Time flew by, and on April 28, 1875, amidst cheers, Franz was crowned King of Jerusalem, marking the start of a new chapter in history. Even in the Holy Land, divine intervention could not stave off the illness. Ferdinand I had been suffering for a long time, and the fact that he had held on this long was a miracle in itself. A “cure” was impossible. Not only at that time but even a century later, modern medicine would remain powerless to save him. After visiting his delirious uncle, Franz sighed. The inevitability of life, old age, sickness, and death weighed heavily on him. In the original timeline, his uncle had also passed away this same year, and even the butterfly effect could not change the outcome. People are not emotionless. Ferdinand I had no children, and from a young age, he treated Franz like his own son, even to the point of spoiling him. Although Ferdinand I could be somewhat muddle-headed at times, it never affected their bond. Franz had often used his uncle’s name to manipulate situations, even forging decrees as a regular occurrence. Thinking back, the fact that he was never exposed in all those instances likely meant that his uncle had knowingly taken the blame for him many times… An emperor is destined to be lonely. Just as Franz was feeling sentimental, a piece of news interrupted his melancholic thoughts. “Is the information confirmed?” It wasn’t that Franz was easily startled. It was just that the content of the news was too shocking, beyond anything he had imagined. Prime Minister Felix confirmed, “Yes, it’s confirmed. The Ottoman Empire is indeed guiding refugees toward the Persian border, explaining externally that it’s for ‘dispersed resettlement.’ Additionally, the Ottoman Empire is conducting mass conscription. All able-bodied males aged 16 and up among the refugees have been recruited, supposedly to suppress the rebellions. The London embassy also confirmed that the British recently provided a loan to the Ottoman Empire, specifying that it must be used for quelling the rebellions. The Ottoman Empire’s rebels are a ragtag group, scattered and fighting independently. They are no match for the government forces. This increased conscription effort by the Ottoman Empire likely signals their intent to wage war against Persia, as a way to divert domestic tensions.” The Ottoman Empire attacking Persia? Franz shook his head. It just didn’t seem plausible. They had just been dealt a heavy blow, and now they were jumping back into another conflict? Do they have a death wish? While the Ottoman Empire might be somewhat stronger than Persia, they had too many enemies. Whether it was Austria or Russia, any interference from them would ruin all of the Ottoman Empire’s efforts. If they don’t win the war, what will they do? Rather than risking an external war, they might as well fight a civil war at home. Once enough of the population is reduced, domestic tensions would be resolved too. “This conclusion isn’t necessarily correct. Right now, the Ottoman Empire’s urgent priorities are the refugee crisis and suppressing the rebellions. What would they gain from attacking Persia? Unless the Young Ottomans are a bunch of fools, they should realize that the Ottoman Empire can’t afford a war right now. Even if they won against Persia, the refugee crisis would still remain unsolved.” Using war to divert internal tensions makes sense, and the Ottomans and Persians have deep historical animosities, so there would be little resistance to attacking Persia. The problem is that Persia isn’t particularly wealthy. The idea of looting enough from Persia to overcome the current crisis is practically an impossible task. Foreign Minister Wessenberg added, “Your Majesty, this might be a scheme by the British. We’ve extended our influence into the Middle East, and the British are bound to take action. From the perspective of the British government, the best way to ensure the security of India is to control Persia and divide spheres of influence with us in Mesopotamia. But remember, a decade ago, the British invasion of Persia ended in failure, and the British government likely hasn’t forgotten. They might be using the Ottomans to distract attention and create an opportunity to invade Persia again. The Ottoman Empire’s issues aren’t small, but they aren’t insurmountable either—mostly just a matter of money and resources. If Britain is willing to invest, they could help the Ottomans weather through this crisis.” The money and resources needed by the Ottoman Empire are astronomical, but “astronomical” is a relative term. For an ordinary country, this would be an astronomical sum, but for the British, it’s just a huge amount of money which was something they could squeeze out if needed. A shortage of five million tons of food sounds like a big deal. But this food isn’t needed all at once. It’s a gap that spans over the next one to two years. If they were to purchase only the cheapest potato flour, it would cost just a few tens of millions of guilders. The Ottomans aren’t in a position to be picky since having something to eat is already fortunate. The only problem is that the Ottoman Empire’s ability to repay is very concerning. Lending money to such an unstable country poses a high risk. “Refugees,” “borders”… Franz suddenly had a realization. “Send someone to monitor the number of refugees the Ottomans are relocating to the borders. I suspect the Young Ottomans intend to push these refugees into Persia for food. The number of refugees in the Ottoman Empire has exceeded what the country can handle. It’s impossible to provide relief for them all. No matter who is in power, they’ll have to make tough choices. If nothing unexpected happens, the Ottoman Empire will soon expel its minorities. To be on the safe side, order the border troops to increase their vigilance and prevent any illegal immigrants from entering. Especially at the Dardanelles, don’t let anyone slip through.” In Franz’s view, the Ottomans were taking a risky gamble, putting everything on the line in a do-or-die move. If their plan had even the slightest flaw, the country would immediately implode. Even if Franz were in their position, he would have also chosen to gamble. Taking a risk might offer a slim chance of survival, while not taking one would mean waiting for certain death. The government had no money and couldn’t provide relief for so many refugees. This was a harsh reality that wouldn’t change based on anyone’s will. At a time like this, listening to empty promises from armchair politicians was useless. No matter how grand their speeches sounded, they couldn’t magically produce food. Taking on foreign debt sounded easy, but capitalists weren’t fools. They wouldn’t throw their money into the wind for nothing. Letting refugees leave the country to find a living was certainly cruel, but at least it offered a chance at survival. Some of the lucky ones might live, which was better than everyone staying behind and waiting to die. Perhaps, by that time, the refugee crisis wouldn’t only impact Persia but might also spill over into the Russian Empire and Austria. However, Franz wasn’t too worried. The regions where Austria bordered the Ottoman Empire were either vast open seas, endless deserts, or small patches of oasis used as fallow agricultural land. Hundreds of miles of desolation were the norm there. … In Ankara, after a round of political struggles, the new Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, ascended the throne. As time passed, the refugee crisis continued to intensify. Although Midhat righteously rejected the British’s insidious proposal, his actions were quite different from his words. Whether it was intentional or not, large groups of refugees were being redirected to the border regions. Simply overwhelming Persia wasn’t enough. Persia, being an agricultural country with limited productivity, couldn’t support so many refugees. Midhat, who still had some moral compass, wanted to ensure that more people could survive. Thus, two other neighbors were also targeted as destinations for this exodus. Midhat even sent people to blend in with the refugee groups, prepared to lead this migration. To avoid international conflict, this operation was officially presented as a spontaneous famine-driven migration, with no formal connection to the Ottoman government. Sultan Abdul Hamid II asked with concern, “Is everything ready, Grand Vizier?” Sitting in this position, he now understood how difficult it was to be the Sultan. Abdul Hamid II did not want to be ousted and meet a tragic end. Now, he had to rely on the Young Ottomans to solve the refugee crisis. In comparison, the ongoing civil war seemed less important. The primary limitation of the “national” liberation army was in the term “national.” This inherent condition restricted the size of the rebel forces. The minority populations were limited, and the liberation armies could only operate in their own ethnic regions. Once they moved elsewhere, they lost their base of support, making it difficult to recruit soldiers. Against this backdrop, the refugee crisis stood out. The ethnic tensions in the Ottoman Empire were severe, but the one thing that could unite everyone was the struggle for survival. The refugees broke down these ethnic barriers. If the government stopped providing relief, rebellion was almost inevitable. If millions of people revolted, not even divine intervention could save the Ottoman Empire. Midhat nodded, “Everything is nearly ready. If the plan goes smoothly, an estimated two million people will leave, heading to Persia, Russia, and Austria to seek livelihoods. At that point, the domestic food crisis should be resolved.”
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