Chapter 783: City Ablaze (Bonus Chapter) |
Rat extermination is an ancient technique that has existed in human civilization for thousands of years. The earliest rat poisons can even be traced back to the Pre-Qin era.
From The Classic of Mountains and Seas: Western Mountains Scroll: “On Gaotu Mountain, there lies a white stone named Ju, which can poison rodents. There also grows an herb resembling Yueba [an archaic plant], with leaves like mallow but crimson on their undersides; it is called Wutiao and is likewise lethal to rats.”
Initially, plant-based or mineral-based toxins were used. By the 19th century, there were already hundreds of different types of rat poisons, each with its own unique formula.
The fearsome reputation of the ‘Black Death’ was so overwhelming that, upon receiving the Austrian government’s diplomatic notice, European governments hastily expressed their support without fully grasping the situation.
As a result, a chaotic mix of rat poisons was shipped to Anatolia by the boatload. The Austrian military, tasked with carrying out the rat extermination campaign, was overwhelmed by the bizarre and untested methods being sent their way.
With Europe’s attention focused on the crisis, medical experts from various countries were dispatched to conduct on-site investigations.
Naturally, such a hot topic also attracted journalists. After visiting the devastated Russian military camps, any doubts were completely dispelled.
The Anti-Ottoman Coalition may have been involved in political maneuvering, but they would never sacrifice tens of thousands of soldiers in a calculated deception. The ‘Black Death’ was now widely recognized as a fact.
Throughout its centuries-long rampage in Europe, the Black Death had always resurfaced in waves across different regions, persisting until the 18th century.
Between 1629 and 1631, there was the Italian Plague. In 1665–1666, the Great Plague of London occurred. The Great Plague of Vienna struck in 1679, followed by the Great Plague of Marseille in 1720–1722 and the Moscow Plague in 1771.
Although these outbreaks were considered Black Death epidemics, they still had notable differences. Whether this was due to mutations of the plague virus or the emergence of a new virus remains an unsolved mystery to this day.
Now, the plague in the Near East was just beginning to show its full force, yet its devastating lethality had already become apparent. It was only natural to classify it under the same category.
…
Ever since the plague began spreading within the army, Marshal Ivanov, the supreme commander, had been in a state of constant distress. Others could find excuses to leave and return home, but he could not run.
Being the head of the military was no easy job. Beyond having an outstanding military record, a leader also had to command the respect of others through personal integrity.
As a staunch conservative, Marshal Ivanov was undoubtedly a competent officer. Upon receiving news of the outbreak, he immediately rushed from Saint Petersburg without hesitation, assuming full responsibility as the supreme commander.
With concern in his voice, Ivanov asked, “Have the Austrians delivered the promised medicine yet?”
He had put everything on the line to secure this batch of medicine. Back in Saint Petersburg, he had even engaged in a fierce argument with the government’s top officials, all to prevent the Russian government from getting involved.
After all, the Russian government had a long-standing habit of skimming off resources for personal gain.
During the reign of Alexander II, his iron-fisted rule had kept the bureaucracy in check. However, under Alexander III, as his governance became more lenient, the bureaucrats grew bolder once again.
The shortage of medicine was already severe. If the bureaucrats back home took their usual cut, the amount that actually reached the soldiers would be even smaller.
These medicines were highly sought after on the market. Having a portion siphoned off was bad enough, but if some reckless official dared to replace them with counterfeits, it could cost lives.
Marshal Ivanov had absolutely no faith in the integrity of the bureaucrats back home.
Lieutenant General Özgür reported, “We’ve only received 5,318 doses. The rest will take at least another week to arrive at the earliest.”
Hearing this, Ivanov’s heart grew even heavier.
The number of infected Russian soldiers had exceeded 50,000, yet they only had enough medicine for a tenth of them. Deciding who would receive treatment and who wouldn’t was an agonizing dilemma.
“Send a telegram to the government and tell them to find a way to procure more! If we run out of medicine, this will turn into a catastrophe!”
At this moment, Ivanov’s biggest regret was returning home for the victory celebration, which had cost him precious time to react to the outbreak.
Technically, the war was over, and as the victorious side, the Russian army could withdraw at any time. But reality wouldn’t allow it.
Beyond the agreements made with Austria, the sheer number of infected soldiers made bringing them back home a dangerous gamble. It would risk spreading the plague to Russian soil.
Moreover, staying in Anatolia meant they could still seek aid from allies. Once they returned to Russia, they would be on their own.
Even if aid shipments arrived, they would be intercepted by the elite and the powerful before ever reaching the ordinary soldiers who actually needed them.
Lieutenant General Özgür reminded him, “Marshal, that may be extremely difficult. These medicines are produced in laboratories and have always been in short supply.
Even if the government is willing to spend money to buy them, the only option is to purchase small quantities at inflated prices on the black market. It still won’t be enough to meet demand.”
…
Ankara had been completely abandoned ever since the Russian army withdrew.
As the birthplace of the epidemic, it became the top priority in the rodent extermination campaign. The Austrian airship units had already dropped dozens of tons of rat poison from the skies.
What was once the headquarters of the Anti-Ottoman Coalition had now become the Epidemic Prevention Command Center. Albrecht, the former commander-in-chief who led the destruction of the Ottoman Empire, had now taken on the role of chief exterminator.
This outcome was inevitable. The soldiers were still stationed in Anatolia, and if high-ranking officers fled, morale would collapse.
Albrecht declared, “Our current extermination efforts are too slow. It’s winter, and the rats have stored enough food, meaning they don’t come out as frequently.
To maximize the rat extermination efforts before winter ends, we must adopt more aggressive measures.
Nobody knows how many underground rat-infested storage rooms the Ottomans left behind. Right now, sending soldiers into the city to search isn’t a viable option, so I propose we burn the city down using fuel.”
Opposition? Impossible.
This land already belonged to Austria now. Since Albrecht was proposing to burn down his own city in the name of epidemic prevention, nobody had any objections.
To the uninformed, this act might even seem deeply moving, as if Austria was making a tremendous sacrifice.
After all, these were Austrian cities being burned down. Despite war damage, their basic structures remained intact, meaning they could have been repaired and restored.
But Albrecht knew the truth. He was well aware that Austria’s Near East Development Plan had no intention of restoring old cities.
They would either build new cities elsewhere or undertake large-scale reconstruction, completely transforming the landscape. A fire wouldn’t make a difference as they weren’t planning to keep the old structures anyway.
Marshal Ivanov of the Russian Army stated, “Your Excellency’s proposal is excellent. The Russian Empire is willing to provide 200,000 tons of fuel.”
Sheryl Eberly, the British representative, added, “Britain is willing to supply 300,000 tons of fuel to eliminate the threat.”
…
This was not just a matter for one country. For the sake of their own safety, the European nations had, for once, set aside their rivalries. Regardless of their capabilities, each country contributed in some way.
The amount of fuel pledged by various nations was substantial, but those were just theoretical figures. Whether the supplies would actually arrive on time depended on the integrity of bureaucrats.
As the host nation, Austria had no choice but to take responsibility. Fortunately, electricity was already widespread in most Austrian cities. Otherwise, even the general population would struggle to buy lamp oil.
Ever since the epidemic prevention command decided to burn contaminated areas, Austria had been facing a fuel shortage.
There was no other way. Austria did have plenty of oil, but it was still buried underground and could not be extracted quickly.
The oil fields in Romania could not possibly meet Austria’s demand alone.
For the past five years, Austria had been the world’s largest oil importer, and that remained the case today.
Chancellor Felix stated, “The government has done everything in its power. All available domestic fuel has already been sent to the Near East.
We have also bought up all available international supplies, which has even caused a sharp increase in global fuel prices.
But it is still a drop in the bucket. The fuel pledged by European countries is considerable, but their efficiency is too low.
By the time their supplies arrive, it will probably be summer. The epidemic in the Near East cannot afford any delays.”
After hesitating for a moment, Franz slowly said, “Then let’s use our strategic reserves and eliminate Ankara, the source of the outbreak, first.”
At any other time, Franz would never have so easily agreed to sacrifice Austria’s strategic oil reserves.
By now, oil had become a critical resource for Austria. The internal combustion engine industry, which had risen during the Second Industrial Revolution, relied entirely on oil.
Without a sufficient oil supply, half of the industrial advantage Austria had gained from the Second Industrial Revolution would be completely lost.
However, the situation is different now. With the international climate stabilizing, a major war on the European continent was unlikely anytime soon.
Especially after annexing the Ottoman Empire, Austria’s strategic security had been greatly strengthened, giving the government the confidence to boldly develop Middle Eastern oil reserves.
If they could just endure this most difficult period, once the oil fields in the Middle East were operational, Austria would never have to worry about shortages again.
…
Ankara became the first city to be consumed by fire. Thick black smoke rose into the sky, as endless corruption and disease were reduced to ashes in the flames.
This was only the beginning. Any region that experienced a large-scale outbreak saw its nearby cities marked for “purification.”
Throughout the entire year of 1884, the epidemic command center focused on setting fires and distributing rat poison.
By the time the epidemic finally ended, a total of twenty-three cities had been purged by fire.
***
https://postimg.cc/gallery/PwXsBkC (Maps of the current territories of the countries in this novel made by ScH)