Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 580: When Problems Can't Be Solved, Just...

Despite the vast gap between the two sides’ demands, the negotiations proceeded quite smoothly under the mediation of various parties.

Paying compensation was impossible. Even if the Ottoman government was willing to pay, they simply didn’t have the money. The war had already emptied their coffers.

The Ottoman Empire was, in fact, financially bankrupt at this point. Not only had they suspended payments on international debts, but they also couldn’t pay the salaries of their domestic civil servants.

Austria hadn’t launched this war with the aim of extorting war reparations. Although they had thrown out an astronomical figure, it was simply a starting point for negotiation.

If there’s no money, then land will be ceded. This was the common practice on the European continent. There wasn’t much to negotiate here. The land that had already been taken would never be returned.

Austria’s demands weren’t too high. In addition to the roughly 100,000 square kilometers of occupied territory, they only wanted Jerusalem and the Arabian Peninsula.

The Ottoman Empire had long since lost actual control over the Arabian Peninsula, and Austria was only seeking nominal legitimacy to rule it.

What truly troubled the Ottoman government was Jerusalem. This wasn’t an issue of strategy or economics, as the declining Ottoman Empire no longer had the standing to discuss Middle Eastern strategy. The real problem was religion.

Unfortunately for the Ottoman Empire, no European countries were supporting them on this matter. Politicians are people too, driven by personal interests and emotions. While curbing Austria’s expansion was important, none of them were willing to sacrifice their own interests.

No one wanted to bear the burden of selling out the Holy Land. On this issue, any country supporting the Ottoman Empire would be buried under a flood of public outrage. The people’s outcry alone could ruin them.

Under normal circumstances, negotiations involving such contentious issues would drag on for a long time. Unfortunately, internal conflicts within the Ottoman Empire were escalating, and war refugees were devouring the country from within.

Austria could afford to stall, but the Ottoman government couldn’t hold out much longer. If they didn’t quickly end the war and send the refugees back to resume production, next year’s spring planting would be ruined.

As an agricultural nation, the Ottoman Empire didn’t have deep reserves. This war had already drained their resources. If spring planting didn’t proceed smoothly, a massive famine could break out the following year, which the empire wouldn’t survive.

Meanwhile, negotiations between the Ottoman Empire and Russia were at a deadlock. The Russian government wanted to reclaim the Caucasus territories lost in the previous war, seize the Black Sea Straits, and also demand war reparations.

From the Russian perspective, their demands were based on practical needs. Alexander II needed a major victory to offset the negative impact of the previous war’s defeat.

Having won the war, the territories lost in the Caucasus needed to be regained. For the Russian Empire, the Black Sea Straits were of immense strategic importance, and the Russian government couldn’t let them go.

The Russian government was also financially strapped, so they wanted war reparations to ease their budget. With such excessive demands, it was no surprise that the Ottoman Empire couldn’t accept them.

Although Austria and Russia were allies, and this war had been launched jointly, the Russo-Ottoman negotiations hadn’t concluded, so a final armistice treaty couldn’t be signed.

Franz was shocked by Russia’s exorbitant demands and finally understood why the word “greedy” was always used to describe them.

This wasn’t just ordinary greed. If Russia had fought alone and achieved such results, the Russian government’s conditions might have been understandable. But the problem was, they didn’t have that much strength on their own.

As long as Austria stopped providing logistical supplies, the Russian army at the front would collapse in no time. The Russian government had no money for a prolonged expedition.

Franz didn’t think Alexander II was a fool. Surely the Russian government understood this obvious reality. So why did they continue to insist on such excessive demands? It was puzzling.

“What are the Russians saying? Do they still want to continue this war?”

Now was the best time to eliminate the Ottoman Empire. Given the deep-seated hatred between the Russians and the Ottomans, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Russian government wanted to take this opportunity to wipe them out.

Foreign Minister Wessenberg replied, “Your Majesty, the Russian government seems to be wavering. They are concerned about international pressure, yet they don’t want to let the Ottoman Empire off the hook.

Under the current circumstances, every day the war drags on inflicts heavy losses on the Ottomans. Despite the signing of the armistice, the Russian forces at the front have not ceased their acts of sabotage.

They are expelling local populations, wrecking farmland, roads, and waterworks, damaging urban infrastructure, and even blowing up mosques…”

These were all common tactics in the Russo-Turkish wars. Once it was clear they couldn’t occupy an area, they would resort to widespread destruction. Franz had chosen to ally with the Russians not only to reduce war costs but also to have the Russians take the brunt of the blame.

International image needed contrast. With Russian atrocities in the spotlight, even if Austrian troops occasionally crossed the line, it wouldn’t seem like much in comparison.

Franz asked in confusion, “Are you saying the Russians want to use this opportunity to weaken the Ottoman Empire’s power? But is that really necessary?”

By now, the Ottoman Empire was essentially crippled. Hundreds of thousands of young and able men had perished on the battlefield, millions more had become refugees, the coastal regions were completely devastated, and civil war had broken out within the country.

Based on Franz’s experience, he estimated that the casualties from this war might exceed two million. Only about a quarter of that number had actually died on the battlefield. Most had perished during the mass exodus as they fled the devastation.

The greatest killer was hunger, followed by disease and conflict among fellow refugees. In the face of life-or-death situations, human nature is often put to the harshest test.

The Ottoman Empire had long been severely weakened, and now there was still the civil war to contend with. For the time being, the external war, which threatened the very survival of the empire, had forced the reformists and conservatives to temporarily join forces.

Once the war ended, however, the situation would change. This shock would likely produce numerous revolutionaries, and it was uncertain whether the Ottoman government would even survive this crisis.

Wessenberg responded, “Your Majesty, even in a weakened state, the Ottoman Empire is still large enough to be a potential force. No one knows if they might rise from the ashes.

In normal times, the Russians wouldn’t be concerned about such a threat, but with a Russo-Prussian war potentially on the horizon, the Russian government is forced to be cautious.”

People do learn and grow from experience, and the Russians have certainly learned their lesson after previous conflicts.

Fighting on multiple fronts was unavoidable. They had made too many enemies over the years, and couldn’t resolve all the hatred quickly. It wasn’t a problem when the Russian Empire was strong, but it became very deadly in times of decline.

With a centuries-old enemy like the Ottoman Empire, there was no need to even consider reconciliation. Eliminating them outright was the best course of action.

In recent years, nationalism has been flourishing in the Near East, and the Russian government has contributed to this development. Once the Sultan’s regime, which relied on religious authority, collapsed, this multi-ethnic empire would inevitably fracture and splinter.

After the Ottoman Empire breaks apart, it is destined to descend into ethnic and religious conflicts, losing any potential to pose a threat to Russia.

Understanding this, Franz made his decision, “Let Britain and France apply pressure on the Russians. We’ll offer symbolic support, nothing more.”

There was no way Austria was going to be dragged into the conflict. Franz wanted to keep the Ottoman Empire intact just enough to remain a distraction for the other European powers. If Britain and France ended up supporting the Ottoman government with aid, the better it was.

History had long proven that decaying dynasties were rarely dangerous, while newly formed nations sometimes emerged with explosive power.

Of course, this was rare. Most new regimes, due to internal divisions and a lack of experience in governance, often plunged their countries into chaos.

For a country like the Ottoman Empire, with severe ethnic and religious tensions, any division would lead to a prolonged and devastating civil war.

In the original timeline, it took a chosen figure with extraordinary abilities like Mustafa Kemal to form modern Turkey. However, even that was only a fraction of the former Ottoman Empire’s territory.

Now, the future of this famous Turkish founding father was uncertain—he might not even be born.

One must remember how terrifying the butterfly effect can be. This Near East War had changed the fates of many people, and it was entirely possible that the parents of this chosen leader had already met their demise.

In the face of the overwhelming tide of history, individual power is insignificant. Franz didn’t believe the Ottoman Empire had any chance of revival. This war had effectively marked the end of this once-great empire.

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Prime Minister Felix proposed, “Your Majesty, the Kingdom of Jerusalem has already been reclaimed, and now we must consider governance issues.

Due to religious differences, the local population does not support us. I suggest we reach an extradition agreement with the Ottoman Empire to send all the Ottomans back to their homeland.”

Deportation had precedent. In previous expansions, the Austrian government had deported all Ottomans back to avoid ethnic and religious conflicts.

Franz nodded and added, “Simply sending the Ottomans back is not enough. The Jerusalem region has nearly turned into a desert, and we also need to address the issue of land desertification.

The experts’ proposal to let the land in the region lie fallow for twenty years is quite constructive. Jerusalem is a religious holy site, so there is no need to develop agriculture or industry. Developing a tourism-based economy will suffice.”

Although people were poor in this era, and tourism wasn’t yet a booming industry, there were always exceptions. Even in hard times, there were still the wealthy. For example, after Vienna became a city that never slept, it attracted many visitors.

Jerusalem, with its special religious significance, would not have a shortage of visitors. While it might not lead to great wealth, it would certainly generate enough to sustain local government operations.

Allowing the land to lie fallow was a given. Austria itself was an agricultural exporter and did not need the additional grain production from that region.