Struggle in Russia

The sudden appearance of the main force of the Black Sea Fleet must not be hidden from the eyes of those who are interested. What's more, since the relationship between Russia and Turkey has been tense, spies from various countries have been staring at the Black Sea. Not to mention, there are at least dozens of spies and spies in Sevastopol .

The news of the sudden dispatch of the main force of the Black Sea Fleet spread as quickly as possible. Three days later, the main force of the Royal Navy's Mediterranean Fleet, who had just entered the Port of Athens for a visit and rest, received an order from the country, asking them to go to sea immediately and head to Istanbul again.

Although the order was only to let them go to Istanbul to cheer for Turkey, the Royal Navy knew very well that their real mission was to monitor the Black Sea Fleet and prevent the Black Sea Fleet from taking the opportunity to attack the Turkish Navy.

And a day later, Menshikov also learned of the Black Sea Fleet's movements in Istanbul. Although he was a little surprised that the Black Sea Fleet suddenly launched an operation, given the order issued by Nicholas I, he thought that the Black Sea Fleet had received domestic orders. It is not particularly strange that the order cooperates with him to make an ultimatum.

"Haven't the Turks responded yet?"

Menshikov is actually very anxious. He has been nesting in Istanbul for more than half a year. Although the climate here is warm, it is a hundred times more comfortable than the icy and snowy St. Petersburg. But he really didn't like this city, and he wished he could go back to St. Petersburg as soon as possible.

After all, no matter how good Istanbul is, there is no Nicholas I here, and his prosperity and wealth all depend on the favor of Nicholas I. The longer he leaves, the more uncertain he will be.

"There is no news yet. Turkey still says they are considering it and it will take time!"

Menshikov snorted coldly, and said displeasedly, "How long does it take to think about such a simple matter? It's been three days. I don't think they're thinking about it, but delaying time. I'm afraid they're still waiting for the British and the French to come." Save them!"

Speaking of which, Menshikov walked back and forth irritably several times, and ordered again: "Go again and tell the Turks that our patience is limited, and they'd better reply as soon as possible, otherwise any unexpected consequences will happen." It's up to them!"

Menshikov's guess was correct. The Turks were indeed staring at Britain and France for help. After receiving the ultimatum, they sent a note to the British and French ministers as soon as they received the ultimatum, hoping that Britain and France would come over immediately to help uphold justice.

It's just that the reaction speed of Britain and France is not so fast. After two or three days, Britain and France have not made a decision, so they can only continue to drag.

Of course, the Turks also prepared for the worst, and the Sudan decided that if Menshikov was going to flee, he would make a final concession and allow Bulgaria to obtain a high degree of autonomy in exchange for Russia's recognition of Turkey's continued enjoyment of Bulgaria's sovereignty.

Such a concession is not small, and Sudan had to bow his head because he was forced to do nothing. Of course, this is also the last resort. If Menshikov has no intention of leaving, then they will not take the initiative to make concessions.

It's just that the Sudan didn't know that Nicholas I had already made his request clear in the official document sent to Menshikov, that is, Bulgaria must be completely independent and must accept Russia's protection. The Sudan's final concession plan was not within the scope of Nicholas I's consideration at all, and Menshikov had no right to agree, so the result was actually doomed-the outbreak of war was inevitable!

Two days later, Menshikov, who was already impatient, finally lost his last bit of patience. He ordered the Minister in Turkey to send a note to Turkey for the last time, telling them that if they did not give a reply within 24 hours, Russia would be killed. Declare war on Turkey directly!

As a result, Sudan had no choice but to resort to the last method to make the final concession.

If Menshikov had decision-making power, he would have accepted such a concession. Unfortunately, he did not have decision-making power, and he could only implement the will of Nicholas I. What's more, Sudan's concession at the last moment made him feel that Turkey is a soft persimmon, and if he makes more efforts, he will definitely be able to squeeze out more oil and water.

So without even thinking about it, Menshikov categorically rejected the Sudan's concession, and directly announced that if the Sudan did not agree to all of Russia's demands within 24 hours, then the two countries would be in a state of war!

Such extreme pressure naturally frightened Sudan, but Russia's aggressiveness also angered Turkey. This time their reaction speed was much faster, and they immediately rejected Menshikov's blackmail.

Now Menshikov was also a little dumbfounded, because if it was released, it could not be taken back, and Nicholas I's order was there, and he had no choice at all. In desperation, he had no choice but to leave Istanbul with the Minister in Turkey. , announced before boarding the ship: The Russian Empire has officially declared war on Turkey!

The boots finally landed. The war finally broke out. It was a relief for both Menshikov and Turkey. There is no need to rack your brains to bargain with hypocrisy. Let's see the truth on the battlefield!

It's just that Menshikov almost fed the fish when he left Istanbul by boat. He never thought that Nasimov's fleet had already carried out some mine-laying operations in Istanbul a few hours ago, so when the passenger ship he took went out to sea After that, I soon witnessed the whole process of a Turkish merchant ship being blown to pieces in front of my eyes!

To be honest, the old eunuch was terrified, because the fragments splashed around by the Turkish merchant ship almost gave him a scoop, and more importantly, no one knew why the Turkish merchant ship exploded. Because after the merchant ship was blown to pieces, a large piece of wheat grains floated, so it was obvious that the ship was loaded with grain.

Naturally, food will not be fried, so all Russians, including Menshikov, really can't figure out what happened. It wasn't until three days later that Menshikov arrived in Sevastopol and talked with Kornilov about the matter before he knew that his navy had actually laid mines on Istanbul.

Thinking of walking through a large minefield, Menshikov felt a little scared, and the way he looked at Kornilov was obviously wrong, as if he wanted to kill him immediately.

As for Kornilov, I have some regrets. It would be the best if Menshikov, an old bastard, could be killed. It would be equivalent to eliminating harm for the navy. Unfortunately, it seems that the density of mines is still not uniform enough. It is necessary to urge Nasimov to continue to mine intensively. Otherwise, Menshikov can break through safely, and maybe the British and French fleets can also do it?

It’s just that the fleets of Britain and France at this time are in trouble, because they really tried to break into the Black Sea, but the Turkish merchant ships were blown up one after another immediately, making them realize that the situation is very bad. If they force their way, the end will be miserable ...