Chapter 1349 Make Rome Great Again (Second update, please subscribe)
With the signing of the Treaty of Berlin, the war in South Africa finally stopped. Although Britain obtained some of the rights they had longed for at the negotiating table, such as the national rights of immigrants, restrictive clauses on railways, and agreements on tariffs, it seemed that Britain was the winner. But what was the reality?
The whole world has seen the weakness of Britain and its essence as a paper tiger.
But in any case, the world seemed to have entered a peaceful era again. But in fact, when the decline of Britain was witnessed by the whole world, the "peace under the British Empire" was also destroyed, and from that day on, peace no longer existed.
No matter how much humans desire peace, for the world, peace is just an illusion most of the time. After all, in human history, wars are continuous, and even war is the eternal theme of human history.
Epics praise the beauty of peace, but they praise the epics of heroes even more, and heroes come from war and come from war.
Everyone has a chance to be a hero. For Alexei Nikolayevich Kuropatkin, a telegram from the border gave him a chance to be a hero.
"General, those rebels have once again fled to Persia. In the past few years, those rebels have always been like this, resisting the rule of the empire in the Caucasus. When we attack, once the battle fails, they will flee to Persia. If our army cannot break through the border, then this war will continue forever!"
Listening to the staff officer's report, Kuropatkin asked directly at the end.
"So what do you suggest, my little Mihail."
The reason why he was so close to Little Mihail was because Little Mihail was the son of his old superior, General Skobelev. During the Turkish War, he had been a staff officer of General Skobelev, and it was the general's support that made him what he is today. Twelve years ago, the general passed away, so he naturally had to take care of Little Mihail, and it was under his care that he was promoted to major general last year.
Such mutual support is a normal thing in Russia. In fact, it is also the case in other countries.
“Across the border!”
Little Miharil said bluntly.
"Go after those damned infidels across the border. Find them, kill them, and kill those who shelter them."
Cross the border!
Little Mihalil's suggestion immediately reminded Kuropatkin of Tsar Alexander III in Constantinople and the desire of the Constantinople bureaucracy for Persia. As a veteran in the officialdom for many years, Kuropatkin knew how to guess the emperor's intentions.
"Everyone in Constantinople is eager to get Persian oil! The wealth brought by oil will be Rome's most precious wealth... Oil is a gift from God to Rome! It must not be possessed by pagans."
Kuropatkin, who had understood the ultimate secret of the Tsar, also knew that Persia was Britain's sphere of influence, so he said.
"Cross-border operation...Persia, that is the British sphere of influence."
The commander's answer made little Miharil smile.
"General, the British era is over now. They may have a powerful Royal Navy, but the British are just giants on the sea. They are vulnerable on land."
The reason why Little Mihail was so conceited was precisely because of the Boer War. That war of resistance not only caused Britain to shed blood, but also allowed the whole world to see the ugliness of the British there.
Britain... is just a giant on the sea. On land, they are completely vulnerable. At this moment, he has forgotten how Russia was defeated in Crimea and how it sacrificed a tsar.
"After suffering defeat in the Boer War, the British would never set foot on the continent, let alone stop our actions on land. Besides, we have a legitimate reason to do so! Those pagans were the pagans who killed the Pope. The Persians... the same thing!"
The "Jerusalem Incident" changed a lot. Before the Jerusalem Incident, the Russian Empire was relatively tolerant. After the incident, facing the large number of Turks in the conquered areas, they directly asked them to convert to Orthodoxy. They destroyed the Muslim temples and turned them into churches. The Caucasus region did the same, but the Caucasians were too stubborn. The Turks gave up resistance as early as ten years ago, including the Kurds who converted to Orthodoxy, but until now, the resistance in the Caucasus region has not stopped.
Since taking office as Governor-General of the Caucasus, Kuropatkin has been troubled by the rebellion here. Although the vast majority of people have converted to Orthodoxy, there are still a few who choose to resist.
"Constantinople...would they want us to go into Persia?"
Kuropatkin asked rhetorically.
"Your Excellency, Governor, Constantinople may be somewhat afraid of Britain, but they certainly don't mind us taking an adventure in Persia to test the bottom line of the British..."
Looking at the Governor, Little Mihail said in a sarcastic tone.
"How could the British, who had just suffered a defeat in South Africa, choose to go to war with the Roman Empire in Persia? God is my witness that they simply did not have the courage to do so."
Yes, how could the British, who had just suffered a defeat, go to war with Persia and the Roman Empire? They couldn't even defeat the small Boers, let alone the more powerful Roman Empire!
The Roman Empire had the most powerful army in all of Europe! Even the Roman army was several times larger than the population of the Boer Republic. The Boers could make the British die in battle, let alone the Roman legions that conquered Turkey.
No matter how he weighed it, Kuropatkin could not find a reason to refuse. On the one hand, Persia was the desire of the entire Constantinople, and on the other hand, Persia was so weak. In the past, it relied on the support of the British Empire to survive until now.
But what about now?
How did Britain protect Persia?
With their disgraceful British Army and Colonial Regiments on the Boer battlefields?
After making this judgment in his mind, Kuropatkin looked at little Mihail and said.
"My Mikhail, are you willing to lead the army across the border? Your father once defeated the Turks, and now the glorious moment has come to you. Persia... is waiting for you to conquer."
"Your Excellency the Governor!"
The heels of the boots touched lightly, and Little Mihail bowed and said.
"It is my honor, and those barbaric pagans will surely feel the sharpness of God's sword."
For Little Mihail, this was also a moment he had been looking forward to. His father had won glory in the war. Now he would also gain his own glory in Persia, and he might even achieve a more glorious victory than his father.
At this moment, in the Caucasus, in Baku, the soldiers' desire for military honor and their ambition for expansion combined together. What kind of fruit they will bear, only... God knows.
One thing that is certain is that they believe their actions can make Rome great again.
The old group collapsed, and a new book club group was created: 739209015. Everyone is welcome to join and discuss and deduce the plot together.
(End of this chapter)
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