Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 592: Fighting for Survival

On June 12, 1875, Ferdinand I of Austria passed away in Jerusalem. According to his last wishes, Franz held a state funeral for him in Jerusalem.

Ferdinand I didn’t leave a strong impression on Austria, and his life lacked any notable achievements or infamous deeds. He was best remembered as a “good-natured old man.”

The funeral was a grand event, with the guests already present. Having just attended Franz’s coronation, many were still touring the famous sites of Jerusalem.

Of course, that was just a polite excuse. In reality, Jerusalem was more like a giant construction site at the time, with buildings being reconstructed according to the Vatican’s plans. There wasn’t much to see.

The truth was that Franz had personally invited everyone. Since European nobility was essentially one big family—related either closely or distantly—no one could refuse the invitation, especially after already being there.

Ferdinand I may not have been regarded as a competent ruler, and the older generation of the Habsburg dynasty considered him a disgrace. However, to the younger generation, he was viewed as a respectable elder. This contrast in perception was evident during his funeral, which was marked by a somber atmosphere.

Affected by the mournful mood, Franz himself felt overwhelmed after the ceremony. Without any hesitation, he immediately ordered the return to Vienna.

No amount of persuasion could change his mind. July was just around the corner, and staying in Jerusalem during that season would be disastrous.

For anyone wishing to stay behind and rest, they were free to do so. But Franz wasn’t going to stay any longer.

In the end, Archduchess Sophie, Maximilian I and his family, along with a few other relatives, remained. Franz, however, left with the rest of the group to return to Vienna.

This was the result of Franz’s efforts, as he forced his two brothers to return. In this era, socializing among the nobility was an important responsibility, and the royal family couldn’t be absent from these events.

Beyond that, Franz was also worried about history repeating itself. In the original timeline, one of these two unlucky brothers fell ill and died after drinking water from the Jordan River during a pilgrimage.

The remaining members of the family, however, were different. They had the traits of homebodies, content to stay indoors and not venture out, so there was no risk of them wandering around and getting into trouble.

...

In Ankara, ever since the successful diversion of trouble to the east, the situation within the Ottoman Empire had improved significantly, and social order was gradually being restored.

However, while there were benefits, there were also downsides. Despite stabilizing the social order, the government led by Midhat and the Young Ottomans faced harsh criticism from all sectors of society.

Critics presented countless reasons to attack the government, calling it brutal, corrupt, incompetent, and bloody…

Sultan Abdul Hamid II also made several public statements criticizing the government’s severe mishandling of the refugee crisis.

These developments left the inexperienced Young Ottomans in disarray, unsure of how to respond to the political backlash.

Foreign Minister Albiachi said, “Grand Vizier, the Russians have forcefully expelled all of the refugees, with about 5,000 people dying at the hands of the Russian army. This is the diplomatic note from the Russian government, demanding that we immediately restore the situation and threatening military intervention.”

Taking the document, Midhat sighed. In the past, hearing about so many Ottoman citizens being slaughtered by Russians would have enraged him, but now it was just a number in his ears.

As a weak nation, the Ottoman Empire had no real diplomatic power, and those deaths would go unpunished. There was no way to hold the Russian government accountable.

After a moment of silence, Midhat slowly said, “Since they can’t go to the Russian Empire, send them all to Persia instead!”

After a brief pause, he added, “Is there any trouble on the Austrian side? Has the Austrian government accepted any refugees?”

It wasn’t that Midhat was heartless; he was forced into this by reality. The country was running out of food, and some people were bound to starve to death.

If the refugees were allowed to stay, many of the areas that had begun to recover would be destroyed, leading to even more deaths from hunger.

In order to save more people, he had no choice but to be ruthless. This decision also relied on the hope that foreign powers, especially Austria, would not intervene.

Foreign Minister Albiachi replied, “No, the Austrians have arrested all the refugees under the charge of illegal entry, and after trials, they were all sent to prison.”

The concept of “law not punishing the masses” may have gained traction in the humanitarian movements of later centuries, but in this era, it had no place. The Austrian government acted strictly according to the law, leaving no room for criticism.

Midhat hesitated to say more. The result was bad, but not unbearable. Given Russia’s earlier precedent, Midhat’s expectations had already been lowered from the start.

...

At this time, the situation in Persia also underwent significant changes. As the refugee crisis grew like a snowball and international intervention, expected by many, was delayed due to British meddling and the inability of other countries to reach a consensus, the Persian government realized the danger they were facing.

Persia was merely an agricultural country with limited productive capacity and was simply unable to accommodate such a large number of refugees. Even providing basic relief was beyond their means.

The Persians had grown to deeply resent these uninvited guests who were like locusts. The idea of spending their own resources to aid them was something they were unwilling to consider from the bottom of their hearts.

After repeated warnings were ignored, the Persian government once again demonstrated the sharpness of the “Persian Blade,” and massacres began.

It wasn’t about right or wrong; everyone was fighting for survival. The refugees, in order to live, needed more food, which meant they had to steal it. On the other hand, the Persian government had to protect the lives and property of its citizens, and the only way to do that was to eliminate these unwelcome visitors.

While Franz was sailing back home, the most brutal scenes unfolded in Persia where both sides fought fiercely and blood flowed like rivers.

Unsurprisingly, the disorganized mob stood no chance against a regular army even if the Ottoman government was manipulating things from behind the scenes.

However, the Persians, despite being the victors, did not fare well either. Because the Persian army left no prisoners and cut off any chance of surrender for the refugees, the battles became even more intense.

That would have been tolerable, though, if it only meant more casualties. The real problem was the sheer number of refugees. Defeating them was easy, but wiping them all out was much harder.

Despite the Persian army’s increased vigilance, several groups of refugees managed to slip into the rear, causing chaos and unrest in the Persian countryside.

Driven by hatred, these refugees had now turned into marauding bandits, looting, burning, killing, and committing unspeakable acts of violence, to the point that even bandits and thieves would be ashamed.

According to incomplete statistics, Persia’s population decreased by 1.5 million after the conflict, and the total economic output fell by one-quarter—losses that were immense and devastating.

...

The tragedy in Persia quickly spread across the European continent, but the impact was far less severe than Franz had anticipated. Most European citizens were mere onlookers.

In this era, whether Ottomans or Persians, they were considered people without rights, and mainstream society didn’t take them seriously at all.

Except for a few humanitarians calling for European countries to aid the refugees, the majority of the population remained indifferent. Many people were barely able to feed themselves, so who could care about others?

To put food on the table, most workers had to toil away in factories for more than ten hours a day, afraid to get sick, afraid to take a day off, and their pay was just enough to keep them fed.

Suggesting that the government spend money on Ottoman refugees? What a joke! There was already a large number of people in need of aid at home, and the government was struggling to help them. The idea of giving money to the enemy was seen as outright treason!

The humanitarian advocates barely made a ripple before being drowned out by a wave of criticism. The decline of the Ottoman Empire was still recent, and it would take at least a hundred years for people to forget the animosity.

London

Prime Minister Gladstone, one of the main orchestrators of this tragedy, was quite satisfied with how things were unfolding. Although the casualties were high, it was all worth it.

With so many people lost at once, internal tensions within the Ottoman Empire had significantly eased, and the thorn that restrained Austria had been preserved.

The destruction caused by the refugees in Persia had also created an opportunity for Britain to invade Persia, making it a win-win situation.

Foreign Secretary Maclean said, “Prime Minister, this is a diplomatic note from the Ottoman government. They are requesting that we fulfill our promise to provide them with funding to suppress the rebellion.

From the current situation, it seems that the Ottoman Empire’s greatest crisis has passed, and the risk of providing them with a loan has greatly diminished.

However, nothing is certain yet. The Persians are currently slaughtering refugees. To survive, these people may return to the Ottoman Empire.

The number will likely be much smaller, but as long as even a third of them return, the Ottoman government will soon be in trouble again.

Moreover, after going through such an ordeal, these refugees who survive may not settle down. In essence, these people have learned bad habits and are no longer suited to be peaceful citizens.”

Prime Minister Gladstone nodded, “That’s the inevitable outcome, but overall, the situation in the Ottoman Empire has improved.

As for these refugees who have turned into rioters, let the Ottoman government deal with them! Whether they are disposed of or strictly controlled, it’s no longer our concern.

In any case, they helped inflict heavy damage on the Persians, so they’re our friends, and Britain never mistreats its friends.

As long as we are sure that the Ottoman government has stabilized its rule and has the ability to repay its debts, we can provide them with the loan.

The Foreign Office can communicate with the French. If we are to support a ‘thorn’ to restrain Austria, it can’t be entirely on us.

If the French are willing to contribute, then we can leave the training of the Ottoman army to them.”