The Rise of the European Emperor

"Am I not the Persian God of War? How could I fail?"

"Isn't the true God protecting me? How could I fail?"

In the city of Erzurum, Shah Ismail I of Persia fell into deep self-doubt.

In these years, he has been too smooth, and he has been invincible in all battles. The Persians praised him and made him the god of war. Gradually, even he himself believed that he was the God of War. But the failure of this battle woke him up and made him doubt his life...

Not only Ismail I fell into self-doubt, but the morale of the entire Persian army was low. Because the myth of the God of War of Ismail I was shattered in their hearts, and now the Persian army is somewhat panicked. If Ismail I had a group of loyal uncles and brother-level ministers to help suppress it, maybe some people in the Persian army would have fled.

Faith is sometimes a good thing, and it can fully stimulate people's potential. But if the faith collapses, the consequences will be very serious...

In the middle of the night, Ismail I fell into deep self-doubt and couldn't sleep. But at about three o'clock in the morning, Ismail I suddenly yelled "No!" and sat up from the bed in cold sweat.

Then he cried out anxiously:

"Quickly, call all the generals! Be quick!"

Then, the Persian generals who had been resting in the city were reluctantly called up and gathered in the mosque in Erzurum to meet Ismail I.

"Hurry up and wake up all the soldiers, gather your troops and horses before dawn, take the food and grass that you can take away, and prepare to leave the city! Hurry up!"

Two hours later, at about 6 o'clock in the morning, all the more than 70,000 Persian cavalry had completed their assembly. Each of them carried a bag of grain and a bag of horse feed, and was ready to go.

Then, Ismail I waved his hand and ordered:

"Open the east gate, and the whole army will leave the city!"

Then, the east gate was slowly opened, and the Persian cavalry filed out of the city. After leaving the city, they retreated eastward without stopping...

Why was Ismail I retreating in such a hurry? Because it suddenly occurred to him that the Turks had so many artillery pieces that the gates of Erzurum City might not be able to withstand the shelling. Once the city is broken, the Persian army besieged in the city will inevitably be finished.

Therefore, before the Turkish army had time to surround the city of Erzurum, Ismail I resolutely led his troops to evacuate the city.

And just two hours after the Persian army withdrew, around midnight in the morning, the Turkish army sent troops to the east of the city, intending to dig trenches, build new camps, and besiege Erzurum.

It's a pity that they came a step late. Ismail I had already reacted in the middle of the night and evacuated in time...

After hearing the news, Selim I, Sultan of Turkey, beat his chest and feet with anger. What a mistake! After the battle yesterday, because he was worried that the Persian cavalry would attack at night, Selim I did not divide his troops, but concentrated and built a temporary camp in the west of the city. It was originally planned to surround the city the next morning and then trim the new camp to surround the city of Erzurum. Unexpectedly, just half a day later, the enemy took the opportunity to break through and leave!

This is the best chance to destroy Persia! At this time, the Shah and key generals of Persia were all in the city of Erzurum,

As long as the city is surrounded and the Persian army inside is eliminated, the Persian Safavid Empire will be over! what a pity……

Looking at the opened east city gate, even though Selim I easily obtained the city of Erzurum, he was not at all happy...

...

And tens of kilometers away to the east, in the Persian army, Ismail I's personal guard Bagheri also said regretfully:

"It's a pity...we only brought so little food out, most of the food in the city is cheap, damn Turks..."

At this time, Ismail I, who was riding his horse nearby, suddenly reined in his horse, turned his head and asked:

"What did you say?"

Bagheri was taken aback, and stammered:

"Shah...I...I...didn't say anything, just...it's a pity that the food in Erzurum City..."

"Yes, food!" Ismail I slapped his head violently, and finally grasped the point!

Then, suddenly, he ordered the army to stop advancing. In addition, the army was ordered to divide the troops, and within a day, the food in the villages, towns and cities along the way could be taken away, and the food that could not be taken away should be burned.

Even cattle, sheep and camels were not spared, and they were all rushed away. As for the horses, they were also requisitioned...

To put it simply, Ismail I intends to fortify the wall and clear the country...

Why do you have to fortify the wall and clear the field? Because he didn't intend to give the Turks a chance to resupply on the spot!

The Turks dispatched an army of 120,000 this time, and there were tens of thousands of Minzhuang. The entire team has a scale of about 200,000 people. With such a huge team, the food consumption is also a very scary figure. Moreover, there are tens of thousands of cavalry in the Turkish army, and the food consumption of war horses is quite large!

Although everyone is a nomad, the horses mainly eat grass. But when fighting, war horses can't bear to eat grass, and they also need to eat food. Only when they are kept at home, can they mainly eat grass and eat food as a supplement.

"Shah, if we divide our forces to collect grain, will the Turks have a chance to catch up?" General Rashid asked worriedly.

Ismail I said to himself:

"No, the Turks have so many artillery and infantry, so their marching speed must be slow. Although the cavalry marched fast, they didn't dare to break away from the formation and pursue them. After all, the Turkish cavalry is not capable of defeating us! So, Marching with infantry and artillery, the Turkish army marches very slowly, and it is impossible to catch up with us. Therefore, we have plenty of time to fortify the wall and clear the field!"

Although Ismail I was young, he had fought many battles and knew these military common sense very well. These days, when the army is marching, the infantry marching speed rarely exceeds 30 kilometers a day. The infantry that can travel more than 30 kilometers a day is either an elite or a rapid march in an emergency.

Therefore, although the Turkish army is powerful, it is impossible to catch up with the Persian army full of cavalry. And the tens of thousands of cavalry in Turkey did not dare to leave the formation to pursue alone. After all, the main body of the Persian army did not suffer too much loss. If he rushed after him rashly, he might be killed. The infantry without the cover of the cavalry can be played by the Persian cavalry at will. Just cutting off the supply line can kill the Turks.

In the days that followed, the Persian army retreated in front while fortifying the wall and clearing the country. The Turkish army, because the marching speed was too slow, had to keep up slowly.

However, the purpose of the Turks is very clear-pointing directly at Tabriz, the capital of Persia!

These days, the capital of Persia is not the Tehran of later generations, but Tabriz in the northwest of Persia. Tabriz is not very far from Erzurum, only five or six hundred kilometers away. Therefore, while Ismail I was clearing the country, he was also very anxious...