Din places particular emphasis on fiscal revenue and expenditure; without money, no policy can be implemented. Furthermore, given the current economic control in Europe, they could indirectly control Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe.

"Shah need not worry. Countries like Britain and France need to issue bonds every year to make up for their deficits. Compared to them, our country still has a lot of room for income growth. We just need to make good use of oil."

Oil brings numerous benefits; it can be exported and support domestic industries. No wonder the Shah is so keen on developing oil resources—it's a treasure trove.

In addition, Amir briefed Nasser al-Din on their upcoming attack on Vietnam. They planned to use 30000 Iranian troops stationed there, along with their allied forces, to advance north along the coastline and capture Hue and Hanoi.

"Hold the mercenaries back off for now. Some of them will move to Venice first." "Okay...Venice...Venice?"

Amir was somewhat incredulous; sending a mercenary force composed of Iranians to Venice—what kind of operation was this?

"Don't overthink it. It was the Austrian Emperor who privately requested to hire our troops. There has been some instability in the Venice region recently. We hope to stabilize the situation there."

"This……"

This was beyond Amir's imagination; an emperor requesting another country's army to be stationed there reminded him of the Roman Empire's hiring of barbarian soldiers to defend its borders. And Austria, with its depleted treasury, would likely have to rely on Iran for funding.

“Shah, shouldn’t we discuss this matter again? This is unprecedented for troops to be stationed in other countries. If other countries find out, it could cause big trouble.”

Amir has thought a lot about this. The Vienna System, as Europeans call it now, has only been barely functional since 1848. Iran's rapid rise, the changing status of Prussia and Austria, and the actions of the Italian peninsula are all undermining this crumbling system. If Iran were to send troops to Austria at this time, it would easily be perceived as Iran siding with Austria, which would weaken its relationship with Prussia.

Therefore, it's best to avoid explicitly supporting Austria if possible. Currently, Austria has too many problems; despite its large size and population, it's very bloated, while Prussia is much more streamlined. Perhaps it's better to wait and see.

"Now is the time for Iran to penetrate deeper into Europe. Austria has already agreed to the proposal to build the Eastern Railway. Sending troops at this time is also proof of the friendly relations between the two countries."

Amir disagreed: "Currently, our country is still focused on the construction of Baghdad, which requires a stable external environment. Rashly supporting Austria might disrupt this situation, because other countries already know who you support."

If Britain and Russia support hostile nations, they will attack from both the north and south, and all the gains of the past years will be lost.

These words made Nasserdin hesitate. Compared to Austria, Iran was more important. He couldn't possibly help them and end up sacrificing his own country, could he?

"But I've already promised the Austrian Emperor this, and I can't go back on my word, can I?"

With the Shah speaking, Amir naturally needed a countermeasure. It seemed the two kings had only made a verbal agreement, which left room for modification. All he needed to do was delay.

As a backup plan, Iran could support the Habsburgs in acquiring the throne of the Two Sicilies. The unification of Italy is now seemingly inevitable, but the northern and southern parts of the peninsula are vastly different.

The Italian peninsula is predominantly mountainous, with the long Apennine Mountains running through it. While generally aligned with the peninsula's orientation, these mountains hinder north-south communication. The Po River plain in the north, situated on the southern slopes of the Alps, is Italy's most prosperous and fertile region, while the south, including Sicily, is a traditional grain-producing area. The two regions are separated by the central section of the Apennine Mountains.

Historically, after the end of the Western Roman Empire, the Italian peninsula saw a changing of the guard. By the 8th century, Christianity controlled the north, while Byzantium held firm in the south, leading to a long period of de facto regional independence. This period sowed the seeds for later economic and cultural differences between the north and south. After the 10th century, the Arabs of North Africa and the Vikings of the north successively occupied Sicily and parts of the south, further complicating the situation.

In such a situation, even if the two regions were to merge, it would have to be violent, and the north would have to unify the south. If the Habsburgs could have both Sicilies, it would not only deepen relations but also give Iran another ally in Europe, which would be a win-win situation.

(End of this chapter)