Chapter 236: Cruelty
Despite the best efforts of British bureaucrats to cover it up, the tragedy on the Crimean Peninsula found its way into the London newspapers.
There was a public outcry, and many of the soldiers’ families took to the streets in protest. It was all in vain, as the bureaucrats were simply following the rules and were in full compliance with British law, which absolved them of any responsibility.
The bureaucrats were fearless, but the British Cabinet was under enormous pressure. If they couldn’t solve the problem, the next election was likely to be very emotional.
Secretary of War Stanley didn’t have to wait for the election to feel the pressure.
“Prime Minister, public opinion is very much against us. The media’s exaggeration has caused serious problems in our recruitment efforts.”
With a disastrous logistics system, over a third of British soldiers fell ill and were unable to receive effective treatment. The high mortality rate of 42% for ordinary casualties was a harsh reality that deterred many.
After being sensationalized by the media, the Crimean Peninsula was portrayed as a literal hell on earth. It’s no wonder that the public resisted conscription.
In essence, if Russia had been a bit wealthier and could have dragged out the war for another three to five years, Britain and France would probably have had to leave in defeat.
This has nothing to do with the war itself. The British and French allied forces can be defeated by disease alone; no army can withstand the ravages of disease.
George Hamilton-Gordon thought for a moment and said, “The opposition party has stirred up public opinion, which is beyond our control. What we can do now is try to change the current situation.
The situation at the front is very bad indeed. Those bureaucrats in the logistics department deserve to be hanged. If the situation doesn’t change, we may lose this war not to the Russians but to the bureaucrats in our own logistics department.”
Obviously, he was considering taking action against the bureaucrats in the logistics department. These people were practically the best allies of the Russians. With their help in dragging them down, it’s only because the bureaucrats of the Russian government are allies of the British that the Russians haven’t won the war yet.
Everyone is on the same level, neutralizing each other, and the war continues in a stalemate.
Home Secretary Henry reminded, “Prime Minister, the bureaucrats in the Logistics Department deserve the gallows, but we are powerless against them.
All their actions are carried out according to regulations, and they don’t have to bear any responsibility. There are too many interests involved in this, and rash actions could lead to severe consequences.”
Why is the bureaucratic system so mechanical? The answer is very simple — interests.
By strictly following the rules, these rule-makers can exploit loopholes for their own benefit without facing legal consequences.
After much thought, George Hamilton-Gordon said helplessly, “If we can’t touch them, we can at least order them to change the current situation!”
A compromise was necessary. The real rulers of the British Empire were the large bureaucratic groups. These people had long formed their own circles. If relations were strained, the Cabinet might not necessarily be able to confront them.
At least the Cabinet formed by George Hamilton-Gordon was powerless against these bureaucratic groups. Even though the British Army’s logistics department had only 178 people, of whom only 44 were responsible for the Crimean Peninsula, they didn’t dare to act rashly against them.
Home Secretary Henry replied, “Of course, that is our right.”
A simple order to rectify the situation meant that everything that had happened before was swept under the rug. As a result, thousands of British soldiers died in vain.
Under public pressure, the British government decided to improve the medical conditions of the expeditionary force by recruiting medical personnel nationwide. It was in this context that Florence Nightingale’s medical team entered the stage of history.
……
The historic city of Constantinople was now shrouded in the smoke of war. The cannons the Russian army had anxiously awaited finally arrived, and without any hesitation, Menshikov ordered an attack.
Constantinople is large, yet small as its outer suburbs have already been lost. The French forces are currently defending the city from fortified bunkers, but unfortunately, these fortifications are too old. Even after being reinforced, they still can’t withstand the baptism of artillery fire.
6-pound cannons cannot breach these fortresses, nor can 12-pound ones. However, with 24-pound, 48-pound, and even 100-pound cannons, these ancient defensive works cannot hold.
A single shot from these giant cannons can topple a building and inflict heavy casualties on the French troops inside the city. They never know when a shell falling from the sky will claim their lives.
The city is no longer safe. The headquarters of the French army has been moved to a bomb shelter since the original headquarters of Aimable Pélissier is no more.
A middle-aged officer defending the city said with trepidation, “Commander, the enemy’s firepower is too fierce. Our city defenses cannot withstand the bombardment. We are suffering heavy casualties.”
An officer in charge of maintaining order in the city said bitterly, “Commander, the situation inside the city is even worse. Enemy shells could fall at any moment, causing massive casualties. Order in the city has collapsed.
Just yesterday afternoon, the Ottoman government building also collapsed under enemy fire, killing the official left by the Ottoman government, Mustafa Pasha, on the spot.”
The reality is even worse than they describe. Were it not for the inaccuracy of the Russian artillery, their losses would be even greater.
Originally, the inhabitants left behind in the city were supposed to provide services for the French army, allowing the soldiers to enjoy normal life during breaks in the fighting.
That was just an excuse. The real reason was that the Ottoman government lacked the capacity to evacuate so many people from the city. Those who could leave had already fled, leaving behind civilians who wanted to escape but had nowhere to go.
Now the problem has escalated. In the bustling metropolis of Constantinople, Russian shells wreak havoc wherever they land in the city.
The sudden artillery bombardment caused an immediate collapse of order in the city. The Ottoman government had already fled the capital, and the officials left to maintain order were gone as well.
After a moment’s reflection, Aimable Pélissier frowned and resolutely ordered, “Order the troops to maintain order in the city. Drive out the rioting crowds and allow the soldiers to shoot anyone who doesn’t heed the warnings.”
This order was unbelievably cruel. Few in Constantinople spoke French. Even if they wanted to heed the warnings, they couldn’t understand them.
Evicting the crowds from the city was pushing them towards a dead end. Don’t think it’s safe to leave the city. Right now, both sides are engaged in battle. Just imagine what would happen if a group of people suddenly appeared between the two armies.
Do they really expect the Russians to cease hostilities for their sake and let them pass freely before resuming the attack?
What a joke. Imagine what would happen if a group of people who had lost their livelihoods appeared in the Russian-occupied territories.
The Russian army’s logistical support is barely adequate for itself, let alone hundreds of thousands more refugees. It would be surprising if it didn’t collapse under the strain.
The Russian army is here to fight, not to do charity work. If they were to delay their attack on Constantinople to help the refugees, the Russian government would probably have their heads.
Aimable Pélissier is, of course, well aware of these circumstances.
Originally, Constantinople had sea routes for supplies, so logistics were not a concern. Even with a large civilian population in the city, it was manageable to sustain them, so they were left there.
Now the situation is different. Under Russian artillery fire, the city’s order collapsed, and the Ottoman government’s terrible executive ability was simply incapable of maintaining order.
To restore order in a short time, suppression is essential.
To avoid giving the enemy an opportunity to exploit, Aimable Pélissier had to make this cruel decision.
“Yes, Commander!” the middle-aged officer replied solemnly.
Constantinople was too important for the French forces. Losing it would mean a major defeat in the Near East War. Everyone in the room understood that if the city was lost, there would be no good days ahead for anyone.
French general, Antoine, suggested, “Commander, we must organize a counterattack. If we just take hits without responding, Constantinople will eventually fall.”
Apparently, he was advocating naval gunfire support. At the beginning of the war, the allied navies had provided fire support, although their accuracy was quite poor.
Because of the distance, the British and French navies couldn’t even see a shadow of the Russian forces, so they just bombarded in the general direction of the Russians.
It looked impressive, but its actual effectiveness was very limited; it was impossible to aim without being able to find the target.
Of course, even if there was a target, it wouldn’t do much good — Constantinople was still in the way.
Given the straight-line distance of several kilometers, most of the naval guns couldn’t reach the Russian positions, and many accidentally hit the city due to various mishaps.
The young military officer, Tajik, objected, “No, it won’t work. In terms of firepower, the enemy’s artillery consists of heavy cannons. Our usual shore batteries, even with naval support, are far inferior to theirs.
We also have to consider the risk of friendly fire. The naval fire support we received earlier caused us more damage than the Russians.”
It was still the age of sails, and naval cannons relied more on quantity than power. After all, a 48-pound cannon could sink an enemy ship, and even if they were replaced by several hundred-pound cannons, it would achieve the same effect.
Given the navy’s woefully low accuracy, it’s better to install more guns to increase the hit rate than to increase the firepower of each one.
Of course, a warship with over a hundred cannons couldn’t be equipped with large-caliber artillery. If they tried to install huge cannons weighing one hundred or eighty tons, only a few of them could be installed before reaching the limit.
Besides, even if someone were bold enough to try, the problem would be the large recoil of the large-caliber cannons, which wooden warships simply couldn’t withstand.
It’s uncertain whether they could hit the enemy, but after firing a few shots, the warship itself would probably sink first. Because of this terrible consequence, no one dares to try.
For English and French naval artillery support to be effective, Constantinople would first have to lose a significant part of it. Otherwise, firing at extreme ranges to hit the enemy would inevitably result in collateral damage.
Surrendering most of Constantinople is not an option for Aimable Péllissier; he hasn’t gone mad. Let’s not forget that most of the city’s fortifications are located there.
Allowing the Russians to come in and fight, with 200,000 French troops crammed into a smaller area and losing most of the defensive fortifications, would be suicidal.
Aimable Péllissier ordered, “I have already asked for reinforcements from the country. It won’t be long before we have more artillery than the enemy. For the time being, everyone must hold their positions and not give the enemy a chance.”
Countering artillery with artillery is the most effective method. However, Aimable Péllissier is not at ease, as this requires time.
Before the artillery from the country reaches the front, they will have to endure a difficult period. If they can’t hold out during this time, allowing the Russians to breach the defenses and reduce the French’s operational space, then even if they later receive the artillery, having enough space to deploy it will be a significant issue.
Aimable Péllissier is no military novice; he doesn’t naively believe that simply concentrating artillery will automatically make it more powerful.
If the area is too small and the artillery positions are forced to be concentrated together, they could also become easy targets for the enemy.
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