Chapter 1086: Objective Suez
"Selim III is worried that we will station troops in Egypt," Joseph said with a light chuckle. "Well then, I must trouble you to visit Constantinople once more."
Talleyrand bowed deeply. "As you command, Your Highness. I shall depart tomorrow."
As the palace guards swung open the doors to the Hall of Mirrors, Joseph turned to add a final instruction: "By the way, you should also meet with that officer, Muhammad Ali. Tell him to begin his preparations ahead of schedule."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Joseph stepped into the grand ballroom. The court orchestra was playing "Hymn to the King," but his mind was elsewhere, calculating how to stabilize the Suez region and how to raise the staggering amount of capital required to excavate a canal that could reshape all of Europe.
...
The Ottoman Empire.
Constantinople.
Inside the opulent halls of the Topkapi Palace, British Foreign Secretary Fox wore a look of utter bewilderment and shock.
Izzet replied directly in English, "Yes, I understand perfectly, My Lord. It is simply that our empire has no immediate plans for military expansion, nor do we wish to invite conflict with France or Russia."
"But why?" Fox's patience was wearing thin. He had crossed the Mediterranean and spent the better part of the day talking himself hoarse, only for the Ottomans to reject the British Empire's military aid without a second thought.
"Will you truly just sit by while the French occupy Algiers? I promise you, if you wish to reclaim your interests, my country will provide our full support. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Izzet leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. "My Lord, if His Majesty the Sultan were to dispatch an army to Algiers, he would first have to cross through Egypt.
"As you know, Murad and Ibrahim would never permit the Sultan's grand army to set foot in Egypt.
"However, if you are willing to send ten thousand expeditionary troops to help us defeat those two dictators, I believe the Sultan would be more than happy to accept your proposal."
He was referring to the two leaders of the Mamluk group, the de facto rulers of Egypt.
Fox stood up, his face flushed with irritation. These foolish Ottomans had the audacity to make such an arrogant demand.
"Perhaps when the Sultan changes his mind, you will be the one coming to London to speak with me about this."
Izzet offered a polite, professional smile as he rose to see the man out, but inwardly, he scoffed at the self-important Englishman.
Only a week ago, the French Foreign Minister had promised the Sultan that France would dispatch at least ten thousand troops to help the Empire purge the Mamluk rebels. Furthermore, they promised to withdraw from Egypt immediately after the campaign ended. All they asked in return was the Sultan's recognition of French control over Algiers.
The Mamluks had been a thorn in the Empire's side for over two hundred years. If they could be dealt with once and for all, the Empire would regain control over the incredibly wealthy province of Egypt.
By comparison, the distant Algiers—which had effectively already broken away from the Empire—was worthless. In fact, Algiers had stopped sending even symbolic tribute to Constantinople long ago.
And yet, the British thought they could use a few cheap weapons to trick the Empire into a war with France. They were treating him like a common fool.
Indeed, "assisting the Ottoman Empire to reclaim Egypt" was the strategy Joseph used to placate Selim III.
Trade between France and the Ottoman Empire was growing rapidly. Moreover, Ottoman cotton and sugarcane were raw materials France desperately needed. There was no reason to allow a dispute over Algiers to cause a rift between the two nations.
Furthermore, if France wanted to achieve its strategic goal of digging the Suez Canal, the separatist Mamluk regime had to be dealt with first.
It was a move that benefited everyone—except the Mamluks.
Joseph knew full well that the Mamluks had ruled Egypt for centuries; their influence reached into every corner of the land. Even if their armies were defeated and Murad and Ibrahim were eliminated, controlling Egypt would still be impossible without dealing with the Mamluk power structure.
In history, Napoleon had executed a large number of Mamluk elites and confiscated their assets, all while trying to divide and conquer their remaining factions. It had taken him three years, and he still failed to secure complete control over Egypt.
Later, after France withdrew following the defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar, the Mamluks immediately resurged. Even the British, who occupied Egypt afterward, were powerless against them. Faced with constant riots and instability, the British eventually gave up and left.
It was not until Muhammad Ali was appointed Governor of Egypt that the Mamluk influence was truly ended. He spent nearly a decade carefully building his power, winning over religious leaders and the common people.
Therefore, Joseph was not worried about France being kicked out after the Ottomans reclaimed Egypt.
Muhammad Ali was an exceptionally capable and ambitious man. Once he secured Egypt, he immediately began expanding into the Hejaz—what would later become Saudi Arabia.
He followed that by seizing Palestine, Syria, and Transjordan. His armies eventually marched toward Constantinople, nearly bringing the Ottoman Empire to its knees.
It was only when Britain, France, and Russia—fearing the emergence of a powerful new empire in the Middle East—sent a coalition force to intervene that Ali was forced to retreat.
Even so, he continued to launch wars against the Ottomans until his old age, and only then did the Empire find peace.
Joseph was waiting for the moment when the Ottomans were pushed to their limit by Muhammad Ali. That was when Joseph would step in to mediate the conflict between Egypt and the Ottomans—backed by an army, of course.
When that time came, both sides would be desperate for French help. Joseph could leverage that to gain control over the Suez region and begin construction on the canal.
He estimated he could start the project thirty or forty years earlier than it had begun in actual history.
After the routine banquet concluded, Izzet saw the British Foreign Secretary to his ship and immediately began mobilizing his forces. Despite the promised French assistance, the Empire needed to be fully prepared for a confrontation with a military power as formidable as the Mamluks.
The supreme commander was Sokollu. He would lead thirty thousand men from the Janissary Corps, supported by over twenty thousand Deli cavalrymen and Haydut infantry as the main force.
The French seemed to hold the officer named Muhammad Ali in high regard, suggesting that he lead the Albanian Legion into the fray.
While Izzet did not particularly care for the disobedient officer, he had to admit the man knew how to fight—his previous exploit of turning Wallachia upside down was proof enough. Consequently, he accepted the French recommendation.
Starting from the end of June, the Ottoman host of nearly seventy thousand men began their intensive preparations for war.
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