The rival White Army, despite its total strength of only 100,000 men, was less than one-eighth of the allied forces in Istanbul. However, they had powerful artillery and overwhelming naval superiority, and the defenders of Istanbul had no chance to fight back. In fact, there is no need for the White Army to go ashore at all, just the blockade of the White Army Navy warships can make Istanbul slowly wither. At the beginning, the Ottomans used the method of siege to conquer Constantinople, and then renamed it Istanbul.

In the previous shelling, the casualties of the European coalition forces were very heavy. They have thoroughly understood the power of the white-clothed army's artillery fire. Similarly, the casualties of the Ottoman Turkish Empire [***] were also quite heavy. Suffice it to say, if the White Army landed at this time, they would not have the ability to resist at all. However, Istanbul is their last hope, their last fiefdom. Even if they know that they have no ability to resist, they must make a final resistance here.

During the meeting, King Gustav of Sweden looked around and saw that both the Italians and Spaniards were absent. It doesn't seem to be a good situation. The Italians were absent from this meeting because they feared that the White Army would land in Rome. Before Istanbul fell, they couldn't wait to go back and deploy the Roman defenses.

It is said that in the days of the Roman Empire, the Italians were once brilliant. The Holy Roman Empire, the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Western Roman Empire, all of them are well-known names. The combat effectiveness of the ancient Roman army is beyond doubt. At the height of the Roman Empire, its territory spanned three continents: Europe, Asia and Africa. Now, however, they are very weak.

This time, the Western powers sent troops to reinforce Istanbul, and the troops sent by Italy were less than 3,000 people. The army was led by an old colonel, not even a single general. And the combat effectiveness of the Italian army of 3,000 people is also wonderful. The positions held by the Italian army were largely unfortified.

Due to the strange performance of the Italian army, the top brass of the Ottoman Turkish Empire could not laugh or cry. They had no choice but to put the Italian army at the rear, purely as a pension hostage. In the words of the King of Sweden, even peeing on the will not make the Italians stand guard next to them. Because, maybe at the moment of peeing, the enemy will rush up. And the Italians, they will definitely run faster than rabbits.

Also absent from the meeting were the Spaniards.

The Spaniards, like the Italians, were too busy to take care of themselves.

The white-clothed army was stationed in the Mediterranean, and the Spaniards were naturally the most deterrent. Who told them to be closest to the White Army? Who told them to be in such a prominent position in the Iberian Peninsula? Who told them to be closest to the Strait of Gibraltar? More importantly, who told Spain to look the best bully at this time?

The Strait of Gibraltar has been snatched away by the White Army. This is absolutely bad news for the Spaniards. The white-coat navy was operating right under the noses of the Spaniards, and the two sides were close at hand. Who can guarantee that the next step of the White Army will not sweep the whole of Spain? For a time, in Spain, it can be said that there was a lot of rumors and mourning. People along the coast have dragged their families with them and moved to the interior as much as possible.

For places like Europe, the coastal areas will always be the most densely populated and the most economically active. In the later period of the Age of Discovery, the cities and ports in the coastal areas were also the most prosperous for maritime trade. A lot of wealth comes from the sea. However, the appearance of the white-clothed navy warships made all the ports and cities on the Mediterranean coast wither, and there were no merchant ships in sight.

For the security of the country, King Philip IV of Spain had to use all kinds of military force and formed an armed force of 300,000. Together with the original Spanish army, Spain had a total of more than 800,000 troops. The number of such troops is not insignificant. For a small Spain, 800,000 troops is definitely the limit of human resources.

However, in the face of the artillery giants of the White Army Navy and the fierce artillery fire of the White Army Army, the confidence of the Spanish army was indeed not great. All the battles seem to have fully demonstrated that in the face of the white-clothed army, the superiority in the number of troops is completely negligible. An army of 800,000 is not necessarily an opponent of an army of 8,000 whites.

For his own safety, Philip IV had always advocated that the European coalition should not enter Istanbul, but should concentrate on places such as the Iberian Peninsula (Spain) and the Apennine Peninsula (Italy) to prevent the landing of the Marines of the White Army. In his opinion, the Iberian and Apennine peninsulas are much more dangerous than Istanbul.

Philip IV was convinced that if the White Army were to attack Europe, it would attack from Italy and Spain. Because, the defense forces in these two places are the weakest. If the White Army really came ashore in these two places, the Spanish army and the Italian army would not be the opponent of the imposing White Army at all.

In addition to the Iberian and Apennine Peninsulas, Philip IV also reminded the French of their Marseille and Toulon borders. These two places are also the most vulnerable targets for the White Army. Marseille is the largest port in France and can accommodate 10,000-ton ships. Toulon is the largest military port in France and has relatively complete military facilities. This is very attractive to the white army. It is very likely that the White Coats will suddenly attack these two places.

It's a pity that Philip IV's warning, no one else heeded. Their attention was drawn to Istanbul. Here they are bent on preventing the White Coats from entering Europe. For a time, they ignored the existence of the White Coats Navy. By the time they remembered Philip IV's warning, the European coalition had already suffered heavy losses.

Three days of military meetings, nothing came of it, no agreement was reached. None of the participants in the meeting could come up with an effective solution to the current situation. In the face of absolute power, any strategy is so pale and powerless. In the end, the high-level meeting reluctantly made a decision to evacuate Istanbul. This meant that they had abandoned the Ottoman Empire. The last straw that crushed the Ottoman Empire befell in this way.

In July 1637, the European coalition quietly withdrew from Istanbul. A leading member of the Ottoman royal family, he fled to distant Paris, France. The remaining defenders scattered in a hurry. Subsequently, the White Army officially entered and occupied the ancient city. This means that the Ottoman Turkish Empire, officially ended. The Green Religion is also gradually depressed.

In August 1637, Xu Xingxia wrote a letter to the front command of the White Clothes Army, suggesting that Istanbul be renamed the White Stone City. It is said that after repeated bombardment by the heavy artillery fire of the White Coats, there are countless white ruins left in Istanbul. In the middle of the white ruins, only a lot of white stones remain. As a result, the name Istanbul has gradually disappeared into the long river of history with the passage of time.

…… The Spaniards' fears are not entirely unreasonable. In fact, at the same time as the attack on Istanbul, the White Army had already set its sights on Spain and Italy. At one point, they suggested that Spain and Italy should be taken down as much as possible. Because, from the point of view of logistical support, both Italy and Spain are better suited to attack.

However, later, the situation changed. With the domineering and unscrupulous nature of the White Navy in the Mediterranean, there are more and more areas that can be directly attacked, and there are more and more targets to choose from. Spain and Italy, for the time being, were put aside. At the end of 1637, the White Army selected three targets for attack. The first choice is Marseille in France. This is followed by Barcelona in Spain and Genoa in Italy.

Prior to this, the islands of the Mediterranean Sea were already under the control of the White Navy and Navy. Including Italian Sardinia, French Corsica, Spanish Mallorca and other places. The navies of the countries bordering the Mediterranean have been wiped out by the navy of the White Army. Now in the Mediterranean, there are no hostile ships in sight.

Marseille was chosen as the first target by the White Coats because it is the largest port on the Mediterranean coast and has very good natural conditions. According to intelligence, Marseille can moor more than thirty large ships at the same time. After the expansion, more than 200 large ships can be berthed at the same time. This is indeed very attractive to the white-clothed navy. They need this port as a naval base.

Moreover, Marseille and Toulon are very close to each other. If Marseille is a purely commercial port, then Toulon is a purely military port. Toulon was originally the naval base of the French Mediterranean Fleet, and the natural conditions were also very good. After a simple expansion, more than 100 large warships can be docked. The White Navy simply likes it here.

From the point of view of the White Army, there are also many advantages to controlling Marseille and Toulon. Because, after landing in Marseille and Toulon, they can attack in multiple directions, and they do not need to worry about their logistical supplies running low.

From Marseille, contrary to the opposition, it is possible to attack Paris. To the east, it is possible to attack Italy. To the southwest, it was possible to attack Spain. In other words, once the white-clothed army lands in Marseille, it is equivalent to putting on wings and flying wherever it wants.

Marseille is only 4,000 miles from Paris, with few obstacles in between. The white-clothed army attacked all the way forward, and if it went well, it would be able to kill Paris in a few months. Once the White Army conquered Paris, the fall of Europe was just around the corner.

Eventually, the top echelons of the Navy, Navy and Army of the White Coats, coordinated in Sardinia. Present at the meeting were Chen Duohai, first deputy commander of the White Clothes Army and Navy, and Chi Hu, deputy director of the Military Affairs Department of the White Army. The coordination meeting unanimously decided to make Marseille and Toulon the first targets. With the unfolding of the battle plan, the movements of various units of the White Army became more and more frequent.

Gao Jie and Mao Shisan's troops are continuing westward from Istanbul. Their troops cannot be mobilized for the time being. Therefore, the white-clothed army dispatched troops stationed in Tianzhu. At the end of 1937, Chi Hu and Zhang Quanfu respectively led their respective troops to board ships from various ports in Tianzhu and headed for the Mediterranean.

In the spring of 1638, the signs of the landing of the White Clothes Army became more and more obvious. There were often white-clad soldiers in large ships and large ships, reaching the islands of the Mediterranean. They assembled on island by island for basic landing training. And the warships of the White Navy were moving around Marseille and Toulon for longer and longer periods.

In the face of absolute strength, the white-clothed army had no intention of concealing military action at all. While preparing to attack Marseille and Toulon, they also launched tentative attacks on the ports of Barcelona in Spain and Genoa in Italy. In fact, the White Army Navy has completely sufficient forces to conquer these three ports at the same time. It's a pity that due to the limitations of logistics and transportation, the white-clothed army does not have this ability for the time being.

Spain, France, and Italy had no choice but to transfer their troops to coastal areas to defend them strictly. At the same time, coalition forces from other countries also entered the ports of Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa and other ports to assist the local defenders and defend together. This time, the white-clothed army really came to the doorstep, and they had to fight hard.

The European coalition once again set up a general headquarters in Paris to command the armies of various European countries to join forces to deal with the attack of the white army. This time, even the troops of the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Norway and other countries were all dispatched. The countries of Europe once again carried out a general mobilization for war and increased the number of troops. In the end, the European coalition finally exceeded a million people.

On April 1, 1638, the white-clothed army stormed Marseille. On this day, the white-coat navy concentrated hundreds of warships and launched the most intense artillery bombardment on Marseille and Toulon at the same time. The artillery fire in the sky completely shrouded these two cities in the smoke of gunpowder. Xu Canxu looked through the binoculars and could barely see any intact buildings.

The shelling lasted for three days and three nights, and the cities of Marseille and Toulon were basically flattened. There are ruins everywhere, ruins everywhere. All the defenders were either killed or retreated in a hurry.

Under heavy artillery fire from the White Coats Navy, the French garrison had to temporarily evacuate the two cities in order to avoid losses. As a result, the marines of the White Army successfully landed in Marseille. Subsequently, the white-clothed army, commanded by Chi Hu, went ashore to take over the defense of the Marine Corps. In Toulon, the white-clothed army commanded by Zhang Quanfu also successfully succeeded the marines.

A large number of transport ships flocked to the ports of Marseille and Toulon, transporting all kinds of military equipment ashore. Of these, the most important, naturally, is a howitzer with a caliber of 105 mm. This medium-caliber howitzer is not as bulky as a 155 mm howitzer, and its power is greater than that of a 75 mm caliber field gun, making it the most suitable for sea transportation.

(To be continued)