Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 676 The Great Narrative
The dismal performances of France and Russia were not only unacceptable domestically, but also astonishing to other countries. There were even calls within the British Parliament to emulate the Duke of Wellington during the Napoleonic Wars and directly send troops to fight in the Eastern Mediterranean.

This view holds that the calls for unification from Iran and the Ottoman Empire would disrupt the balance of power in Europe, much like the unification of Germany. Britain would then be unable to maintain "neutrality," thus requiring a prolonged military commitment to the European continent. A short, sharp blow is preferable to a prolonged, protracted one; it would be better to directly send troops to defeat the Ottomans and resolve the issue once and for all.

But the way the lawmakers think doesn't mean their financial backers think the same way. Look at the London Stock Exchange; Russian and French bonds have plummeted beyond recognition. Russia, in particular, has lost at least 200,000 troops in the Danube and Caucasus regions—the worst war in its five months of existence. As a result, they are now less optimistic about Russia's prospects; despite its large population, the rate of loss is unsustainable.

However, it's not feasible to leave Iran unchecked, as it has extended its influence into East Asia and the Americas in recent years. Iranian capital controls the global oil and refining industries, as well as numerous industries in British Columbia. The local Irish population is arguably the most troublesome issue for this colony.

Furthermore, they have extended their reach into Europe, with Iranian influence in Austria and Spain. The Iranian-controlled Spanish industrial company grew from an initial capital of 7500 million riyals to 4.52 million riyals, encompassing industries such as textiles, railways, and ports. This, to some extent, also contributed to the industrialization process in Spain.

Furthermore, in 1871, Spanish industry and the Eurasian Bank jointly established the Western Mediterranean Shipping Company, beginning operations west of Sicily. French shipping companies suffered heavy losses.

Britain must contain such an economic adversary. But with its proxies proving incompetent, must it really take matters into its own hands?

In his office at 10 Downing Street, Prime Minister Gladstone rubbed his throbbing temples as he listened to the heated debate among his cabinet members. Outside, the London weather remained as gloomy as ever, mirroring the mood of the imperial decision-makers.

"We must intervene! Immediately! Decisively!" The Minister of War's tone was urgent and left no room for argument. "Look at the map, gentlemen! A unified, hostile Eastern empire controls the eastern entrance to the Suez Canal and the Bosphorus Strait, its influence stretching from the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean! This is a greater threat than a hundred Napoleons! The unification of Germany has already turned the balance of power in Europe upside down, and we must not allow another 'Eastern Germany' to emerge! The spirit of the Duke of Wellington should guide us to nip the threat in the bud!"

His words reflected the concerns of many traditional land power strategists who were accustomed to viewing the world through the lens of the European balance of power, believing that any emerging power that might disrupt the balance needed to be destroyed.

However, the Chancellor of the Exchequer immediately poured cold water on the idea, waving a report he had just received from the City of London: “Strangle? Easy for you to say! Where will the money come from? Gentlemen, our taxpayers have just recovered from the economic crisis! Do you know how many pounds it would take to maintain an expeditionary force capable of simultaneously defeating the Iranian and Ottoman armies in the Eastern Mediterranean and the South Caucasus? That would be an astronomical figure! And look at our ‘reliable’ allies!”

He sarcastically emphasized the word "reliable," saying, "The French have suffered heavy losses in the Mediterranean, and the Russians are littered with corpses in the Caucasus! We are investing huge sums of money, and we may just be helping them pull chestnuts out of the fire, only to end up with a finance system crippled by war and an even more chaotic East!"

His words received some support from the First Lord of the Admiralty, though from a different angle: “The Royal Navy is capable of blockading any coastline, but gentlemen, war is not merely a military matter. We have substantial commercial interests in Iran and the Ottoman Empire, all of which would be lost in the event of a full-scale war. More importantly,” he lowered his voice, “are we really prepared to push a nation of nearly sixty million people, with a clearly tenacious fighting spirit, into the arms of the Germans and Austrians in order to stop a threat that is not yet fully formed? Although they are at war now, no hatred lasts forever. A nation we have driven to the brink of collapse allied with a Russia eager to find a sea outlet and seek revenge—that would be a real nightmare!”

With Britain thinking this through, Iran and the Ottoman Empire began working on unification. Both countries were currently under the rule of a single monarch, which was the foundation; the next step was preparation in all aspects.

Anti-Russian sentiment is currently the most common topic that both sides can find. The Ministry of Education has become a pioneer in ideological integration.

The newly compiled textbooks are no longer simply Persian or Ottoman history, but rather a grand narrative entitled "History of Eastern Civilizations." Cyrus the Great, Darius, Suleiman the Magnificent, and Fatih Sultan are listed alongside them; the artistic achievements of the Safavid dynasty shine alongside the architectural wonders of the Ottoman Empire.

The theme of resisting foreign aggression was emphasized, depicting everything from the Greco-Persian Wars to the Battle of Vienna, from the Arab invasions to the Mongol cavalry, and even the current encirclement by Britain, France, and Russia as a struggle that lasted for millennia between Eastern civilization and oppressors from all sides. Russia, on the other hand, was systematically portrayed as the modern representative of the "northern barbarians," its image subtly overlapping with that of the historical Scythians and Mongols, effectively igniting a sense of shared hatred and indignation among the people of both empires.

In historical narratives, the Achaemenid Persian Empire is traced back to being the first world empire spanning three continents, and its inclusive ruling model served as the prototype for imperial governance. Cyrus the Great is portrayed as a liberator and a wise ruler, whose image became the ancient cornerstone of the empire's tolerance and order.

The spread of the Crescent Moon religion was not an Arab conquest of Persia and Egypt, but rather a collaborative process of creating a new civilization. It emphasizes how, during the Abbasid Caliphate, Persian scholars, Turkish generals, and Egyptian wealth jointly forged a golden age.

At the same time, Nasser al-Din was portrayed as the "chosen one," a wise ruler destined to end the division and lead the revival of Eastern civilization. His reforms and military victories were packaged as the starting point of this great revival.

This vast historical narrative can be considered one of the greatest inventions of the Middle East, easily accepted by the vast majority of tribes. For Ottoman and Egyptian intellectuals, it compensated for their awkwardness in the face of European invasion, leading them to quickly abandon Ottomanism and embrace the Persian narrative. After all, reviving past glories is something everyone desires.

(End of this chapter)