sultan's crescent

Chapter 10 The Imminent War

Five months have passed since meeting Napoleon, and Constantinier has also turned from the severe winter to summer, and Anna has returned to Oxford University to continue studying for her music degree at the end of February.

Considering that the Russo-Turkish war was about to start in August this year, Selim specially wrote to Sophia, asking her to take care of the girl during the summer vacation.

By the way, Sophia also replied with a very interesting letter: "Dear Selim, I learned from Anna that the summer in Istanbul is very hot, and maybe the weather in London is more suitable for you. Buckingham Palace has extra rooms And, of course, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is also open to you.

your faithful sophia

The little girl was quite arrogant, she wanted to see her by herself, but she refused to say so.

But, Selim is doomed to have no time. The Russian-Turkish war is about to start. Let alone a lot of things to deal with. She will not leave Constantinier at this time, leaving the power center of the empire, so Sophia's small thoughts are doomed to fail.

"Paul, are General Bonaparte, Hussein Pasha, Hassan Pasha, Yusuf Pasha, Ali Pasha, and Grand Mufti all here? Bring them in." Before the words finished, everyone had left They came in, and their trip was to discuss the combat plan against Russia.

"Everyone, I decided to declare war on Russia on August [-]th. The entire war against Russia is divided into three major theaters, namely the Serbian theater, the Romanian theater, and the Caucasus theater. Considering that the Austrians are likely to intervene, I will personally sit in the Serbian theater for defense .And General Napoleon will be in the Romanian theater, with Hussein as his deputy, facing the Russian army head-on, while the Caucasus will focus on defense, and will be handed over to Ali Pasha, the chief of the Guards.”

Selim said solemnly: "Please note that the purpose of this war is not to take back the Caucasus and Crimea regions. We only have one purpose, to beat up the Russians and let all countries in the world understand that the Ottoman Empire not only used to be, Now is also the sharpest sword of Allah.

After listening to Selim's speech, Napoleon began to explain his strategic deployment: "Considering your majesty's war goals and the empire's poor logistics system and army, our main policy in the early stages of the war was to conduct a feint attack first and attack the border areas of Russia. Raid and harass, and then pretend to be defeated. Then take a defensive position, and gradually abandon some towns, lure the Russians into the empire, and lengthen the Russian supply line. Of course, in order to prevent the Russians from supplying by sea, Hassan Pasha needs to be responsible for the blockade of the coastline .”

After seeing everyone's reaction, Napoleon went on to explain his battle plan: "According to past experience, the Russians will inevitably place their main force on the front line of Moldova, so Ali Pasha, what you have to do is to be optimistic about the Caucasus region. And I will When the Russian army is exhausted enough, it will fight against them and completely defeat them."

"Bonaparte, where did you choose for the decisive battle?" Hussein asked, "Izmail Fortress, I will arrange for Muhammad Ali to guard here to exhaust the Russian army. As for you, you need to lead the troops to cut off the Russians. Supply lines. Of course, whether you succeed or not, I will launch a decisive battle." Napoleon responded.

"This French lieutenant, you mean to let the empire abandon Moldova, give up the strong Ochakov fortress, and let the Russian army insert into the heart of the empire."

Ali Pasha, who had always had no sense of existence, dared to question others, Selim couldn't handle it.

But, Selim didn't intend to stop Ali Pasha. Suppressing the guards' right to speak too much was not good for preparing for the war, and Ali Pasha was not a person who liked to fight for power.

If Napoleon could convince him, the Guards would be easier to use.

"Ali Pasha, you need to understand that the Sudan's army is not enough to defeat the Russian army. If you choose to attack, you are doomed to gain nothing. According to your thinking, you want to occupy Jinboun and go up the Dnieper River, right?"

Ali Pasha did not speak, but nodded. This was not only his suggestion, but also the suggestion of most of the officers in the Guards except Aladdin.

"Then we might as well deduce it. If you want to complete your plan, you need the cooperation of the sea and the army, but I have never seen you conduct related exercises." Napoleon tapped the table with a pen and said.

"Even if it succeeds, subsequent supplies and troops will need to be transported by sea. This not only increases the logistical burden, but also means that the navy must always control the Black Sea. Do you think the Ottoman Empire can do it without Crimea?"

"And if it is unsuccessful, it will not only delay the time for the army to go north to harass the Russian border, resulting in insufficient weakening of Russia's logistical capabilities, but also remind the Russians to gather troops at a faster speed. Big defeat, can you bear the consequences?"

"Finally, if you start a decisive battle with the Russian army and face an army that is fighting to defend the motherland and has guaranteed logistics, can you be sure to win?"

Facing the three questions of Napoleon's soul, Ali Pasha only responded with a wry smile. What could he do?
The reason why he was able to become the chief of the Guards was precisely because the Sudan had taken a fancy to him and Si Ni's abilities.

But he couldn't completely ignore the opinion of the guards, he just married a new wife, the youngest daughter was only three years old, and there was an old mother at home.You know, the guards can really kill people when they start a fire.

In fact, Selim could also guess Ali Pasha's difficulties, but well, he likes to watch this kind of scene.

However, play for fun, trouble for trouble, the sultan still has to clean up this mess, otherwise it will be detrimental to the unity of the ruling class, although the Guards will soon disappear in Selim's plan.

"Okay, okay, how about this, the army, the navy, the new army, the grand vizier, and the grand mufti each have one vote, let's vote to resolve it, how about it?"

Everyone looked at each other in blank dismay, why did the Sudan have such a proposal? Shouldn't the matter be decided with a wave of your hand and a scapegoat?
Selim didn't explain, just looked at the participants with a smile.In the end, Napoleon's plan passed with four votes in favor and one against.

In fact, this may indeed be the best plan for the Ottoman Empire. It can not only defeat the Russian offensive through strong walls and clear the country, but also compare the greatness of the Ottoman Empire through the atrocities of the Russian army. Most importantly, fighting this kind of battle , Napoleon is guaranteed to win.

As for whether Napoleon's guarantee is credible, Selim is not worried at all. Ever since he came into contact with this historical military god, Selim has understood one thing. Combat experience can be accumulated, but combat intuition is a thing. Born, learned, cannot be learned.

So, with Napoleon on Selim's side, who would the Russians have to send in?

Whether it is Rumyantsev or Suvorov, who dares to say that he will win against Napoleon?

Not to mention that in the original time and space, Potemkin and Rumyantsev had an extremely unpleasant quarrel, and relied on their bed relationship to squeeze each other away.

As for Suvorov, the troops he commanded at the beginning of the war were a partial division with only 5000 people. On the other hand, Napoleon had a reorganized division of the Guards, two brigades of the New Army, and an additional 15 Guards.

With this kind of tailwind, Napoleon can hang Suvorov with a hammer.

As for Potemkin, huh, putting him here is simply reckless, and he should go by Ekaterina's side.

In the future, Repnin and Kutuzov will not have to think about it. Selim didn't even want to fight until 1791. The reason is simple, he doesn't have so much money.

"So, Nahuang's product must be a high-quality product. It not only solves military problems, but also solves economic problems by the way. Of course, it's also because I have the foresight to poach the future military god in advance." Selim There was a burst of joy in my heart.

After solving the rebellious Ali Pasha, Napoleon continued to unfold his magnificent war picture: "Hasan Pasha, the Ochakov Fortress is also an important part of this war. The longer it is guarded, the more it will consume. The Russian army is more beneficial to the final decisive battle. So please be sure to ensure the sea supplies for the Ochakov Fortress. In addition, if the Russian army loses enough in the Battle of Izmail, I will Go north to pursue the Russian army, during this period, please ensure that you control the coastline on the northern shore of the Black Sea."

"Secondly, there are the Grand Vizier and the Grand Mufti. Before I lead the army to retreat, please complete the fortified walls and clear the fields. The residents can ignore them, and the food must be taken away. Please also prepare the supplies for later shipping by sea."

At this point, Napoleon finally finished his discussion, and compared to the dignifiedness of the others, the Sultan seemed very indifferent, "Since the policy has been set, let's implement it, the meeting is over. Ali Pasha stays."

Topkapi Palace, Selim and Ali Pasha are walking in the garden of the first courtyard. "Your Majesty, I think I am no longer suitable to be the Chief of the Guards. I hope you will allow me to step down and let me spend my old age in peace."

Hearing Ali's request, Selim almost laughed out loud. He has been the chief of the Guards for several years, and he receives a lot of money every year. I really thought that these things can be offset by you casually mixing mud. When I really want to use you, I play tricks on the Sultan, right?

But Selim didn't bother to poke him, just smiled and said: "Dear Ali, you have to understand that Yusuf Pasha and Hassan Pasha are already eighty years old, but they are still fighting for the revival of the empire." , but in you, I don't see this spirit, do you understand?"

After Selim finished speaking, he didn't turn his head away. He knew that Ali was a smart man and would make the right choice.

Ali Pasha, who stayed where he was, was silent for a while, sighed, and left with a wry smile.

　This chapter involves the details of the Russian-Turkish war, so it is not so easy to read. You can add the book friend group: 866261215, and I will post the original space-time Russian-Turkish war in the group.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)