Holy Roman Empire

……

The historic city of Constantinople is now becoming ethereal in the smoke.The artillery that the Russian army had been waiting for was finally in place, and Menshikov ordered the attack without any hesitation.

Constantinople is big, but small.The outskirts of the outer city have been lost, and the French army is relying on the fortresses to defend at this time. Unfortunately, these fortifications are a little too old, even after they have been reinforced, they still cannot stop the baptism of artillery fire.

6-pound cannons can't cross these fortresses, and 12-pound guns still can't do it, but if you change to 24-pound guns, 48-pound guns, or even 100-pound guns, these ancient city defense fortifications can't stand it.

A single shell from the giant cannon can overturn a building, which caused very heavy casualties to the French army in the city. They didn't know when a shell fell from the sky, it would take their lives.

The city is no longer safe, the headquarters of the French army has been moved to the bomb defense cave, and the original headquarters of Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier has come to an end.

A middle-aged officer guarding the city said with lingering fear: "Your Excellency, the enemy's firepower is too fierce. Our city defenses can't stop the baptism of artillery. The soldiers suffered heavy casualties."

The officer in charge of maintaining order in the city said bitterly: "Your Excellency, the situation in the city is even worse. The enemy's shells may fly in at any time, causing a large number of casualties, and the order of the city has collapsed.

Just yesterday afternoon, the Ottoman government building also collapsed under the enemy's artillery fire, and the Sudanese government stayed behind to cooperate with us. The official Moussa De La Pasha died on the spot. "

The reality is more serious than what they said. If the Russian shells were not accurate, their losses would be even greater.

The original purpose of keeping the residents in the city was to allow them to provide services to the French army, so that the soldiers could enjoy a normal life during their spare time in combat.

This is an excuse, but the real reason is that the Sudanese government is unable to evacuate so many people in the city.Those who were able to leave already ran away, and the rest of the civilians didn't know where to go if they wanted to.

Now the trouble is serious. In the bustling metropolis of Constantinople, Russian shells can hit any place in the city, which can cause a lot of losses.

The sudden artillery attack immediately caused the order of the city to collapse.The Sudanese government moved the capital long ago and fled, and the officials who stayed to maintain order received lunch boxes.

After contemplating for a moment, Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier frowned, and said cruelly: "Order the troops to maintain order in the city, expel those crowds who are running around, and allow the soldiers to Anyone who does not listen to advice shoots."

This order is very cruel. There are not many people in Constantinople who can speak French. Even if they want to listen to advice, they can't understand it!

Driving the crowd out of the city is driving them to a dead end.Don't think that it is safe to leave the city. Now the two sides are exchanging fire?Suddenly a group of people appeared between the two armies, and if you think about it, you will know the consequences.

Do you still expect the Russians to cease fighting for them and let them pass freely before launching an offensive again?

What a joke, a group of people who lost their livelihood showed up in the Russian occupation area, just think about what will happen.

The logistical supply of the Russian army itself is very reluctant, and if hundreds of thousands more refugees come, it will be strange if they don't overwhelm them.

The Russian army is here to fight, not to do charity.If the task of attacking Constantinople was delayed in order to rescue refugees, the tsarist government would have to kill them.

Emable Jean-Jacques Pélissier is naturally aware of these situations.

Originally, Constantinople was connected by sea, and there was no need to worry about logistical supplies. Even if there were a large number of civilians in the city, they could still afford it, so if they stayed, they would stay.

It's different now. Under the Russian artillery fire, the city's order is out of control, and the terrible execution ability of the Ottoman government is simply unable to maintain order.

To restore normal order in a short period of time, suppression is essential.

In order not to leave an opportunity for the enemy, Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier had to make this cruel decision.

"Yes, Your Excellency Commander!" The middle-aged officer replied seriously

Constantinople is too important to the French army. If it is lost here, they will lose most of the Near East War.Everyone sitting here counts as one, and no one wants to have a good life.

The French general Antony suggested: "Your Excellency, Commander, we must organize a counterattack. Now that we are beaten without fighting back, Constantinople will fall sooner or later."

Obviously he was advocating naval fire support. The coalition navy had provided them with fire support just after the war started, but this accuracy was really touching.

Because of the distance, the British and French navies could not see the shadow of the Russian army at all, and just bombarded in the direction of the Russian army.

It looks huge, but the actual speed of action is very small. If you want to aim, you can't even find the target.

Of course, even if there is a goal, it is useless, and there is Constantinople in the middle?

With a straight-line distance of more than ten kilometers, most of the navy's artillery could not hit the Russian positions. On the contrary, many of them fell into the city due to various accidents.

The youth Tajik army objected: "No, from the analysis of firepower, the enemy's artillery is all heavy artillery, and we can only use it as shore artillery, even the navy's firepower is much worse than them.

Moreover, we must also take into account accidental injury. The fire support provided by the navy in front caused us more losses than the Russians. "

It is still the age of sails, and the artillery on warships still pursues quantity, not power.After all, a 48-pound gun can sink an enemy ship, even if it is replaced with a few hundred-pound gun, it will have the same effect.

Considering the poor hit rate of the navy, instead of increasing the power of the artillery, it is not to install a few more artillery pieces and rely on the number to increase the hit rate.

Naturally, a warship with more than 100 artillery pieces cannot be equipped with large-caliber artillery.If a [-]-ton cannon is installed, it is estimated that installing a few will reach the limit.

That's all, if the brain hole is wide open, maybe someone else will do it.The problem is that the recoil of large-caliber artillery is too great for wooden warships to bear.

I don't know if I can hit the enemy. Anyway, after a few shots, my own warship sank first. No one dared to try this terrible consequence.

The artillery support of the British and French navies can play a role, and most of Constantinople must be lost first, otherwise the extreme range will hit the enemy, and there is no way to avoid accidental injury.

Abandoning most of Constantinople, Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier is not crazy yet, don't forget where most of the city defenses are?

When the Russians were brought in to fight, 20 French troops were huddled in a smaller place, and most of the city defenses were lost. Isn't this dying in battle?

Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier ordered: "I have already requested reinforcements from the country. It will not be long before we will have more artillery than the enemy. Now everyone must strictly guard their positions. It is absolutely impossible to give They left an opportunity."

Using artillery to bombard artillery is the most effective means.But Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier did not feel at ease, because it took time.

They had a hard time before domestic artillery reached the front.If it is unstoppable during this period, the Russians will tear through the line of defense and compress the space for the French army to move.

So even if they get the artillery in the future, whether there are enough places to deploy it is a big problem.

Emable Jean Jacques Pélissier is not a military novice, and he will not simply think that the concentrated use of artillery must be more powerful.

If the area is too small, the artillery positions are forced to be concentrated together, which may also become a living target for the enemy.

Chapter 124 The Era of Great Powers

While the battle for Constantinople was in full swing, the meeting to decide the fate of the Kingdom of Greece began.

The venue is still in Paris. In order to improve France's international status, Napoleon III was very keen to hold such events after he succeeded to the throne.

On this small issue, no one has the intention of arguing with them. No matter where the negotiation is, the final result is still the same.

Neither the London government nor the Austrian government lacks such prestige.It's not that the belligerent countries are concerned about face, and they must win or lose.

People in this era do not lack the spirit of internationalism. The Greek government is active everywhere, and it still attracts many countries to participate. Of course, except for a few big countries, most countries have no right to speak.

Britain, France and Russia are at war, and the Greek issue also involves this war. Britain and France unceremoniously excluded the Russians from the meeting, which is also a blow to the Kingdom of Greece.

Originally, Otto I wanted to hold a meeting in Athens, and invited representatives from all countries as a neutral country, and used international pressure to force the British to retreat.

Obviously, the Greek government does not have that much say.The French proposed to hold a meeting in Paris. The Vienna government didn't care, and the British didn't want to have a dispute with the French over this small issue, so the matter was settled.

Greek Foreign Minister Skbata said angrily: "Coalition soldiers have entered our territory without permission, seriously violating our sovereignty.

As a neutral country, we have lodged a serious protest against this wanton violation of our sovereignty, and we demand that the coalition forces immediately stop this violation and withdraw from the Greek peninsula. "

There is no issue of compensation, and Skbata lacks confidence. He just hopes that the coalition forces will withdraw, and they will be responsible for the loss of them.

The army that entered the Kingdom of Greece this time included the British army, the Sardinian army, and the Ottoman army.Because of the alliance between France and these three countries on the Near East battlefield, the one who came forward to mediate this incident became the new Holy Roman Empire.

There is nothing wrong with it, the war between the Austrian Empire and the Ottoman Empire is not over yet, but the new Holy Roman Empire is a neutral country.

This kind of wonderful thing happened too much in the era of the Shenluo Empire.If a vassal state is at war with foreigners, the Holy Roman Empire can still remain neutral.

This is a problem left over from history, and European countries have recognized this situation, and it is no big deal to do it again now.

Anyway, Britain and France were not at war with Austria, and they didn't care if the Ottoman Empire felt insulted.Now that the war has progressed, the Ottoman Empire has begun to play soy sauce, and its position in the alliance will naturally decline inevitably.

Of course, the Sudanese government will not protest over such a trivial matter. At any rate, they also have an armistice treaty with Austria. With a thick skin, it can be said that the war between the two countries is over.

The Sudanese government, which has already been fighting this war, has completely lost its temper, which made them clearly realize the lack of their own strength. In addition to improving their methods and striving to become stronger, it is also very important to have a good relationship with the major powers.

The Russians can be regarded as the only exception. Their mortal enemies of the Ottoman Empire, the two sides have no possibility of compromise, and are still fighting.

British Foreign Secretary Thomas said lightly: "Mr. Skbata, how can this be said to have entered your country's territory without reason?

When the coalition forces enter your country's borders, the main problem is to pursue the enemy troops, which is for the sake of your country's security.

We also notified you in advance, and the coalition forces entered your country's territory only after obtaining your acquiescence.

If you can hand over this group of rebels who strayed into your country's territory, we can retreat immediately. "

If protests are useful, why do we need the army?

Now that the Kingdom of Greece is pretending to be confused, the British naturally follow suit.If there is no force to resist, even if it is acquiescence, there is nothing wrong with this understanding.

The British did not admit that the coalition forces forcibly entered Greek territory, insisting that the Greeks acquiesced, and the evidence is that the Greeks did not stop them.

Now it is the general who wants the Greeks to hand over the rebels.On the bright side, it is impossible for the Greek government to admit that these troops have something to do with them, and the British directly regard these people as rebels of the Ottoman Empire.

Since it is a rebel, it is the family affairs of the Ottoman Empire, and it does not apply to the post-war repatriation regulations of neutral countries.

It became reasonable for the British to ask them to hand over the rebels. If the Greek government was unable to hand over the rebels, it would be suspected of covering or supporting the rebels.The coalition forces have taken military action to strike across the border, so it is over.

Skbata shrank in an instant, and started playing rogues. They were really no match for the British, and they fell into an embarrassing situation in a few moments.

They absolutely dare not admit that they sent troops to attack the Ottoman Empire. Britain and France are all allies of the Ottoman Empire. If they admit this, it will be over.

But now they can't complete the proposal of the British, and hand over the "rebels"?What a joke, if you dare to do this, it is estimated that the people in the country will turn against it without waiting for the British to do it.

There was no one to speak for him on this issue, right and wrong were right and wrong, and if he wanted to pretend to be a fool, did he really think John Bull was a fool?

Even if France and Austria do not want the British to annex Greece, it is impossible to be as stupid as the Greeks on this issue.Everyone still has to face, especially when the British are involved. The dignity of the British Empire cannot be desecrated.

The Greek representative fell into a trap from the very beginning of the negotiations. As the mediator, the representative of the new Holy Roman Empire, Mentneride, naturally couldn't let him continue to jump into the pit.

"The cause and effect of the matter are clear to all of you sitting here. Now you don't have to go around in circles anymore. Let's get straight to the point and discuss the most realistic issues!"

What Mentened meant was obvious, the British were not something Greece could afford, and if they did something wrong, they would have to pay the price.In the face of the facts, if you try to get away with it, you should stop dreaming.

Great powers do not need evidence to do things, as long as they think it is true.Didn't tear the window paper, it's just that everyone sees it and doesn't say it's broken, and what to do in the end is what to do.

French Foreign Minister Auvergne said evasively: "In view of the actions of the Greek government in this war, it is necessary for us to impose certain sanctions."

His meaning is obvious, to use sanctions to gag the British so that they cannot propose to turn the Kingdom of Greece into a colony.

At this time, is the London government determined to annex the Kingdom of Greece?the answer is negative.

The London government is being overwhelmed by public opinion, and it is still trying to solve the logistical problems of the expeditionary force, and there is still extra energy to do things there.

Now the voice in the London government advocating the colonial Greek kingdom has just emerged, and it is far from becoming mainstream.

If countries do not object, then they will swallow it.John Bull still has the appetite to eat the Kingdom of Greece.

But when the French proposed to hold the Paris Conference, and the Austrians deluded themselves as mediators under the brand of the new Holy Roman Empire, Thomas knew that it was impossible to annex the Kingdom of Greece.

Although the strategic value of the Kingdom of Greece is high, its own interests are not substantial, and it is not worthwhile for the British to turn against France and Austria for them.

Thomas said tentatively: "In view of the fact that the Kingdom of Greece sent troops to our ally, the Ottoman Empire, without declaring war, I propose to abolish the Greek government and king, and let our government take charge of Greek affairs."

Mentend objected: "Mr. Thomas, I'm afraid this is too much.

The Greek government is directly responsible for this incident, and it should be dismissed, but the abolition of the king is overstepping.

The dignity of the monarch cannot be desecrated. It is the Greek government that led this incident and has nothing to do with His Majesty Otto I. He should not be responsible for it.

After the removal of the Greek government, there will definitely be some chaos. It may be difficult for your country to manage Greek affairs alone. Why don't we manage it together! "

There is nothing wrong with it. There are usually only a few situations in which the king was abolished in the European continent. In summary, he was wrongly appointed, or he was expelled by the people, and Otto I was not enough.

As a member of a monarchy, maintaining the dignity of the king is a compulsory course for everyone.

Thomas was also just testing. If he really insisted on abolishing Otto I, it would not be of any benefit to his personal political future. The real interest was still in the escrow of the Kingdom of Greece.

"Yes, what happened in the Kingdom of Greece is an international issue, and your government cannot bear all the pressure. As a responsible big country, France is willing to do its part." French Foreign Minister Auvergne echoed

No matter how beautiful his words are, in the final analysis it is for profit.Obviously, the French are not prepared to give in to the interests of the Near East.

Soon the meeting entered into a game between Britain, France and Austria, and the Greek representative had been left alone.

Naples, Tuscany, the Papal States, and the Kingdom of Sardinia, the four countries with relevant interests, remained silent from beginning to end.

To be able to participate in this meeting, for them, the great powers gave face.

Although the Greek issue is related to their interests, everyone still has self-knowledge. Knowing that gods fight and mortals suffer, it is better to avoid it, so as not to be affected by the disaster.

Not to mention the representatives of other European countries. It's not that the Mediterranean countries are not involved in their own interests.

Don't see any benefits at all, but also participate in the game between the three major powers?

In this era, the rulers of the small countries that can survive on the European continent are all smart people, and no one would die like this.

After more than half a month of verbal warfare, the three countries finally reached an agreement, and the countries signed the "Resolution to the Kingdom of Greece".

The throne of Otto I was preserved, and the Greek cabinet government was responsible for this matter, and must take the blame and resign to take responsibility.

An international steering group composed of Britain, France and Austria will guide the Kingdom of Greece to reorganize the new government.

Nominally, the three kingdoms managed Greece, but in terms of the distribution of actual benefits, the British still took the lead, followed by the French, and the new Holy Roman Empire had the least profit from making soy sauce.

This can be regarded as taking what they need, the British have obtained the greatest benefits of Greece, France and Austria prevented the British from annexing the Kingdom of Greece, and Otto I successfully kept the throne.