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

Chapter 1221: Want to save face
Saint Petersburg, Winter Palace.

The Tsar did not know that at this time Europeans were already in a state of chaos over the Polish issue. Along with the spring breeze came the news that the Poles had rebelled because they refused to convert and that the British fleet had entered the Baltic Sea.

The Russians could hardly believe their ears. First of all, not many Russian officials thought that religious conversion would cause rebellion. After all, they had had many successful experiences before.

And if Austria can do it, why can't Russia?
Another factual basis is that the Poles in Russian Poland have suffered a heavy blow. Their leadership and grassroots organizational structures have been severely damaged and it will take several years or even more than ten years to recover.

Even civilians were expelled and massacred by Russia under the pretext of a great plague. In theory, they could only be at the mercy of others.

Secondly, the British fleet entered the Baltic Sea, which shocked the Russians even more. Denmark and Britain were sworn enemies, and in theory it was impossible for them to allow the British to pass through the Denmark Strait.

The Swedes call themselves the "Overlord of Northern Europe" and the Baltic Sea is their foundation. How could they allow others to get involved?
However, the reality is that the British fleet entered the Baltic Sea unimpeded under a ridiculous banner.

Although the banner of maintaining free trade sounds far-fetched, the British are the largest importer of Russian timber, and Libava is indeed an important timber distribution center.

Many families of Russian senior officials are involved in the timber business. In addition to the timber business, they also have many unclear and unclear relationships with the British.

You have to know that at that time Britain was the world's number one economic power, and it was well aware of the fact that money can move people's hearts.

As a result, a very strange scene emerged. A group of senior Russian officials actually defended the British behavior, believing that it was the army's dereliction of duty and the navy's incompetence, so the British were needed to help maintain order.

"Your Majesty, the most urgent thing now is to find out the truth. Don't be blinded by temporary words!"

An old minister said with deep sorrow that, listening to his words and observing his behavior, he can be said to be both loyal and sincere.

"You should retire."

Nicholas I had always disliked civil servants, and he was even more angry at the time. He spoke very directly and ended the other person's political career with just one sentence.

"Your Majesty."

Nicholas I waved his hand impatiently, and two court guards quickly "helped" the old man out.

Although Nicholas I appeared relatively calm, he had already started cursing in his heart.

The entire Russian Poland had a population of only over four million, and the Russian garrison alone had 80,000 troops. Together with the local police and aristocratic armed forces, the total force was at least 100,000.

At this time, the Russian army nominally had 80,000 troops stationed in Russia's Poland, but the actual number was only about 50,000. Incomplete staffing and delayed logistics were old problems for the Russian army.

Coupled with the fact that some aristocratic officers deliberately falsified the number of troops in exchange for empty salaries, the huge Russian army always seemed understrength.

Nicholas I could never imagine why there was a rebellion in Russian Poland, and how those rubbish lost Poland.

One hundred thousand men, even when Paskevich suppressed the Warsaw Uprising in 1830, he only used men.

The uprising in 1830 was not an uprising of peasants, workers or artisans, but a real uprising of nobles and soldiers.

Nicholas I was very conservative and had a natural admiration for the nobility and the military.

In the eyes of the Tsar, these were the two noblest types of people. As for the serfs, workers, and craftsmen who made a living by relying on their eccentric skills, they were completely out of his sight.

However, the funny thing is that at this time the army led by the Russian nobles was being beaten to a pulp by the peasants whom they looked down upon.

"Why did the Poles rebel?" Nicholas I turned to ask Prime Minister Chernyshev. Russian civil servants were very unpopular, especially the position of the head of the civil service, which was particularly difficult.

"Great Tsar, it may be that your orders have aroused the anger of the Poles."

Faced with the aggressive Tsar, Chernyshev blurted out his thoughts.

The scene suddenly became eerily quiet, and everyone was worried about the Prime Minister.

The Tsar's voice sounded again.

"I ask you why the Poles rebelled! I clearly gave the order to confiscate the Polish weapons!"

After these words were spoken, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Tsar did not think that his decree was wrong.

But another question came to mind, that is, they did confiscate weapons from Polish civilians in accordance with the Tsar's orders, and even instigated several small rebellions.

However, due to the small scale of the rebellion, it was not reported.

This was 19th century Europe. It was basically impossible to rebel with swords and spears.

The Russians' arms confiscation policy was actually quite effective, but they would never have known that in addition to the boxes of weapons shipped by Britain at sea, the border with Prussia and Austria was also a hotbed of smuggling.

The most problematic place was the Lodz area. Russia had always wanted to attract high-quality immigrants from Western Europe, so it opened up trade in the Lodz area and treated the Prussians very well.

But what they didn't know was that most of the Prussians who liked to go to the town of Łódź were Neo-Prussians, or Prussian Poles.

In addition to normal trade, this group of people came to Rhodes Town and set up a lot of brotherhoods and secret societies.

The most terrible thing is that many of these Prussian Poles had received Prussian military training, and a considerable number of them were non-commissioned officers who were not valued.

If this group of people hadn't been infiltrating all day, the Polish uprising at that time would never have become so big, or at least it wouldn't have been so smooth.

Faced with the Tsar's questioning, Prime Minister Chernyshev did not know how to answer.

First of all, the Tsar could not be wrong, and secondly, he himself was not wrong either, and the officials in charge of the confiscation were even less wrong. The confiscated weapons and equipment were piled up in the warehouse and prepared to be presented to the Tsar on his birthday.

At this time, no matter whose fault it was, Chernyshev would be the one to take the blame.

So Chernyshev wanted to bypass the Tsar's question and directly come up with a solution to the Polish problem.

"Your Majesty, our troops in Poland are stretched to the limit, and Governor-General Venbetrovsky has failed in his duties. Not only did we lose Warsaw, we have not even been able to establish contact with St. Petersburg until now.

I think it was Venbetrovsky who misinterpreted your meaning and thus provoked the rebellion. Russian Poland lacks a general who can coordinate the overall situation. I recommend Marshal Paskevich.

Besides, the international situation is also very unfavorable to us. Instead of running around to attack the enemy, it is better to suspend the conversion action, appease some people and divide and disintegrate them, and then annihilate them one by one."

In fact, there was nothing wrong with Chernyshev's plan. First, find someone to take the blame, then use both kindness and force, and then defeat them one by one.

However, this sounded very harsh to Nicholas I's ears at the time. Wouldn't it be tantamount to admitting failure if the reformation was postponed?
"This is not okay!"

(End of this chapter)