Chapter 766: Escaping Is Not Easy Either (Bonus Chapter) |
The sudden and unexpected turn of events caused divisions among the defenders who had been prepared to fight to the death. Given the chance to live, who would willingly choose to die?
At this stage of the war, even the most optimistic individuals no longer believed that the Ottoman Empire could make a comeback.
With the Ottomans on the brink of collapse, no one would hold them accountable for desertion. What came next was a problem for the future.
Unlike Ankara, which was completely surrounded with no escape route, those leaving Baghdad could still flee to Persia.
In fact, by now, many people were already considering escape. However, the Ottomans had made too many enemies, and most feared that seeking refuge abroad would only lead to their total annihilation.
A glance at the newspapers was enough to reveal the grim reality that migration in these times was a path filled with crime and bloodshed. Establishing oneself as an outsider was extremely difficult.
If even European nobility faced risks when migrating overseas, the situation was far worse for Ottoman elites, who were rejected by mainstream society.
This was also why Austria had such an easy time attracting immigrants to its territories in the German region. Within their own controlled areas, if nothing else, safety was at least guaranteed.
Ever since the three-day evacuation period was announced, the artillery fire had ceased. To further demonstrate good faith, Morkes even ordered Austrian forces to withdraw five kilometers from the city.
“Honorable Khedive, how can we be sure that the Austrians will keep their promise? If they break their word, we will be defenseless once we leave the city.”
(Khedive: A title used in the late Ottoman Empire, similar to that of a governor.)
The elderly man shot a glare at the middle-aged man and countered, “Aziz, do you think everyone is as untrustworthy as you?
If the opposing commander was not confident in his promise, he would not have staked his family’s honor on it.
You should understand what family honor means in Austria, a nation as conservative as it is.”
Faced with the elder’s reprimand, Aziz lowered his head in silence. In his younger years, he had prioritized personal gain over integrity, earning himself a reputation for being untrustworthy.
It only took a single misstep to ruin one’s name, but restoring credibility was far more difficult. Of course, Aziz had never truly made an effort to redeem himself.
A thin man spoke up. “Honorable Khedive, at this point, we have no other choice.
I’ve heard that Ankara is also under siege. This time, our enemies are too strong. The Ottoman Empire may not survive this crisis.
Over the years, our hatred toward the Anti-Ottoman Coalition has only deepened. If they take control of this land, there will be no place left for us here.
We are doomed to lose, and continuing to resist will only result in more unnecessary deaths. For the sake of…”
A whole list of reasons, but in the end, the core message was simple—run while we still can!
The elderly man nodded and slowly said, “I have already made contact with the British. As long as we pay a sum of money, they can arrange for us to immigrate overseas.”
In these times, holding office in the Ottoman Empire was impossible without the backing of the great powers. Without connections, any involvement in international disputes could get you removed in an instant.
The elder had the authority to give orders not just because of his high rank, but more importantly, because of his close ties with the British.
Otherwise, this group of exiles would be nothing more than a flock of fat sheep without a home. They wouldn’t even make it out of Persia before being devoured by opportunists.
A middle-aged man in military uniform asked, “Honorable Khedive, if we leave, what will happen to the common soldiers still in the city?
Leaving them behind would be feeding them straight into the enemy’s hands. The Anti-Ottoman Coalition will not pass up the chance to settle scores.
But taking them with us may simply be beyond our capabilities.”
The elder calmly explained, “Sacrifices must be made. It’s not that I don’t want to take them, but there are simply too many of them.
Trying to move nearly a hundred thousand troops across the border? The Persians will never allow it, or they would have no way to justify themselves to the Anti-Ottoman Coalition.
Even if we pay a hefty price and somehow convince the Persian government to let us pass, what then? How will so many soldiers survive once they leave the Ottoman Empire?
Besides, their wives, children, and families are still here. Many of them may not even be willing to follow us.”
Bringing an army along while fleeing? The Khedive certainly wanted to as it would be his greatest asset for securing a foothold in a foreign land. But it was simply impossible.
The Anti-Ottoman Coalition wasn’t blind. If a few insignificant stragglers managed to escape, they might turn a blind eye. But if tens of thousands of troops slipped away, they would stop at nothing to eliminate them completely.
Chasing them down into Persia would be standard procedure. The great powers of this era had long grown accustomed to acting with brute force and they had no habit of respecting other nations’ sovereignty. Cross-border military operations were commonplace.
If Persia wanted to avoid getting dragged into the conflict, it would have no choice but to seal its borders and block their entry.
...
Once they had reached a consensus, preparations for the escape began. But time was too short. They could only take some portable wealth, there was no chance to transfer their larger assets.
Things moved quickly. Though Morkes had given them three days, they had packed up everything within the first day. Then, in a grand procession, they set off together.
The sight left the Austrian troops outside the city utterly dumbfounded.
Carts, wagons, and carriages rolled out in droves—was this an escape, or a full-scale relocation?
But a promise was a promise. There was no taking it back now. Whether for the honor of his family or the credibility of his nation, Morkes had no choice but to uphold his word.
…
At the Vienna Palace, news of what had happened in Baghdad had already arrived.
The anticlimactic end to the Battle of Baghdad once again shattered Franz’s expectations.
As it turned out, anyone could be bought, even the enemy. As long as the price was right, a deal could always be made.
The offer Morkes had given was life, safety, and a portion of their wealth. This was not really a bribe. It was clearly a threat.
In ordinary times, such a thing would have been laughable. But when faced with the instinct to survive, it was entirely natural for events to unfold this way.
Franz shook his head. “Letting these people go has certainly sped up our advance.
But these men, harboring deep hatred, will remain a problem even in exile. It would be best to find a way to eliminate them.”
From the perspective of the Middle Eastern Theater’s commanding officer, Morkes had done nothing wrong. He had won the war at minimal cost.
Unlike the Ottoman government in Ankara, which was an undeniable threat that had to be eradicated, the Baghdad officials were nothing more than small fry.
They had no power to rally the entire Ottoman Empire, not even the broader Iraq region. Their influence was confined to the immediate area around Baghdad, making them a secondary concern.
In terms of capability, these people were at most capable of planning terrorist attacks. The idea that they could incite a larger rebellion was simply impossible.
Austria was not lacking in farmland. At worst, they could overinterpret the Land Fallowing Act and force the entire Mesopotamian region to return to forests and grasslands.
Without agriculture, the local economic system would collapse. With no means of livelihood, people would naturally leave the area.
Once the population migrated away, even if some ambitious individuals wanted to stir up unrest, they would have no conditions to implement their plans.
As for terrorist attacks, they were nothing more than a minor nuisance. Franz had never been concerned about them.
If one wanted to be a global power, how could they avoid getting bombed?
Forget about the future United States. Even now, Britain, France, and Austria frequently faced terrorist attacks.
There was no such thing as a colonial empire that was not hated. However, modern terrorism was still in its early stages, mostly limited to rioting, looting, and killing. The concept of training human bombers had not yet emerged.
Due to poor transportation networks, most attacks occurred overseas. Carrying out operations deep within a major power’s homeland was beyond the reach of ordinary rebels.
The lack of public concern stemmed from governments deliberately downplaying the issue. Tighter security controls were enough to keep things under control.
Foreign Minister Wessenberg said, “Your Majesty, eliminating all of them would be very difficult, but keeping most of them from leaving is quite easy.
We only promised to let them go, not to pardon them. As long as we do not take action within Ottoman territory, we are still honoring our agreement.
Judging by their route, they are likely planning to pass through Persia.
Since ancient times, wealth has been the key to persuasion. The more valuables the Ottomans take with them, the easier it will be for us to leverage the Persians to eliminate them along the way.
It would be best for the military to send people into Persia first. If the Persians refuse our proposal, the army can take care of them instead.
Once the situation is settled, the Foreign Ministry can handle the aftermath.”
This was nothing unusual for the great powers. Even if Austria acted against these remnants inside Persian territory, the Persian government could do nothing but watch.
Otherwise, if a misunderstanding arose and the Anti-Ottoman Coalition decided to deal with them as well, Persia would be left with no time to cry over it.
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https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)