The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1153 Russia's Ambitions

The next day, Andrei Uvarov was given the opportunity to have a private meeting.

He had expected this moment. After all, Russia and Austria were the protagonists of the battle for supremacy in the Near East.

On the surface, this conference was an attempt by Britain to coordinate relations between the defeated Ottoman Empire and the victorious powers in an attempt to stabilize the situation in the Middle East.

But in reality it was a re-division of spheres of influence in the Near East. All countries hoped to expand their sphere of influence and get more spoils from the Ottoman Empire.

So Austria and Russia were both allies and competitors.

Uvarov knew from the beginning that his colleagues' efforts were in vain. From Austria's standpoint, it would never agree to Russia directly occupying half of the Ottoman Empire, just as Russia would never agree to Greece's attack on Constantinople.

Dobruja, Bulgaria, Northern Thrace, Trabzon, Erzurum, and Diyarbakir, if Russia can take half of the six provinces, it will be an unprecedented victory.

It would be worth it even at the cost of Wallachia.

The door of the Hall of Mirrors slowly opened, and the strong light made it almost impossible to open one's eyes for a moment. In the magnificent hall sat a young man alone, sitting high on the throne, dressed in luxurious clothes and with an amazing momentum.

However, Prince Uvarov was not intimidated by the momentum. He gave a brief opening speech in a normal tone.

"Hello, Your Majesty. It is an honor to have you here."

"My Lord Duke, I asked you to come here this time to discuss the issue of the peace conference."

Franz went straight to the point, and Prince Uvarov breathed a sigh of relief. The latter also didn't like the kind of roundabout way of speaking.

“Your Majesty, I think my colleagues have told you many times.

His Majesty the Tsar hopes to obtain the four provinces of Dobruja, Trabzon, Erzurum and Diyarbakir, and to make Bulgaria and Northern Thrace independent.

For this reason, my country is ready to support your actions in the Balkans.”

Franz hesitated. In fact, the Russian officials had said before that they wanted all Ottoman territories including the Ankara area.

If what they said was true, Russia would have taken away half of the Ottoman Empire's territory on the Anatolian Plateau.

Although what Duke Uvarov said was not that exaggerated, the area demanded by Russia also reached one-third of the Ottoman Empire's territory on the Anatolian Plateau.

The situation in Europe was even more exaggerated, and it hit the Ottomans directly on their doorstep.

Prince Uvarov simply turned Bulgaria and Northern Thrace into two protectorates, which was also unacceptable to the Ottomans.

But no matter what, this should make his cousin understand the Russians' attitude. Otto I, who was hiding in the dark at this time, was really angry. He never expected that the Russians' appetite was so big that they even wanted to compete with him for Constantinople.

"Excuse me, Your Excellency the Duke, you should be aware of your country's ambitions. I understand your desire to retake Constantinople, but I'm afraid that what you can't get on the battlefield, you probably can't get at the negotiation table either."

Franz's tone was sincere, and Uvarov knew in his heart that the Russian army was still stuck in Dobruja by the Ottoman army, and it was a pipe dream to want Bulgaria and Northern Thrace.

"Then what about the three eastern provinces? Trabzon, Erzurum, and Diyarbakir are all important agricultural areas. If we control them, we can not only weaken the resistance of the Ottoman Empire, but also provide your country with a steady supply of food, cotton, and tobacco.

We are willing to sign a long-term trade agreement with you, giving priority to your country in the supply of raw materials and the purchase of your goods. I believe that with your industrial strength and our cheap raw materials, you will surely be able to defeat Britain in business and even dominate the world. "

Duke Uvarov's words were very tempting. Using Russia as a source of raw materials and a dumping market, defeating Britain in the trade war and dominating the world might be possible if Russia and Austria worked together.

However, Franz actually wanted to push the Russians to the front. He himself did not want to fight the British to the death head-on.

Duke Uvarov's plan was obviously to let Austria fight against Britain in front of Russia, and the opening of the market and full support might not be false.

It's just that the Russians don't care whether the Austrian Empire can defeat the British. The best outcome is naturally that both sides will suffer losses, and Russia can grab the fruits of victory without any effort.

If Britain wins, the Russo-Austrian alliance will be more stable, and Russia can continue to expand on land. In any case, Britain will not rush to the land to fight with Russia.

If Austria wins, it will most likely be seriously damaged. At that time, it will be up to Russia to choose whether to join forces with Britain to attack Austria or guide the former to continue expanding westwards.

In fact, there are many traps in Duke Uvarov's words. Franz doesn't want to put all his hopes on others, especially the credibility of the Russian bear.

“Can your army really gain a foothold in the three provinces of Trabzon, Erzurum and Diyarbakir?”

"Of course there is no problem. Our army just suffered a minor setback during the attack on Ankara."

Duke Uvarov remained very calm. Even when the main force of the Russian army attacking Ankara was surrounded and beaten by the Ottoman soldiers and civilians, causing heavy casualties, he pretended to be indifferent.

In Uvarov's opinion, the Austrian intelligence agencies could not have such a long reach, and military reports far away in Asia should not be transmitted so quickly. Even if they reached Vienna, the information would be incomplete. Franz should be testing him at this time.

In fact, Austrian intelligence agencies do not have this capability, but that does not mean the British do not have it.

Under the British propaganda, a tragic victory turned into a great victory. They wanted to let everyone in the world know immediately that the Ottoman Empire had launched a counterattack.

"Forty thousand people is really nothing to Russia."

Franz's words made Prince Uvarov's heart skip a beat. According to the Russian army's statistics, the number of people was 38751. There was no doubt that the former had received accurate intelligence.

The annihilation of 4 people at one time is definitely a heavy blow to a country, even for a top power like Russia.

The worst thing was that the Russian mainland was covered with ice. Neither soldiers, weapons, nor supplies could be transported to the front line in the first time. This defeat was particularly glaring at this time.

"Great Russia has an army of 600,000. The Ottoman fortresses on the western front are already in danger, and the enemy troops on the eastern front are just fighting desperately."

Franz had no interest in listening to Prince Uvarov's boasting.

"Words are not enough, the British have produced solid evidence."

"If you support our country's claim, then His Majesty the Tsar is also willing to divide the Balkans equally with your country, and the two countries will be separated by the Rhodope Mountains."

(The Rhodope Mountains are on the southern edge of Bulgaria and northeastern Greece.

In fact, Dobruja, Bulgaria, Northern Thrace, and Eastern Thrace are classified as Russia, and Greece, Macedonia, Western Thrace, and Serbia are classified as Austria. The map is in the group)