The situation did not surprise the British, and the time dragged on until the end of 1874, seeing that Austria had no intention of continuing the war, perhaps because it was worried that there would be no one to take care of the food later, or because it was in a hurry to go home for Christmas, the tsarist government decisively chose to compromise.

On December 18, 1874, Austria, Russia, and the Ottomans signed the Treaty of the Near East in London.

Treaty content:

1. The Ottoman Empire admitted defeat in the war and took responsibility for it;

2. Return to the Kingdom of Jerusalem and transfer sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula to Austria as compensation; (Note: It does not include the area of the Two Rivers Basin, but includes the Kuwait area)

3. Ceded the Caucasus to the Russian Empire and compensated the Russians for 2 million rubles for war expenses;

4. The Black Sea Strait shall be opened as a free strait, and the three countries shall not block the strait at any time and under any circumstances;

5. The Austrian Navy lifted the coastal blockade of the Ottoman Empire with immediate effect;

6. From the date of the signing of the treaty, the two sides shall exchange prisoners within one month and withdraw from each other's territory within three months;

……

The treaty reached the Vienna Palace, and Franz decisively ratified it. The Ottoman Empire itself was a poor ghost, just ceding the land, and it was a waste of time to ask for war reparations.

The Russians fought hard for so long, and in the end they received an indemnity of 2 million rubles, which is a huge amount of money for individuals, but insignificant for the state.

The most talked-about thing about this war is not the shining appearance of the airship troops, nor the overwhelming strength of the coalition forces, but the sky-high transfer fees of the Arabian Peninsula.

Although the treaty did not specify the amount of the discount, the 3 billion Aegis indemnity proposed by Austria was still reported by the newspapers.

This headline news is the most popular among the people who eat melons. From the sky-high compensation of 3 billion yuan to the sovereignty of the Arabian Peninsula, the difference in value is more than ten times.

Just talk after dinner, no one would think that the Arabian Peninsula is worth so much money, and no one thinks that Austria can claim that much money.

The sky-high asking price, landing to pay back. It is normal for negotiations to be a normal tool, and it is normal for the final result to be far from the original demand.

Franz could not help but rejoice that he did not ask for the amount of compensation to be written in the treaty, otherwise the topic would have been disputed until the next century.

As the victor of the war in the Near East, Austria's greatest benefit was not territorial expansion or economic gains, but the strengthening of religious influence.

The reconquest of Jerusalem was enough to make Franz famous in the history of religion, and his titles were lengthened, such as: "Reconquistad", "Saint", "Defender of Christendom......

The Holy See was very generous this time, and the honorary title did not cost the wholesale, not only the emperor, but also the officers and soldiers who participated in the Jerusalem Reconquest War were not left behind, and they were collectively awarded the honorary title of "Reconquistain of the Holy Land".

If it weren't for the reaction of the Vienna government, it is estimated that the Holy See would have sold paladins for sale. Pius IX had already arrived in Jerusalem with a group of archbishops, waiting for Franz to be crowned, and they were fighting to revive the Holy See.

In recent years, the Holy See has been severely suppressed by the French, and even the headquarters of the Vatican Holy See has to be controlled by others.

Not to mention privileges, now the pope must abide by the French law of religious administration. When Napoleon III made an example, he also sent cardinals who had broken the law to prison, completely saving face for the Holy See.

Now he went to Jerusalem to establish a diocese, and it was also a last resort. At least Franz offered them more favorable conditions, and they could call the shots within the Holy See's own one-third of an acre.

The situation in the Middle East is complicated, and it is not possible to stand up to the mines without a single front. The diocese of Jerusalem is reopened, and there will be those who will bear the blame for the future.

At the Vienna Palace, Prime Minister Felix reported: "The battle of Jerusalem was mainly a siege, and there was no major battle in the city, and the buildings were not greatly damaged.

The palace has already begun to be repaired, and it will be completed in two months at most, without affecting the coronation in April next year.

However, in recent times, there have been a lot of religious conflicts in the area, and although we have repatriated the Ottomans, there are still fish that have slipped through the net to wreak havoc.

The government is preparing to carry out a crackdown on public security, implement real-name registration in the locality, and strictly investigate saboteurs who illegally stay in the locality.

……”

Recovering Jerusalem does not mean that the matter is over, and Franz, the king, is still one last step away. Legally, it is not until after the coronation of Jerusalem that the true and legitimate monarch of the Kingdom of Jerusalem is counted.

Franz asked: "How are the people of the Holy See doing, and are there any people to support?" ”

After thinking about it, Prime Minister Felix: "The performance is decent, it seems that he was tossed and scared by Napoleon III, and basically acted within the scope agreed in advance."

Judging from the current situation, several cardinals are behaving similarly, and whoever they support is the same. Then came the restoration of Jerusalem, and it was time to test their abilities. ”

The restoration of Jerusalem is not only about repairing damaged buildings, but also about rebuilding ancient buildings that were destroyed by the Ottoman Empire.

The Holy See has the best say in this regard, and they have a well-documented record. Restoring the Holy Land is not a one-country affair, and Franz is not prepared to be the culprit.

The most suitable place in Europe to do this is the Holy See, so the task of raising funds and rebuilding the city also falls to the Holy See.

After the reconstruction of the Holy Land, the Diocese of Jerusalem also needs a significant religious leader to be responsible for the indoctrination of the local faith.

Franz nodded: "The reconstruction of Jerusalem is completely delegated to the Holy See. If they do a good job, even the management can be handed over to them.

We take care of the collection of taxes and security, and there is no shortage of small cities in Austria. The government's focus is still on fallowing land, and the Middle East is seriously desertified, and if it is not managed, it will not be long before it is completely reduced to a desert.

If in the hands of the Ottoman Empire the Holy Land becomes a desert, if in our hands the Holy Land becomes a desert, then we are sinners.

The government should organize people to turn local farmland into forests and grasslands as soon as possible, and plant windbreak and sand-fixing plants on the land that has already been desertified. ”

Franz had little interest in Jerusalem, an ancient city that was only a tourist city if it had developed, but he couldn't care less about the oil resources of the Middle East.

The protection of sacred sites is only nominal, but in fact lays the groundwork for the future exploitation of oil resources. The natural environment in the Middle East is not as bad as that of later generations, and as long as it is slightly protected, there will be no special situation where water is more expensive than oil.

In any case, it does not cost much, and after the local population is relocated, the land is completely fallow, and most of the desertification problem is solved.

It is still possible to call on pilgrims to participate in such meaningful activities as planting trees and adding 180 square kilometers of oases every year.

Naturally, everyone didn't know what Franz was paying attention to, but this did not affect everyone's execution. Now that Jerusalem is in Austrian hands, the Vienna government cannot allow the area to become a desert, even for the sake of face.

Colonial Chancellor Stephen proposed: "Your Majesty, there is also a serious problem of desertification in the Arabian Peninsula, and the Colonial Department proposes to relocate the local population and also carry out land fallow. ”

Franz nodded with satisfaction, this learning ability is fast. The desertification of the land in the Arabian Peninsula is more serious, and it is more difficult to govern, but this is not the point, the point is that the nomadic tribes on the peninsula are not easy to rule.

Now Austria wants to control the Arabian Peninsula, mainly because of the strategic location of the peninsula, and does not expect to plunder wealth from the peninsula.

The nomadic tribes of the peninsula were so poor that their main economic pillar was camel farming, and even if they sent people to collect taxes, they would not necessarily be able to feed the tax collectors.

Left unchecked, these tribes threatened Austrian rule as long as they were secretly supported. In this context, the relocation of local tribes is undoubtedly the best way to reduce the cost of governance.

Franz replied: "The Arabian Peninsula has long been overdeveloped, and in order to preserve the natural environment, it is indeed necessary to fallet for decades.

However, the Arabian Peninsula is not small, there are many small countries on the peninsula, it is not easy to do this, has the Colonial Department made a plan? ”

The Arabian Peninsula is not a small area, even if it is vast and sparsely populated, it has at least two or three million people. It is not comparable to the Jerusalem area, and it is not so simple to relocate the local people.

(Note: The densely populated areas of the Euphrates and Tigris basins are not counted, and are not included in the treaty.)

Colonial Chancellor Stephen explained: "Your Majesty, the Arabian Peninsula is dry and water-scarce, and the population distribution is concentrated along the water source, and we only need to control the water source.

The Colonial Ministry planned to leave a part of the young labor force to be sent to the African continent to mine and build railways, and the rest to be repatriated to the Ottoman Empire. ”

Water scarcity is the biggest shortcoming of the Arabian Peninsula, and once the water source is lost, the nomadic tribes will not be able to swim.