Chapter 379： Anglo-French alliance

"Come on! I don't know you yet? How could someone like you be willing to quit just like that!"

In front of "old friends" who have been with each other for more than ten years, Canning does not put on a business-like face, but maintains the relationship with Resheed in an easy-going manner.

No one understands better than Canning how much political power lies behind this short, stout old friend with a black beard.

From 1837 to 1852, he controlled the Ottoman Empire's political and foreign policy for 15 consecutive years, and the number of henchmen under his command was even more numerous. Even the current Prime Minister Muhammad Ali thought he was one of Rehed's little followers back then. In the early days of Prime Minister Ali's entry into the Ottoman Empire's officialdom, he was still supported by Rehed little by little, all the way from the ambassador abroad to the foreign minister.

However, in the end, Rehed was unavoidable to raise tigers. The full-fledged Muhammad Ali jumped back at the most critical moment and stabbed Rehed fiercely in the back. After Rehed left the prime ministership, Mohammed . Ali went through untold hardships to take over the position of Rehed as the Prime Minister of the Ottoman Empire.

Muhammad Ali and Mustafa Reshid could not be said to be in harmony with each other, but they could only be said to be at odds with each other.

Of course, if Resheed was only to be commended for being stabbed in the back by Muhammad Ali, then Stratford Canning would not consider him a political ally.

The most famous thing Rehed did was to co-draft the "Edict of the Rose Church" with Abdul Mejid I, that is, the "Tanzimat" reform.

This reform reform is undoubtedly conducive to creating a more centralized and more tolerant ysl power.

Only a very few people know that the guy who initiated the vigorous reform of the Ottoman Empire was not born into a famous family, but a guy who didn't even finish the religious school. The sudden death of the accountant's father made the originally barren family even more difficult. Mustafa Reshid had to consider giving up his studies at the religious institute, and with the help of his relatives, he obtained a post in the prime minister's palace by suppressing the Greeks. Rehide, who entered the Prime Minister's Mansion, did not seek the opportunity to learn because of his identity and knowledge. He has been studying hard to get to a higher level.

The hard work paid off for some people. When Rehed continued to strive to improve his self-knowledge, the sudden opportunity gave Rehed the opportunity to travel to France and Britain, and to witness the prosperity of these two countries with his own eyes.

Rehed, who stayed abroad for a few years, quickly learned the languages ​​of Britain and France, and could be said to be the most Europeanized person in the Ottoman court at that time.

After Abdul Mejid I came to power, Rehed, who has a "kind" character (Canning's evaluation) and advocates freedom, was entrusted with the important task of serving as the reform designer of "Tanzimat" and concurrently serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs With the appointment of the Ottoman ambassador to London.

Although Rehed, who is under the overlapping of three positions, is not the prime minister, he is more valued by the Sultan emperor than the prime minister.

In addition, Resheed himself maintained a deep friendship with Canning, which made it possible to solve the difficulties faced in the following reforms.

Even so, Rehed has been endorsed at home and abroad, but it is almost impossible to reform the roots of the Ottoman Empire itself.

Long-term infighting with religious and bureaucratic forces exhausted Resheed and the sultan who supported him, and he had to travel abroad several times to remotely direct reforms at home.

Abdul Mejid I's patience was gradually exhausted during the long reform, and finally Resheed lost his position as Prime Minister in 1850 with the combined assistance of domestic conservative forces and Muhammad Ali.

When Muhammad Ali became Prime Minister in 1852, Reshid formed an alliance with the opposition against Muhammad Ali's excessive concessions to Christianity.

Rehed, who once fantasized about the theme of peace religion and inclusive of all religions, is gone.

Looking back, I can only see a person whose eyes are blinded by power and desire. He will oppose it for the sake of opposition, just so that he can climb to the peak of the past.

Although Canning can see that his old friend's original intention has quietly changed, but he has no way to stop it, just like you can't stop a guy pretending to be asleep.

Furthermore, the original purpose of Tanzimat's reform was not to prevent the Ottoman Empire from being taken away by the Russian Empire.

Now both the military and economic reforms have achieved initial results, and maintaining the current level is already very good.

Previously, Canning became close friends with Rehed for his own ideal of wishing the Ottoman Empire to "get better".

Canning now befriends Rehed for the interests of Britain in the Near East.

The former has a lot more respect than the latter, and the attitude is naturally a little more easy-going.

In response to Canning's remarks, Rehed put his hands on his thighs and sat upright in response: "I didn't lie to you! Now I really don't know what that guy Muhammad Ali wants to do!"

"What the **** is going on?" Canning also said with a serious look: "What happened to the Ottoman Empire during the few months I left?"

"It's nothing! It's just that a few ministers were dismissed, and a few Pashas were killed!" Reshid replied nonchalantly, from the topic that he was a minister and a Pasha, it was obvious that the high door of the Ottoman Empire There seems to have been an infighting inside.

His own ally may also be the loser of this infighting.

"This is not a trivial matter!" Canning's expression became more solemn: "If you are still willing to be my friend, please be sure to tell me what happened to the Ottoman Empire during the time I was away?"

Rehed opened his narrowed eyes, and after a long time, he replied, "Since you insist on understanding, then I can't be so unkind."

Afterwards, Rehed told Canning what had happened so far after leaving Canning.

Among them is the political struggle between hardliners and appeasement.

Canning frowned when he heard that the Appeaseers had won.

There are some things inside these high gates that people like Colonel Ross will never be able to inquire about.

"You mean the Ottoman Empire has now begun to surrender to the Russian Empire?" Canning immediately asked Reiched.

"I don't think that guy Muhammad Ali, no matter how stupid, would dare to agree to Menshkov's conditions rashly! Although that guy Rifat (Pasha) was discussing the conditions with Menshkov, both sides seem to have a problem because of some The problem is mutual concern." Reshid obviously did not believe that Muhammad Ali and Rifat Pasha had the ability to betray the country.

Then, Reiched suddenly remembered that someone had reported to him that the former foreign minister, Fouad, was often in and out of the French embassy.

So Rehed told Canning the news.

Fuad, Wallewski, Rifat Pasha, Muhammad Ali and France, these seemingly irrelevant information kept breaking up, rearranging, and breaking up in Canning's heart...

An absurd thought appeared in Canning's mind, that everything the Ottoman Empire did was just to delay time, and Operation France was also racing against time.

"No...Impossible!" Canning was a little reluctant to believe this inference.

According to this inference, France had already decided that it would definitely take action against the Russian Empire before the Holy Land Judgment began.

Only then can we explain what happened next.

Thinking of this, Ambassador Canning recalled what Prince Albert had said to him when he was at Buckingham Palace.

Albert asked him to support Palmerston, whose policy was to interfere in the Russian Empire.

Obviously, such a decision did not jump out of the crack in the stone in an instant, and it obviously took a long time to weigh the conclusion.

Stratford Canning suddenly felt that a shadowless net was covering the entire Near East. One end of the net was the French Empire, and the other end might be the British Kingdom.

Damn I forgot about this!

Biting chills poured from Stratford Canning's spine to his limbs like a wild horse unleashed.

It was only now that Canning remembered the original rumor (Palmerston met with the French secret envoy to discuss the world's relationship with the Russian Empire) 99% of the time it wasn't a rumor.

"Excuse me!" Seeing this, Canning decided to go to the French embassy to ask. He first said goodbye to Reiched.

Afterwards, they took a carriage to the gate of the French Embassy in the Ottoman Empire.

Knocking on the embassy door, Wallewski appeared in front of Canning.

"Mr. Wallewsky I have something to ask you!" Canning, who was standing at the door, said to Wallewsky.

"Come in, please!" Wallewski stepped aside for a day to allow Canning to enter.

After Canning entered the embassy, ​​he had a secret conversation with Wallewski.

During this period, Canning tentatively asked Wallevsky if he knew about the "promise" between France and Britain.

Wallevsky looked at Canning in surprise, then regained his composure and replied to Canning: "Yes! There are indeed some unwritten agreements! That was when I was the French secret envoy, Something settled with your country!"

"Can you tell me what it is?" Ambassador Canning asked Valewski sincerely.

"The French Empire and the British Empire will form an alliance to attack the Russian Empire when the Russian Empire conducts targeted aggression!" Valevsky told Ambassador Canning the contents of the secret agreement between Britain and France, word by word. hear.

Immediately, the corner of Ambassador Canning's mouth was slightly self-deprecating. It turned out that Prince Albert had already arranged everything, and all they did was to speed up this matter.