Franz's troubles, Abdul Mejid I, could not have understood, and if he had known the Austrian plan, he would not have had to abandon the Serbian region.

In fact, the Sudanese government has not only given up territory in Serbia, but also in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The reason is very realistic - it can't be kept.

If they knew that they couldn't hold it, why should they waste their troops in vain? The Ottoman government made what it thought was the right choice, concentrating its superior forces against the Russian attack.

As for Austria, after the occupation of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the front was stretched too long, and it was too late to stabilize the rear, so how could it continue the offensive?

Britain and France had already made a promise to the Ottoman government: if the Russians were defeated, they would be sure that at the negotiating table, Austria would spit out what they had eaten.

With so many favorable conditions, Abdul Mejid I, of course, had to concentrate his forces to fight the Russians.

In order to delay the speed of the Austrian army, the Ottoman army also destroyed the roads and bridges along the way, burned the granaries, and recruited a large number of young men to leave.

……

Constantinople

Staring at the large map on the wall, Abdul Majid I sighed, he was not willing to give up his ancestral inheritance, but the reality was not up to anyone.

Abdul Mejid I never fully believed in the promises made by the British and French, for example, now - the reinforcements promised by the British have not arrived in full.

Of the 80,000 reinforcements that were promised, only 20,000 came, and the rest of the troops will wait until they expand their army, but they really can't get it out now.

This is true, the British Army really can't send so many reinforcements, and the London government really didn't mean to trap teammates this time.

As for Palmerston's promises in the Paris negotiations, how could the French be fooled into contributing?

Didn't you see that the French army has been fooled now? In order to achieve a brilliant result, Napoleon III sent all elite troops and did not bring new recruits to fill the number.

Abdul Mejid I calmed down and asked, "Have the Allied camps been arranged?" ”

"Everything has been properly settled, we have evacuated the surrounding residents, and we must ensure that there is no chaos." Minister of State Bessala-Mehamad replied solemnly

The British and French armies of this era were strictly disciplined when they were on the mainland, and they were no different from bandits and robbers when they went abroad, and robbery was also an important business for them.

When the first French reinforcements arrived, the Ottoman government suffered a loss, and now it was natural to learn a lesson.

Abdul Mejid I did not mean to despise the discipline of the Anglo-French armies, which were in fact even worse in the Ottoman Empire. The Anglo-French army was at least at home and the Ottoman army was a scourge at home.

It's just that the difference between the two sides is that the Ottoman army Sultan can still be restrained, and he can't command the British and French troops at all.

Abdul Mejid I went on to ask: "Have England and France not yet agreed who will be the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces?" ”

The alliance of the British, French and Ottoman forces was not the same as the alliance of Austria and the Russians, they had to cooperate with each other in fighting, so the command of the coalition forces was a big problem.

The Ottoman Empire had a say in this matter, but after the defeat at the Battle of Bulgaria, this voice disappeared.

In the face of the two bigwigs of Britain and France, the Sudanese government can't afford to provoke anyone, so it is golden to simply come to silence.

The centuries-old feud between Britain and France, and the hatred between the two peoples, have accumulated and cannot be resolved by a single order from the government.

The French broke the continental dream of the British, and the British broke the French dream of hegemony. The two sides have been fighting for hundreds of years, and it is no longer clear which is right and which is wrong.

Now the French believe that their own army has the world's largest combat effectiveness, and the reason is that they have obtained the supreme command of the coalition forces.

Napoleon III wanted to improve France's position in the world and gain political prestige for himself, so the French had to fight for the command of this coalition.

The British believe that they are the hegemon of the world, (although it has not yet been recognized) the world's largest comprehensive national strength, and that the world's old nature must have the style of the world's boss, and the British cannot give up the right to command.

The British did not want to be commanded by the French, and the French did not want to be commanded by the British. This is true not only of the upper echelons, but also of the soldiers below.

Although everyone is an allied force, the officers and soldiers of the two sides just don't like each other. Heng Mei is cold, it's good, and fights and brawls happen from time to time.

Then, Sultan Abdul Mejid I had a headache, and the two bosses quarreled, but the battle still had to be fought!

The Russians stopped the offensive, not that they were not fighting, but that they were preparing for a new campaign. On the one hand, we should seize the time to deliver strategic materials, and on the other hand, let the resting troops wait for reinforcements.

"No, the representatives of Britain and France are still at loggerheads." Foreign Secretary Jad replied with a wry smile

It is not that he does not work hard, but since the Austrian government has secretly stirred up public opinion in Britain and France, this issue has become sensitive, and neither government dares to make concessions easily.

In the words of the Times: Don't let the French ride on our heads and!

There are similar statements in the French press, the position of commander of one coalition army, which has now risen to the status of dignity of two states.

This situation was unexpected by everyone. If this had been known, the two governments would not have been arguing over the issue, giving the opposition a chance.

Austria is not so capable of manipulating public opinion in Britain and France, only their domestic forces can do it.

It is politically correct to be able to cause trouble to their political opponents, and there is no reason why they should not do it.

Abdul Mejid I sighed: "Alas! ”

He also said: "Tell the British and French representatives that if they still can't reach an agreement, then form a joint command of the three countries, and one person from each of our three countries will jointly command."

If it still doesn't work, then divide the troops, each commanding its own troops, as long as they cooperate with each other! ”

It is clear that Abdul Mejid I also knew that these were two bad ideas. But there was no way, the Ottoman government could not convince the British and French.

The resumption of war was imminent, the question of command had not yet been resolved, and if the Russians attacked, they would suffer a big loss.

Anyway, let's build a coalition command first. It is really not possible to divide the army to fight, and Abdul Mejid I can accept it.

Anyway, the British have now come with 20,000 troops, and the main forces of the war are still the Ottoman army and the French army, and the British are responsible for beating the side drums.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Ard replied

……

turin

After the complete defeat of the Auss-Sa War, Charles-Albert, the hapless king, was abandoned by the people of Sardinia and succeeded by his son Vittorio Emmanuel II.

Unlike in history, Charlie Albert is left with a super mess this time.

Not to mention the huge foreign debt, which was patronized by the Austrian army, the economy of Sardinia was devastated, and it has not yet come out of the shadows.

The legendary Prime Minister Cavour stepped onto the stage of history in this context, but unfortunately he is a man and not a god, and he is also a headache in the face of this super mess.

Develop? This problem has nothing to do with the Kingdom of Sardinia for the time being, so let's recover it first! If we can't solve domestic problems, then what development is there to talk about?

"What? Prime Minister, you actually want to go to war with the Russians? Vittorio Emmanuel II roared, almost roaring

Vittorio Emmanuel II, who had been in the shadow of war since the Auss-Sa War, heard that Cavour was going to war with the Russians, and it broke out immediately.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Prime Minister Cavour replied

Vittorio Emmanuel II angrily asked: "My Prime Minister, are you sure you are not joking?" ”

Prime Minister Cavour replied with an unchanged face: "Your Majesty, of course this is serious, how can I joke about such a thing?" ”

Vittorio Emmanuel II questioned: "Crazy! Why should we go to war with the Russians for no reason, do you have an enmity with the Russians? ”

There was no conflict of interest between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Russians, and Vittorio Emmanuel II could not find a reason to fight the Russians.

Prime Minister Cavour explained unhurriedly: "Your Majesty, I have no grudges with the Russians, and even if I see them unhappy, I will definitely not rise to the height of hatred."

Now that Britain, France, and the Ottomans are at war with the Russians, we want to seek help from Britain and France, and this is the opportunity.

Join the war and seek an alliance with Britain and France. Use this war to get out of the economic crisis at home and get us out of the woods. ”

Vittorio Emmanuel II thought about it seriously, although the proposal of Prime Minister Cavour was fantastical, but it was not necessarily impossible for the Kingdom of Sardinia.

The Kingdom of Sardinia is far from Russia, and there is no fear of military threats from the Russians, and even if it offends the Russians, it is not afraid of their retaliation.

Vittorio Emmanuel II shook his head and said, "It's not enough, just getting the opportunity to form an alliance with England and France is not worth it to us.

At present, we have no bargaining chips in our hands to negotiate with Britain and France, and we are not qualified to meddle in the interests of the Near East.

Taking advantage of the war to get out of the economic crisis, it is difficult for my prime minister, the current Kingdom of Sardinia, to assemble the equipment of an infantry division.

Do you want Britain and France to provide us with weapons and equipment, and take their weapons and equipment, that is, to send the lads to the battlefield as cannon fodder. ”

The reality is so cruel, the strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia is too weak. After the Auss-Sa War, even the army was disbanded. This was not forced by Austria, but by the finances.

The British are not charitable, and the loans and interest are not a penny, and they must be returned on time, and the Kingdom of Sardinia will have no money to develop its army.

Anyway, there are British people to protect the defense, and they only need an armed force that can stabilize the country, and the police force is enough. Now the only army of the Kingdom of Sardinia is the King's Guard.

Prime Minister Cavour said passionately: "Your Majesty, I know that British and French weapons and equipment are not easy to obtain, and I am not willing to let the young men go to the battlefield to be cannon fodder, but now the country needs it!"

Without the support of Britain and France, the Kingdom of Sardinia would not have had the opportunity to grow. The blood of the Austro-Saxon War has not yet been dried, and we will never be able to take revenge on the Austrians by our own strength.

They leave it to ......"

Vittorio Emmanuel II was disgruntled: "Stop! Prime Minister Cavour, I don't want to hear your tirade.

Preaching revenge on Austria all day long, are you worried that the Austrians have forgotten us, and to remind them to be vigilant that there is still an enemy in the Italian region?

In the Aussa War, the Kingdom of Sardinia lost 110,000 brave soldiers, 80,000 civilians, and more than 100,000 wounded, and the economic losses were incalculable, and the entire Kingdom of Sardinia was crying.

War casualties, combined with the deterioration of the economic situation, have led to a decline of 670,000 in the total population of the Kingdom of Sardinia from 1848 to the present.

Do you think we still have extra manpower to consume? Even with the support of Britain and France, we will have the ability to take revenge on Austria? ”

Revenge? Vittorio Emmanuel II wanted to, too, but reality did not allow it. The Kingdom of Sardinia is just a small country with a territory of 70,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 5 million.

After a blow, it was not only Vittorio Emmanuel II who had no faith at this time, but the entire kingdom of Sardinia.

Prime Minister Cavour's main purpose in preaching revenge against Austria was to use the power of hatred to inspire everyone to work for the unification of Italy.

Cavour went on to explain: "Your Majesty, the international situation is ever-changing, and now that Britain and France are close together, and Russia and Austria are standing together, it is a matter of time before we stand together.

Rather than being forced to take sides then, it is better to take the initiative to join now, because the Austro-Saxon War two years ago decided that we had no choice.

Now declaring war on the Russians is just an attitude, our strength is limited, and Britain and France will not ask us to contribute much.

Now that Montenegro and Greece are on the side of the Russians, Britain and France also need someone to help them shout internationally, and it is just right for them to do this with the strength of the Kingdom of Sardinia. ”

Hearing this explanation, Vittorio Emmanuel II's expression softened slightly.

You don't need to invest a lot of troops, then it's still negotiable. After losing the last war, his father went from hero to bear, and was forced to abdicate, and he didn't want to do it again.

Vittorio Emmanuel II said very calmly: "We also have to consider the attitude of Austria, the Russians can't help us, but they are there for us." The Viennese government has ordered that in less than a week we will be in exile again. ”

In the face of the Arciophobia, Cavour was powerless. This was not only with Vittorio Emmanuel II, but also with many people after the Austro-Sa War, even himself, but his self-control was so strong that he didn't show it.

This kind of sentiment is especially serious among the people. Having experienced the war firsthand, many people know the horror of war, and the fear of Austria is even more serious.

This is the aftermath of the over-propaganda that the Charles-Albert period hyped up the decay of Austria, exaggerated the power of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and cultivated the self-confidence of the Sardinian people.

Unfortunately, this self-confidence was lost in the Austro-Saxon War, and then the reaction force broke out, and those who experienced this war became Arctophobia.

The nationalists and second-year teenagers who were not afraid of heaven and earth in the past are now no longer making trouble, and the country is stable, but the plan for Italian reunification has also died.

After a moment's hesitation, Cavour spoke: "Your Majesty, I will find a way to solve the Austrian problem, and if they resolutely oppose it, we will give up this opportunity!" ”

This question cannot be avoided, and if Austria makes a military threat, Cavour himself will instigate it. The current Kingdom of Sardinia did not have the strength to fight at all, and in fact, they could only wave their flags and shout when they participated in this war in the Near East.

Listening to Cavour's answer, Vittorio Emmanuel II nodded in satisfaction and acquiesced.