War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Ottoman, Istanbul.

The Grand Zaraquilio Palace, on the top floor of a minaret, overlooks the Sea of ​​Marmara and the Bosporus.

The Ottoman Grand Vizier, Fer Cak, was kneeling on the ground, waiting with Sultan Mahmud II for their guests.

They are a notorious traitorous combination in history. Algeria was occupied by France, Tunisia became independent, Greece became independent, Serbia became a state within a state, Egypt Muhammad Ali became independent and captured Syria, Wallachia and Molda. Via became a Russian protectorate.

The disastrous defeat in the Eighth Russo-Turkish War, the disastrous defeat in the First Turkish-Egyptian War, the disastrous defeat in the Naval Battle of Navarino, the disastrous defeat in the Greek War of Independence, and the overwhelming unequal treaties firmly nailed them to the pillar of shame in history.

There is a secret clause in the "Winkar-Iskelesi Treaty" that stipulates that once Russia requests it, Turkey will block the Dardanelles Strait and not allow any other country's warships to pass through. This makes the Ottoman Empire become Russia's sight. Door dog.

They signed numerous agreements with European countries, and Europeans could enjoy a variety of privileges in the Ottoman Empire.

However, these two men were actually the pioneers of the reforms of the Ottoman Empire. Even the Kemal reforms of later generations also drew on the reforms of Mahmud II.

As soon as Mahmud II came to the throne, he took action to kill the Guards, one of the main culprits in the chaos of the Ottoman Empire at this time.

The Ottoman Guards used to be the backbone of the entire empire, but now they are the most terrifying enemies within the empire. They oppose all reforms and are powerful enough to prevent reforms. Without their elimination, reforms cannot be carried out.

The Ottoman Guards also killed the former Sultan, Mahmud II's father. He learned from his father's lessons and made adequate preparations to completely eliminate the Guards.

When the Ottoman Guards turned the camp pot upside down again, they also sentenced themselves to death.

The camp pot is turned upside down, which means rebellion.

The Ottoman Guards planned to be like the mutiny in 1807. They once again swarmed into the Coliseum, and then marched murderously to the Sultan's palace, demanding the heads of the Sultan's reformist ministers, repeating the old mutiny process. Drama.

It's just that Mahmoud was not his father. At this time, the walls of the Grand Salaquilio Palace were filled with new artillery and soldiers with live ammunition.

In just half an hour, this army that had made Europe and the world tremble for five centuries came to an end.

What followed was a drama that continued to unfold in the Ottoman Empire for hundreds of years—massacre.

Mahmud II completely wiped out the remnants of the Guards and the Ulema system that had been colluding with the Guards for hundreds of years.

Mahmud II, who had eliminated the Guards, was very high-spirited and immediately began to reform the army.

Mahmud II did not choose an instructor from Britain or France, but instead chose Helmut Karl Bernhard von Moltke, a young lieutenant in the Prussian Army, as an adviser to the Ottoman Army.

This young lieutenant became the "Old Moltke" who later became famous in Europe.

Later, the Ottoman Empire also exchanged military cadets and officers with Prussia for exchange and study. From then on, the Ottoman Empire's army embarked on the road of Prussianization.

Mahmud II abolished the backward tima system and tax farming system, which greatly strengthened the centralization of power and Ottoman fiscal revenue.

At the same time, Mahmud II also promulgated a new code of law, abandoning religious authority and encouraging the development of industry and commerce.

Beginning in 1824, the Ottoman Empire began to implement compulsory education, restored many closed universities, and at the same time sent foreign students to Britain, France, Prussia and other countries to learn advanced culture and technology.

Austria had a feud with Russia and the Ottomans, so it did not directly send students abroad.

In addition, he also founded two military schools, one modeled on the Ottoman Military Academy founded by Napoleon, and the other was the Imperial Music Academy, which specialized in training drummers and musicians.

Mahmud II even imitated Peter the Great and objected to ministers growing beards, and gave heavy rewards to those who were willing to cut off their beards. He abandoned the traditional Ottoman robes and wore Western-style military uniforms and breeches. He even changed the Ottoman habit of wearing turbans. The fez hat was specially invented.

The fez, a cylindrical felt hat, usually has a string of tassels, and if a soldier or official has a crescent moon embroidered on it.

After 1834, Mahmud II restored the ambassadorial system and founded the first newspaper in the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Monitor.

After losing to Muhammad Ali in the First Turkish-Egyptian War, Mahmud II quickly rebuilt the Ottoman navy and even built the largest sailing battleship "Mahmud" in the world at that time.

They also followed the example of the West in establishing arsenals, developing new guns and artillery, and encouraging the development of industry and commerce.

However, as Mahmud II's reforms deepened, he encountered increasing resistance. Some religious groups encouraged local officials to launch uprisings, and even sent people to assassinate the Sultan and his important ministers.

At the same time, with the introduction of Western ideas and the increasing national crisis in the Ottoman Empire, the national consciousness of various ethnic groups in the country also began to awaken.

The complexity of ethnic issues in the Ottoman Empire was not inferior to that of the Austrian Empire. Especially with the support of internal and external troubles, Mahmud II's reforms were difficult to carry out.

Several sects within the Tianfang Sect also openly opposed Mahmoud II's reforms because the reforms touched the interests of too many sects.

Although the Ottoman Empire suffered repeated defeats in international wars, the civilians only felt that the Sultan was incompetent.

The people still looked down upon Europeans, and some even paid high prices to buy white slaves to enhance the prestige of the Ottoman state.

In the eyes of the Ottomans, Albanians = people who sell stinky water, Dutch = cheese sellers, French = guys without faith, Austrians = blasphemous pagans, Russians = crazy pagans, British = godless of fools, Italians = descendants of slaves, Spaniards = lazy pigs, Poles = arrogant pagans.

There is the Austrian Empire in the west and the crazy Russians in the north. These two countries have forced the Ottoman Empire to bleed on its frontiers for hundreds of years.

The first thing every tsar does when he takes office is to launch a Russo-Turkish war.

The Austrian Empire has always regarded the Ottoman Empire as a serious concern. Although there has been no large-scale war between the two sides, small frictions have never been interrupted. The provinces close to the Austrian Empire are all areas with negative returns for the Ottoman Empire.

Britain and France have been poaching the Ottomans. Greece and Algeria are their masterpieces.

And now British Foreign Secretary Palmerston actually claims to protect the Egyptians in the Ottoman Empire and is preparing to establish a country for them.

Palmerston's plan is this: people, everyone comes out, land, Ottoman comes out.

Mahmud II really wanted to cut off this heretic's hands and feet immediately and throw him into the Red Sea to feed the fish.

Within the Ottoman Empire, there was also Muhammad Ali, the black sheep.

"Am I a sinner?" Mahmoud II asked.

"No, you are the greatest Sultan in the world, and I am willing to follow you to the death." Fair Chuck replied.

"No, I want you to live! I may not be able to witness the day when the Ottoman Empire rises again, but you must assist my descendants to continue my reforms. Revitalize the glory of the Ottoman Empire, and one day kill all the infidels and establish our world."