Chapter 358： twilight before the war

December 19, 1852.

Valette, the ambassador of the French Empire to Ottoman, accepted the quid pro quo offered by Jerome Bonaparte. After retiring that day, he returned to Paris on the French Mediterranean Fleet to report his duties, and then went to Calais by rail to serve as the British ambassador by ship.

During the time when Valette left and Wallevsky was not in office, everything in the embassy was handed over to the embassy attaché.

After receiving the news that Valette was returning to Paris to report on his duties, Jerome Bonaparte called Vallewski once again, and by the way, also called the Minister of the Navy Dicko, the Minister of War Kuzan Montauban, the Chief of the General Staff Saint Arnault also called over.

Wallevsky, Dick, Cousin Montauban, and Marshal Saint Arnault entered a guest room of the Tuileries Palace in turn, waiting quietly for Jerome Bonaparte's arrival.

After a while, Jerome Bonaparte pushed in the door, and behind him was the expressionless Edgar Ney, Wallevsky and the others immediately stood up to greet him.

Jerome Bonaparte invited the two to sit at a table covered with red woolen cloth. Jerome Bonaparte sat on a chair on the central arched window sill. On his left and right were the Minister of the Navy. Dicko and the chief of staff St. Arnault, and to the right of Dicko and St. Arnault are Valewski and Kuzan Montauban.

And Edgar Ney, who was Jerome Bonaparte's adjutant and also the commander of the Maintenance Command, stood behind Jerome Bonaparte.

After everyone sat down completely, Jerome Bonaparte said straight to the point: "I called you here today to ask how you are preparing for the Russian Empire War!"

Afterwards, Jerome Bonaparte pointed at the Minister of the Admiralty Dicko: "Let's talk about the situation of your naval department first!"

Named by Jerome Bonaparte, Admiral Dicko immediately reported to Jerome Bonaparte the combat readiness of the Admiralty: "Our department has completed the construction of four ironclad steam gunboats, and one ironclad is also working overtime. It is expected that it will be completely completed in mid-1853! At that time, the Imperial Navy will completely crush the Russian naval power in the Sevastopol region! Ensure the good transportation of sea lines of communication!"

"Has the issue of requisitioning ships been properly resolved, as well as the issue of factory workers?" Jerome Bonaparte continued to ask Dicko.

"I have already greeted the bosses of the major French transport fleets! Once there is a war in France, they will help France transport supplies as soon as possible! The French fleet only needs to provide them with escort!" He pointed **** and said, "We can guarantee the materials needed for the expedition of about 200,000 people! The problem of the naval factory workers has also been solved!"

"Okay! I see!" Jerome Bonaparte was very satisfied with Dicko's answer.

Afterwards, Jerome Bonaparte turned his attention to Cuzanne Montauban and said, "What about the Ministry of War! How's your outfit change going?"

Kuzan Montauban also answered ably: "Your Majesty, the French army has basically completed all the replacements of the Minet rifles. In order to prevent the wear and tear of the firearms caused by the war, nearly 20 more are stored in the warehouse of the quarters department. Ten thousand rifles, just in case!"

"Very good!" Jerome Bonaparte was also very satisfied with the actions of the War Department. The speed of excluding the civilian bureaucrats under the influence of the military (mostly the soldiers in the Staff College) was much faster than before. One point: "How's the situation at the barracks?"

"Under the supervision of Major General Niel, the military depots in the eastern theater and the central theater have basically resumed their recruitment functions! Now the reorganization of the military depots in the southern theater and the northern theater is underway, and the reorganization is expected to be completed in the middle of 1853!" Kuzan. Montauban said word for word to Jerome Bonaparte.

Jerome Bonaparte, who was basically satisfied with the Ministry of War, also nodded slightly.

Then, Jerome Bonaparte asked about the General Staff.

As a result, as Jerome Bonaparte had expected, the troop staff was in the stage of running in and needed to wait for a while.

If the war is really approaching, the General Staff can still fight.

"Yeah! I see!" Jerome Bonaparte responded calmly.

Finally, he turned his attention to Wallewski and said earnestly: "You should know how heavy the burden is on you!"

Wallevsky, who heard the statement of the Minister of the Navy and the Army, had a basic understanding of the military combat aircraft of the French War: "Just delay the war between the Russian Empire and the Ottoman Empire until the middle of 1853, right!"

"That's right!" Jérôme Bonaparte lightly tapped the red woolen cloth and emphasized: "Delay as much as possible, but don't let the Ottoman Empire fall to the Russian Empire. Once the Ottoman Empire completely falls to the Russian Empire, Then all our interests in Ottoman territory will be zero! Got it?"

"Understood!" Everyone present responded in unison.

Subsequently, Jerome Bonaparte ordered Dicko to send the completed four iron-clad gunboats to the D'Artagnan Strait to deter the Ottoman Empire, so that the Ottoman Empire did not dare to easily surrender to the Russian Empire.

Then, he ordered Valevsky to draw in the forces of the Ottoman Empire against the Russian Empire.

"The Russian Empire will definitely not ignore our decision to seize the Holy Land. They may dispatch the army, or send envoys from the Ottoman Empire to force the Ottoman Empire to agree to their conditions. You can make the Ottoman Empire high gate with the Russian Empire. When the European powers are disgusted with the greedy actions of the Russian Empire, the French Empire will naturally deliver justice!” Jerome Bonaparte emphasized to Wallevsky: “Remember, we must give The confidence of the Ottoman Empire! Otherwise, those **** may not surrender immediately!"

"Yes!" said Wallevsky back.

After the meeting, the Minister of the Navy and the Army and Wallevsky left the Tuileries Palace.

On December 20, the new French ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Vallewski, took a warship to Constantinople.

In addition to the first-class battleships, there were also four gunboats wearing "armor" following Wallewski.

No one knew that these iron-clad gunboats were the most important factor in deciding the victory at sea.

Just as France was "changing coaches", the cabinet government of the Kingdom of Britain also had a lot of opinions on the ruling issued by the high gate of the Ottoman Empire, in order to know the details of the ruling.

The Prime Minister of the British Kingdom, Lord Aberdeen, sent a telegram to the Ottoman Empire on December 15, requesting the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Strathford Canning, to return to Britain to report his duties. After Canning left, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire Only Colonel Hugh Ross remained in the imperial embassy as charge d'affaires.

On December 18 and 19, Chargé d'Affaires Hugh Ross sent several telegrams to London. The telegrams roughly described the cause and process of the Ottoman ruling, as well as the news that Valette, who was the initiator, left Constantinople. .

This made the British government, who wanted to find an opportunity to protest Valette's influence on European peace, a little depressed.

On December 20, Ambassador Strathford Canning finally arrived in London after five days at sea.

Ambassador Canning, who was returning to London on a warship, was brought to Carlton Gardens by the Foreign Secretary Lord Russell before he had time to enjoy the smog specialties of London.

[PS: Lord Aberdeen had to give up on him due to the earl of Malmesbury's diplomatic behavior. Also used the opposition's Russell as foreign secretary. Originally, Lord Aberdeen wanted to use Palmerston, but Prince Albert did not agree. The helpless Aberdeen had no choice but to let Palmerston serve as Home Secretary, and the position of Foreign Secretary was handed over to Russell. 】

Canning, who is now in front of the mansion at No. 1 Carlton Gardens, took a deep breath and gently pushed open the door of the mansion.

The mansion was full of civil servants, who were busy walking through the corridors of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and no one seemed to notice Canning.

This is Britain, a nation of civil servants.

Although the current Britain has just perfected the civil service examination, its innate "talent" has made the whole of Britain quickly adapt to the whole system.

Millions of civil servants would support a vast colonial empire, their energy rivaling that of a nation's prime minister.

Of course, the premise of all this is that the civil service system is large enough.

After a while, a middle-aged man in a suit appeared in front of Canning. He was the chief permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and he was the person with the highest official position in the entire civil service system of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He spoke in an authentic London accent. Canning said: "Ambassador Canning, please come with me!"

Canning followed the Permanent Secretary to the door of the Foreign Secretary, and the Permanent Secretary gently shook the doorbell hanging at the door.

"Please come in!" The voice of Minister Russell came from the office The permanent secretary continued to wear a standard polite smile and said to Canning: "Please wait!"

After a while, the door opened, and a young secretary with a slightly more appearance appeared in front of Canning. He is Prime Minister Russell's full-time secretary.

"Come in!" The full-time secretary made an inviting gesture.

After Canning entered the room, the full-time secretary left the office and closed the door.

"Sit down!" Minister Russell, who was reading the documents, invited Canning to sit down without raising his head.

Canning walked quickly to the opposite side of Minister Russell, moved his chair and sat down.

"It's hard work!" Minister Russell raised his head, put down the documents, and took off the reading glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Nothing!" Canning replied quickly.

"I already knew about it through telegrams when I was in the Ottoman Empire! I want to hear your opinion!"