Outside the conference room, Hutier and his men wore grim expressions. Clearly, they were unimpressed by Lieutenant General Jarrett’s boasts. They hadn’t shown their dissatisfaction during the meeting because their ranks were too low to challenge him. Jerrett was a lieutenant general, while the highest-ranking officer in the Austrian delegation was only a lieutenant colonel. Moreover, the rebel leadership clearly trusted the British more. Publicly questioning Jarrett would accomplish nothing except making enemies. Back at the camp, the outspoken Major Potiorek couldn’t hold back and said, “Do you think that guy might have taken French money on purpose—” Colonel Hutier cut him off saying, “Impossible. He’s still a general of the British Empire. No matter how corrupt, he wouldn’t betray his country for some pocket change. Besides, Lieutenant General Jarrett isn’t completely useless. At least he’s more reliable than the rebel leadership.” “Reliable?” Unfortunately, Hutier couldn’t actually find any strong points to support that claim. Jarrett’s military planning, at least in theory, was flawless. Everything was accounted for except the rebels’ ability to execute the plan. Even the last ambush had been sound in theory. It only failed because the rebels were simply too incompetent. Since they couldn’t compare to the best, they had to settle for comparing the worst. Jarrett might have been rigid and full of bureaucratic nonsense, but at least he was more dependable than the chaotic and undisciplined rebel leaders. Major Potiorek shook his head. “I wouldn’t count on him being that strong. Jarrett’s combat experience is limited to suppressing colonial uprisings, not inciting them.” There was no helping it. Britain hadn’t fought a major war in years. The last significant conflict had been against Austria over South Africa, and they had lost. Defeat meant no future prospects for those involved. The officers who had fought in that war had either retired or changed careers. Now, the British had to pick the best of the mediocre. Jarrett had distinguished himself simply because he had put down a miners’ revolt in Australia. Falkenhayn chuckled. “Honestly, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. With Jarrett in charge of the rebels, at least we can be sure they won’t surrender too easily. According to the newly announced battle plan, isn’t our mission a feint attack on Luxor? Let’s cut through there and advance into the heartland of Egypt.” If ‘not surrendering too easily’ was their standard, I guess there’s nothing more to say. Hutier nodded. “That settles it. First, we need to contact our people and arrange an airdrop of compressed biscuits. Once we leave camp, there’s no guarantee we’ll have a steady supply.” The biggest risk of a mission that required penetrating deep into enemy territory was logistics. With nearly ten thousand troops operating behind enemy lines, it was uncertain whether they could gather enough food locally to sustain themselves. … At the rebel headquarters, Lieutenant General Jarrett was staring at the map, troubled. Although he spoke confidently, deep down, he had no certainty at all. Leading this rabble was already difficult enough but he wouldn’t even feel assured commanding the British Army against the French. The title of “World’s Best Army” was something the French had earned on the battlefield, stepping over the militaries of Europe to reach the top. Facing such an opponent would put pressure on anyone. Mahdi asked in a deep voice, “General Jarrett, can the Eighth Division attack Luxor? Should we send the Sixth Division as well?” After a brief moment of silence, Jarrett cautiously reminded him, “Your Excellency, it’s a feint, not an actual attack. The French garrison in Luxor consists of two full regiments. Even with both the Eighth and Sixth Divisions combined, taking the city would be impossible. Our goal is simply to put on a show, draw the French’s attention, and buy time for the main force to regroup and recover.” Deep down, Jarrett had little confidence in the rebel leadership’s command abilities. If not for political factors, he wouldn’t hesitate to cooperate with the Austrians. Regardless of their conflicting positions, at least Hutier and his men were trained in military academies, making them far more reliable than the makeshift rebel leadership. That was precisely why Jarrett had entrusted this critical mission to the Eighth Division. No matter their differences, Britain and Austria had a shared interest in causing trouble for the French. … As war ignited in Egypt, trouble also arrived for the British government. The enemy refused to play by the rules. Instead of engaging Britain directly, they turned their attention to the Persian government. The Persian government had agreed to sign a humiliating treaty not just because of military threats and diplomatic pressure but also due to Britain’s promise to handle its foreign affairs. In other words, Britain had essentially taken control of Persia’s diplomatic relations and was responsible for managing its dealings with foreign powers. Now, it was time for Britain to fulfill that promise, but the government found itself powerless. The treaty had been kept secret precisely because it could not be openly acknowledged. Russia and Austria simply feigned ignorance, outright ignoring the secret treaty and pressuring Persia to sign a free trade agreement. This put the British government in a difficult position. Free trade was one of Britain’s core principles. As the greatest beneficiary of the global free trade system, the British government could not openly oppose it. Embarrassing itself was one thing, but if free trade itself were undermined, the consequences would be far more serious. Gladstone asked, “The Russians still haven’t stopped their activities in Central Asia?” Foreign Secretary George shook his head. “Same as before. The Russians show no sign of restraint. Just recently, a group of Cossack cavalry raided a small tribe in the Khanate of Bukhara.” Gladstone frowned even more. Not only had British efforts failed to deter them, but the Russians were becoming even more aggressive. If Russia’s growing arrogance could not be curbed, the nations of Central Asia would soon begin reconsidering their alliances. The Russian government was not merely a band of reckless warriors. While its diplomatic skills were somewhat lacking, it still had the means to engage in diplomacy. No one could guarantee that Russia would not support pro-Russian factions in the region, taking a more subtle approach to annexing Central Asia. This was especially concerning given that the Russian Empire was currently in a weakened state and not in a position to start a war. As a result, diplomatic strategies had become even more critical. This shift was evident in recent years from the power structure within the Russian government. The influence of the Foreign Minister had been steadily increasing, second only to that of the Finance Minister. After a brief moment of hesitation, Gladstone made his decision: “Confront the Russians directly. Deliver an ultimatum to the Russian government. Either they cease their activities in Central Asia and guarantee that they will not expand further, or they prepare for war in the region! At the same time, send British representatives to join the Russian-Austrian-Persian negotiations and do everything possible to sabotage them.” If the Central Asian issue was not resolved now, it would only become more difficult once Russia had regained its strength. In comparison, Persia’s interests were a secondary concern. This was essentially a test. Attempting to seize Persia’s benefits for Britain alone would create too much hostility. … Plans never outpace change. Before the British could intervene, the tripartite negotiations between Russia, Austria, and Persia came to an abrupt close. On April 28, 1885, under diplomatic pressure from Russia and Austria and after some deft maneuvering at the negotiating table, the Persian delegation signed the “Tripartite Free Trade Agreement” in a daze. Perhaps the Persian negotiator wasn’t as oblivious as he seemed. Compared to the secret Anglo-Persian pact, riddled with unequal terms, the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement was far more balanced. It imposed no overtly exploitative conditions and, on the surface, appeared to respect Persian sovereignty. The Persian government wasn’t entirely made up of fools. Many within its ranks understood who the true adversary was and who was merely a secondary threat. Unlike the fool who agreed to the British-Persian deal, this ‘befuddled’ negotiator proved far shrewder. He refused to be led by the nose by Russia and Austria, instead adopting the free trade framework already established among other nations. For the precarious Persian Empire, securing a seemingly equitable treaty counted as a rare diplomatic triumph. *** https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)
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