My Italy

“Bulgarians really say that?”

In the palace of Athens, Crown Prince Constantine stood in front of his father and asked Prime Minister Theotokis who had just returned.

"Yes, Your Majesty, Crown Prince, the Prime Minister of Bulgaria really said that."

"It's going to be difficult now."

King George I, who was sitting in his seat, murmured.

George I was the first king of the Oldenburg-Schleswig-Holstein dynasty in Greece. Since becoming the king of Greece in 1862, he has been committed to the expansion of the Greek territory. Its primary goal was Crete, but things were hard to come by. The British did not agree to support Greece's annexation of Crete. Of course, as the younger brother of the British, they must also support it. So in 1881, under pressure from the British, the Ottomans had to cede the Thessaly region to Greece.

And just when the Greeks were trying to get their hands on Crete, Italy got involved.

An Italian-Austrian war involving Bulgaria allowed Crete to establish its own republic. Although Greece also took the opportunity to capture Epirus, the Greeks no longer saw hope of recovering Crete, which was protected by Italy, in a short time.

Therefore, South Macedonia, most of Thrace, and the Aegean Islands, which are still in the hands of the Ottomans, have become new targets. However, if they want to continue to expand at this time, they cannot rely on the support of the British alone. It is simply impossible for the Turks to accept the loss of these areas. As for relying on themselves, the Greeks no longer considered options after experiencing a disastrous defeat.

The only choice for Greece is to form an alliance with other countries to deal with the Turks. From a broad perspective, there is only one target that can be chosen, and that is the Bulgarians who also covet their territory.

However, there is an irreconcilable conflict between the two countries, which is the competition for Salonika. Bulgaria wanted to obtain a usable port in the Aegean Sea and get rid of control of the Black Sea Straits controlled by the Ottomans. In Greece, it is because of the large number of native Greeks in the city. Of course, Thessaloniki’s population and economy are a great complement to both countries.

"This is because the Bulgarians have determined that our country cannot do without them." Prime Minister Teotokis said the fact that no one wants to think about.

"Do we have to accept the harsh conditions of the Bulgarians?" Crown Prince Constantine asked reluctantly.

Faced with the Crown Prince's words, Foreign Minister Chaimis spoke. "Your Highness, it seems that this is the only way it can be done at the moment. We need each other more than the Bulgarians. And the Bulgarian Prime Minister is right. We have no choice, but the other side has other options. From a diplomatic point of view, as long as we still want to To gain Ottoman territory, one must accept this condition.”

Although the words of Foreign Minister Chaimis did not sound good, people present also knew that this was the case. Greece was even more inseparable from the other party than Bulgaria.

"Chaymis is right. The current situation is indeed that we are not competing for Salonika's capital, so there is no need to worry too much about this. Only what you get in your hands is yours, and what you see from a distance is yours. Get excited."

As the king, George I spoke, which was regarded as the final decision on this matter.

Faced with his father's words, Crown Prince Constantine was a little unwilling to give in. The crown prince shouted with a look of unwillingness. "Father, I think..."

However, the crown prince's words were immediately stopped by his father. "Okay, you don't have to say anything, I know what to do."

The majesty of the old father made Crown Prince Constantine quiet now.

As for the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary, they don’t know what to do when they see this situation.

"As you command, my lord."

Now that the general policy of taking a step back has been decided, there is no need to trouble the wise and powerful monarch with the next small details, so several ministers are ready to go back to continue discussions with the Bulgarians.

As for the crown prince, although he was still a little unconvinced, Constantine could only accept his father.

After the Prime Minister and others left, Old King George looked at his son and said. "Aren't you willing to give in?"

"Don't dare."

How could the old king, who knew his son as his father, not know his son's thoughts? At this time, he let out a long sigh. "Constantine, I know what you want to say, and there is a reason why I stopped you. If you are an official, then I will appreciate your actions very much. But you are the future monarch, so there are some things you should not do. Must be avoided.

Even if it is beneficial to the kingdom, it will damage your prestige. A prince must possess good virtues and at least not be known to be associated with immoral things. Because you are the final arbiter, every order and word you make will be interpreted by countless people. So you need to guide officials to do it for you instead of trying to solve the problem alone. "

George I's words of sincerity made the Crown Prince realize his previous impatience. "Father, I know what to do."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Crown Prince Constantine left in a hurry.

Seeing his beloved son like this, the old king couldn't help but put his hand on his forehead. The crown prince himself is still so impatient even at the age of forty. It is a bit worrying to leave the kingdom in his hands in the future.

As for the old king's worries about his son, we can put an end to it first.

After receiving the news hinted by the king, the Prime Minister immediately took the Foreign Minister to find the Bulgarian Prime Minister.

"Your Excellency Petkov, in view of the friendship between your two countries and the unity and identity in the future, we have decided to respect your country's opinions on the issue of Salonika."

In a secret room in the Bulgarian Embassy, ​​Teotokis, the Greek Prime Minister, was explaining to the Bulgarian side the reasons for Greece's concessions.

In the face of Greece's concessions, Bulgaria is of course very happy to see it. At least Bulgaria does not have to pay a higher price to find Romania or Serbia.

"Your Excellency Teotokis, our country is very grateful to you for your country's profound understanding of justice. We hope that your two countries can unite sincerely and defeat our common enemy the Turks."

Petkov talked with Teotokis with a smile on his face. Being able to reach an agreement with Greece is also a good thing for him as the prime minister. At least they were a little more sure of dealing with the Turks.

Now that the differences are gone, we must next talk about the issue of sending troops. Of course, the two heads of government will certainly not discuss the details in detail, but they can still discuss the big aspects.

In the next two days, the two prime ministers reached a preliminary agreement. In future battles with the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria would mainly deploy its army to deal with the main force of the Turks in Eastern Thrace. Greece's navy is mainly responsible for maritime battles. In addition, the Greek army needs to encircle and annihilate the Turkish army in South Macedonia, and then reinforce Bulgaria.

Both parties are quite satisfied with the initial negotiations. Next, the two prime ministers need to report the matter to the monarch and the military. The details should be discussed by more professional people. After all, the two prime ministers are not diplomatic professionals.

Of course, the most important thing for both countries now is to step up arms expansion and preparations for war to prepare for the next war.