In the Anatolian Peninsula, after five consecutive days of bitter fighting and at the cost of nearly 3,000 casualties, the Russian army finally subdued the enemy at the port, leaving Ağva like a peeled cherry. General Ivanov had personally come to the front to oversee the battle. The fact that it took five days just to capture a port was very unfavorable for the Russian army’s upcoming campaign plans. In war, speed was of the essence. If they wanted to quickly break through the Black Sea Strait, the most important factor was speed. Ottoman inland transportation was cut off, and the Austrian navy had already blockaded the sea routes. If the Ottomans wanted to move large numbers of troops, the most critical thing they needed was time. Not knowing where exactly the coalition forces would land, the Ottoman government had been forced to defend everywhere. Even now, while they were focusing on defending the coastline of the straits, they also had to guard against the possibility of the coalition forces launching a direct strike on the capital. The Ottoman Empire had already lost its capital once and couldn’t afford to lose it again. If Ankara fell and the Anatolian Peninsula was split in two, the Ottoman government would have no way out. According to the Russian military’s plan, they intended to take Ağva within two days, then swiftly expand in all directions, creating the illusion of a direct attack on the capital, and forcing the Ottoman government to divert nearby forces to intercept. Now, that plan was impossible. With an additional three days lost, the situation had completely changed. The Ottoman government had gained time to redeploy its forces, making the war much more difficult. As Ivanov watched the stretchers carrying the wounded pass by one after another, accompanied by the painful cries of the injured, his cold heart began to soften. Suppressing his anger, Ivanov gave orders, “Lieutenant General Verasol, immediately request reinforcements from the Allied Command, and ask the Austrians to send medical personnel to treat the wounded. Lieutenant General Yaroslav, you will be responsible for directing the cleanup operations. The enemy in the city of Ağva must be eradicated by the end of today.” That was all he could do. The Russian army severely lacked medical personnel, and they could only ensure the safety of their officers. As for the soldiers, if they were wounded, their fate was left to chance. In the past, there was nothing to be done. How could there be a war without casualties? Medicine was so expensive, and the Russian government was poor, making it impossible for them to afford it. Moreover, medical personnel in the Russian Empire belonged to the middle class. They lived comfortably at home and rarely enlisted in the military. This wasn’t just a problem for the Russian army. The majority of countries worldwide face the same issue. Relatively speaking, nations like Austria and Prussia, where military service was mandatory for everyone, handled it somewhat better. The Austrian government had started building medical schools on a large scale over a decade ago, training a significant number of healthcare professionals. Under the universal conscription system, these medical personnel also had to serve in the military. Additionally, the army itself had trained a number of battlefield medics. By the standards of the time, the Austrian army’s battlefield medical system was considered one of the most complete. General Ivanov wasn’t one to prioritize saving face over saving lives. Since Austria was handling the logistics now, it was only natural to ask them for help. He didn’t expect every soldier to receive sufficient medicine, but at least effective battlefield first aid should be provided, doing everything possible to save those with minor injuries. For the severely wounded, it was very unfortunate. Given the limited medical technology of the era, the chances of saving them were very low, and many who survived would be left disabled. Some casualties, unable to endure the pain, would need their comrades to help them end their suffering. War was that brutal. The phrase “one general’s success is built on the bones of ten thousand soldiers” was no exaggeration. “Yes, Commander,” the two officers responded almost in unison. After that, they each left to carry out their orders, while General Ivanov continued to inspect the battlefield. Everywhere he looked, the ground was pockmarked with craters from artillery fire. The smell of blood and gunpowder was heavy in the air. Under the blazing sun, the earth had an eerie reddish-yellow hue, and the atmosphere felt especially sinister. As he walked, Ivanov felt something underfoot. Looking down, he saw half a head, already covered with a thin layer of dirt, exposed by his step. Frowning, Ivanov continued on. The battle had only just ended, and there hadn’t been time to clean up the battlefield. Along the way, he saw severed limbs and body parts. Arms, legs, heads, intestines... Whatever parts a human body had, they could be found here. It was a scene from hell. For anyone without a strong stomach, a single glance at this would be enough to vomit out everything. (Out of fear of censorship, the author cannot go into more detail about the blood and violence…) For someone like Ivanov, a seasoned soldier, this was nothing. The battlefield was always a sea of blood and mountains of corpses, with bones scattered everywhere. He had seen far worse, and his heart had long become numb to it. Letting out a quiet sigh, Ivanov wasn’t even sure if this war was the right course of action. If it were possible, he would have preferred the original “harassment plan.” ... In the city of Ağva, most of the Ottoman Empire’s troops had already fled, leaving behind only the suicide squads tasked with delaying the enemy. These were mostly religious fanatics, who not only chose to stay behind and fight to the death but also forced civilians to join them in their desperate resistance. Weapons had already been distributed, but due to shortages, most people were armed with only cold weapons. Knives, swords, spears, and bows, as if the city had suddenly returned to the Middle Ages. Among them were Akyol and his apprentice. They had reacted too slowly and missed the chance to escape from Ağva amidst the chaos. Now, they could only stay and face whatever fate awaited the city. As the first city to be conquered, the resistance in Ağva was bound to be the most intense. The Ottoman government, lacking confidence in their ability to win the battle, hoped to use such extreme methods to intimidate the enemy. If all the Ottomans fought to the death, even a powerful country like Austria would find it unsustainable in the long run. War required resources, and the enemy could not afford to keep pouring in endlessly. The young apprentice, trembling, asked, “Master, will the enemy really kill us all?” Facing life and death, an ordinary person can’t remain calm, especially a young boy. At an age when he should have been in school, learning and gaining knowledge, he had instead been forced onto the battlefield. Feigning composure, Akyol replied, “Who knows? When the fighting starts, just stay sharp. The moment you’re out of their sight, find a corner and hide. When night falls, we’ll make a run for it.” As he spoke, Akyol’s hands were still shaking, clearly not as cool and collected as he appeared. Defending their home and country was too luxurious a concept for small-time civilians like them who lived hand to mouth. As for whether the enemy was terrifying or not, they couldn’t say. However, the terror of the Ottoman government was something they had experienced firsthand. Ağva, being a port city, could not escape the influence of foreign ideas, and people’s consciousness and beliefs were gradually changing. They began to resent the Ottoman government that had enslaved them and lost their loyalty. This shift in attitude, which seemed insignificant in normal times, became evident in moments of life and death. The Russian army began advancing, but the Ottomans hidden inside buildings did not engage them yet. It was not the right moment for the final confrontation. A disorganized crowd could never defeat a regular army, and cold weapons were no match for firearms. The city of Ağva had already been abandoned. The remaining Ottoman troops had retreated outside the city, preparing to use the terrain to delay the Russian forces’ advance. The best time to cause trouble for the Russians would be at night, in the darkness, when the city’s residents could use their knowledge of the terrain to create significant problems for the Russian army. However, plans often change quickly, and the Russians were not naive lambs. They entered the city ready to plunder. The Russian government was poor, and the Russian army had a long tradition of replacing their wages with looting. The troops participating in the Ağva campaign were no exception. Although the Austrian government provided them with logistical supplies, they did not pay their wages. Even if Franz was willing to pay, the Russian government wouldn’t dare accept. If they did and broke the Russian army’s low-wage system, how would they fight future wars? After such great sacrifices, if they didn’t reap some benefits from Ağva City, how could they compensate for everyone’s wounded hearts? When the Russian soldiers broke into the city, the Ottoman ambush plans fell apart. With no other option, the Ottomans had no choice but to fight. Cries and the sounds of battle filled the sky. The Russian soldiers, already bloodthirsty from the battlefield, showed no mercy to the resisting Ottomans, raising their weapons without hesitation. By the time Lieutenant General Yaroslav realized what was happening, it was too late. Ağva, a small city to begin with, had already seen part of its population flee due to the war. The unfortunate ones who remained numbered only 20,000 to 30,000 people. How could such a small number of civilians stand up to tens of thousands of Russian soldiers? The fighting lasted until the evening, and aside from a few lucky ones who managed to hide and escape, the rest were slain by the Russian troops. Indeed, the city had been “cleared,” as almost everyone was dead, making Ağva “safe.” But the aftermath left Lieutenant General Yaroslav in despair. What was supposed to be looting had turned into a massacre. To be fair, it wasn’t entirely the soldiers’ fault. Seeing the Ottomans holding weapons, they merely preemptively eliminated any potential threat. However, such an explanation would likely only convince the Russians themselves. No one else would believe it. Massacring entire cities wasn’t common in Europe, though the killing of “natives” was another story. That was a thing of the past and even colonial powers in the late 19th century would try to cover up any massacres they committed. Now that things had come to this, Lieutenant General Yaroslav had no choice but to accept the consequences. He would be labeled as a “Butcher General.” The only consolation was that this took place in the Ottoman Empire. In the eyes of European society, the Ottomans didn’t hold much higher status than natives. What further comforted Lieutenant General Yaroslav was that, given the longstanding animosity between the Ottoman Empire and Russia, radical groups and religious figures back home would likely support him. The Russian government would never dare to make him a scapegoat. ... The next day, when General Ivanov first entered the city, he was stunned by the horrific “results” of the battle. As the overall commander of the Russian army, he had a much broader perspective on the situation. On the surface, given the historical grievances between Europe and the Ottoman Empire, many people might applaud what had happened. But politically, it wasn’t as simple as just looking at old grudges. This incident had already given European nations a pretext to intervene in the war. It likely wouldn’t be long before Russia would face diplomatic pressure from the international community. Realizing the gravity of the situation, Ivanov immediately ordered, “Seal off all information. Issue a gag order regarding what happened in Ağva. Announce publicly that we have expelled the entire population of the city.” At this point, they had no choice but to resort to denial. Other than stubbornly refusing to admit to anything, Ivanov wasn’t sure what else to do. After a brief pause, he shot a glare at Lieutenant General Yaroslav and added, “Quickly compile a report on what happened and send it to the Allied Command and our country. This situation is beyond something we can handle on our own.”
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