Thanks to the telegraph, the events in Persia quickly spread across the European continent, shocking the world in an instant. In Jerusalem, one of the first to learn about the Ottomans’ actions, Franz was also struck by the decisiveness of the Young Ottomans. It wasn’t the best option, but it was the most suitable one for the Ottoman government. In the face of financial exhaustion, diverting refugees to neighboring countries was the most effective way to survive the crisis. Austria and Russia were too powerful to offend, and both countries had closed their borders, allowing only a few people to sneak through. So, the Ottomans were left with no choice but to target Persia, the easiest target, and push it to the brink. As for the horrific consequences, wasn’t Britain there to back them up? Undermining Persia was something the British government was hoping to see. With the British mediating, most likely, the situation would be smoothed over in the end. Franz asked with concern, “How many Ottomans have illegally crossed our borders recently?” Though Austria was difficult to cross into, the pressure of hunger had caused the number of illegal Ottoman entrants to spike recently. Felix replied, “About 80,000 people, of whom 78,000 have been caught. The border troops tried to catch as few as possible, but some of the Ottomans were so desperate with hunger that they intentionally let themselves be captured. According to regulations, those individuals had broken Austrian law and had to face punishment, so the border guards had no choice but to apprehend them.” Franz, somewhat unscrupulously, thought that it wasn’t just a few who had intentionally surrendered to the guards—likely, many had done so deliberately. They’re already on the brink of starvation so who cares what the consequences of getting caught are? The worst-case scenario is being shot by the guards on the spot, which might be considered a form of release. Beyond that, whether they’re sent back to their country or imprisoned, the Austrians will have to feed them first, right? If they manage to get a full meal, that’s already a win. After a moment of contemplation, Franz made his decision, “Sentences will be carried out according to our laws. The Arabian Peninsula needs reforestation and grass restoration, so these people can stay behind and plant grass and trees! Once they’ve served their time, we can repatriate them to the Ottoman Empire. By then, the Ottoman government should be able to take them back.” The dignity of the law must be upheld. No matter the reason, if someone breaks the law, they must be held accountable. As for completing their sentences and being sent back home, that part was largely ignored. According to Austrian law, illegal entry results in a minimum sentence of five years, and for group offenses, the penalty is doubled. By the time these people finish their sentences, they’ll likely be worn out. For a long time, the Arabian Peninsula will be left fallow and sparsely populated, so much so that the guards can be minimized. In these times, serving a prison sentence in Austria is no easy life, especially for serious offenders. Whether working in the mines or building railroads, they must complete their daily tasks to earn food for the next day. Otherwise, they’ll go hungry! Human rights aren’t really a concern in these times. Letting people starve to death requires no accountability. And getting sick? The odds of survival are very slim. That’s just how society is. Even factory workers only live for about a decade after starting work, and that’s with the Austrian government improving conditions. As for prisons, anyone sentenced to more than ten years shouldn’t expect to come out. Those who survive more than five years could be said to be blessed by God. Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, “Your Majesty, the Persian government is protesting the atrocities committed by the Ottoman Empire in the international community, and they are requesting our intervention in this matter. The Persians are very sincere, and if we step in, it could increase our influence in Persia. Considering our upcoming strategy, the Foreign Ministry believes intervention is necessary.” Intervention was indeed necessary. Austria was now considered an “enemy” of the Ottoman Empire, and causing trouble for the enemy was a natural course of action. If the Austrian government failed to take action with such a perfect excuse presented to them, people might start to suspect something was wrong. Intervening was a must, but how to intervene would require diplomatic skill. Facing an enemy riddled with weaknesses, it was crucial to strike selectively as accidentally causing their downfall would be disastrous. Franz replied, “Assemble an international investigation team and create diplomatic trouble for the Ottomans. I suspect the British will interfere, but let them handle it. As for Persia, it’s not part of our expansion goals. If the British are willing to pay a price, we can let them have it.” Austria needed time to develop its interests in Africa and had no resources to continue expanding into South Asia. Getting involved in Persia and confronting the British strategically wasn’t worth it. Franz didn’t like betraying allies, so the benefits promised by the Persians had to be reluctantly abandoned. Of course, this was all based on the condition that the British were willing to pay. If not, then backstabbing them would still be on the table. With the international situation having developed to this point, the possibility of a large-scale conflict between Britain, France, and Austria was now minimal. The most common tactic in the future would likely be covert backstabbing. This was somewhat similar to the original timeline. The collapse of colonial empires and the spread of nationalism were, in fact, the results of imperialist nations constantly undermining each other. ... In Saint Petersburg, the Russian government was also troubled by the sudden influx of refugees. Although fewer had entered the Russian Empire compared to Persia, the number was still in the tens of thousands. The Caucasus region, with its mountainous terrain, made it difficult for large armies to pass through and was militarily advantageous for defense. However, it also made it easy for refugees to infiltrate, as they could slip through from any mountain peak. The garrison troops, in reality, were powerless to prevent this. Unless they deployed a large amount of troops on every mountain, they simply couldn’t stop the refugees from pouring in. Of course, the mountains weren’t entirely disadvantageous. At least they filtered out some of the physically weaker refugees. Most of those who managed to enter the Russian Empire were able-bodied, while the elderly and weak often died during the climb. For some countries, an increase in labor might be seen as beneficial, but the Russian Empire was definitely not one of them. As one of the most populous nations in Europe, Russia already had plenty of people. Given its low level of industrialization and limited demand for labor, the Russian government had no interest in these refugees. Alexander II sighed wearily, “Send someone to contact the Austrians and ask if they still need labor.” To develop its African colonies, Austria had been recruiting immigrants from across Europe mostly through private colonial companies, and Russia had been an important source of these migrants. Foreign Minister Chris Basham explained, “Your Majesty, Austrian colonial companies never accept Ottomans. They will not take in these refugees.” It’s true that Austrian Africa needed more people, but they wouldn’t just accept anyone. Unfortunately, Ottomans were strictly excluded, and the colonial government had clear rules: organizing illegal immigration would lead to forced labor in the mines. Not only would those responsible be unlucky, but even the shareholders of the colonial companies would be held accountable. The Austrian government strictly enforced these rules, and those who violated them were fined into bankruptcy. Alexander II, unwilling to give up, asked, “What about the American countries? Is there anyone willing to take in these refugees?” At this point, Alexander II desperately hoped someone would take responsibility for the refugees, regardless of the price. Getting rid of them in any way would be considered a win. Chris Basham shook his head, “Your Majesty, if they were black slaves, there might be a chance to sell them, but if they’re Muslims, there’s no market for them at all. Capitalists and plantation owners prefer obedient black slaves. They have no interest in Ottomans. If they could be sold, Austria wouldn’t have repatriated them in the first place.” Although the slave trade was officially suppressed by European countries, it continued in secret. Even the British, who publicly advocated for the abolition of slavery, were still involved behind the scenes. When it comes to profit, capitalists have never had morals. If they aren’t involved, it’s only because the profits aren’t big enough. Austria’s success in replacing labor in Africa was largely because the Austrian government subsidized labor export companies. If the Russian government was willing to spend money, none of these issues would be a problem. At this time, American countries were relatively passive. Despite needing immigrants, their governments rarely took the initiative to recruit from Europe. On the one hand, immigration was expensive; on the other hand, locals feared that immigrants would take their jobs. Public sentiment was largely opposed to foreign immigration, and governments, needing to appease voters, were naturally reluctant to act. Unfortunately, Alexander II’s reluctance to take in the refugees was also because he didn’t want to spend the money. With Russia’s underdeveloped industry, there weren’t enough jobs to accommodate these refugees. Even sending them to the mines would be a loss, as it would displace the existing workforce and create social tensions. After hesitating for a moment, Alexander II frowned and made his decision, “Order the garrison to repatriate these people to the Ottoman Empire. If more refugees break in—kill them! The Foreign Ministry should warn the Ottoman government that if they cannot maintain order in their country, we would be happy to send troops to help.” “Reputation” might matter to others, but for the Russian government, things couldn’t get much worse. Not ordering the massacre of the refugees was already a consideration of international opinion. Otherwise, given the long-standing enmity between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, killing all the refugees would have been the normal course of action. “Yes, Your Majesty!” Chris Basham responded.
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