Chapter 244: Calamity Descends
At this stage of the Battle of Constantinople, it was impossible to estimate the number of corpses that were left unattended in the city’s corners and were beginning to fester.
Only the bodies in their immediate area have been cleared by either side of the conflict, leaving more inside civilian homes and in the city’s corners.
August brings a very uncomfortable atmosphere to Constantinople as the scorching heat sets in and the odor of decay permeates the entire city.
The artillery fire continues to roar, leaving only ruins and remnants that speak of the past. The Russians have paid a heavy price to conquer this city.
Menshikov has given up on looking at the daily casualty reports. He is numb from the death toll of thousands every day for several months.
The notoriety of the “Constantinople Meat Grinder” has spread worldwide. Wherever Europeans are found, the brutality of this war is being discussed.
If someone were to tally the numbers, they would find that the Russian losses here have already exceeded the total of the two battles in Bulgaria, yet the Russians remain undaunted.
The peripheral defenses of Constantinople have all been breached, or rather, bombarded into ruins, after the expenditure of tens of thousands of tons of ammunition.
Now that street warfare has started, both sides are facing a period of extreme attrition. From a starting 5:1, the casualty exchange rate declined steadily to 4:1, then 3:1, and finally to 1.3:1.
A middle-aged officer said solemnly, “Commander, our cannon fodder units have been almost completely wiped out, and the recruited Bulgarian guerrilla forces have also suffered heavy losses. Currently, there aren’t many young and able-bodied men left in the Balkan Peninsula. It’s going to be very difficult to replenish our forces now.”
Of course, there aren’t many left. This war has been most devastating to the local population.
The Ottomans conscripted men for the war, the Russians did the same, and while the British and French didn’t, the Ottomans conscripted on their behalf.
The Balkan Peninsula has a total population of just over ten million, and how many of them are young and able-bodied? How could they possibly withstand such relentless depletion?
Before the attack on Constantinople, the Russians mainly used their conscripted men for hard labor and rarely employed the tactic of using civilians to storm cities.
However, the situation changed upon reaching this city. The severe casualties forced the Russians to extensively use these men as cannon fodder.
Menshikov replied in a cold voice, “Understood, make do with whatever we have. Once the cannon fodder is gone, our troops will take their place. The enemy is close to breaking. As long as we capture this last district, we will win the war!
Order the military judiciary to strictly enforce military law: execute those who refuse to advance in battle, those who speak of retreat, and those who disrupt military morale!”
There was no choice; this war was not only crucial for the fate of Russia but also for Menshikov’s own fate.
If he couldn’t capture Constantinople, it would be better for him to die on the battlefield, as many would want to tear him apart otherwise.
From a purely military perspective, Menshikov was a fool, completely engaged in a senseless war with no regard for the casualties of his troops. To sustain this war, the Russian army relied on strict military law. To establish authority, Menshikov even executed noble officers who violated military regulations on the spot!
The number of noble officers who died by his hand was not just one or two but amounted to dozens over time.
If Constantinople were captured, everything would be fine. He would be hailed as a Russian national hero, and those executed nobles would be branded as cowards, with their families facing disdain.
But if Constantinople were not captured, the situation would be different. Historically, even Nicholas I couldn’t bear the consequences of the Crimean War’s failure, let alone Menshikov.
Menshikov wasn’t ready to die in disgrace, so he was now fighting desperately. No matter who they were or how influential their background was, anyone who dared to violate military law would be executed.
“Yes, Commander!” the middle-aged officer replied solemnly.
Not just Menshikov, but the fate of all high-ranking officers in the expeditionary force was tied together. The Battle of Constantinople was important; if they lost here, none of them could expect to have good days ahead.
……
In the Crimean Peninsula, the overwhelmingly superior British-French alliance had not even begun to celebrate when a bolt from the blue struck: in July 1854, cholera broke out in the French military camp.
The hot weather, combined with unsanitary conditions, led to a rapid outbreak of the epidemic, which spread from the French camp to the British camp before the allied forces could react.
Flies and mosquitoes on the Crimean Peninsula became the best helpers in spreading the virus. A large number of allied soldiers began to suffer from vomiting and diarrhea and then died in their tents.
Sanitation in the public areas of the allied forces was practically non-existent, and the health system was in name only. The number of patients rose sharply, and the epidemic reached a point of being out of control.
By early August, 500 British soldiers in Varna had already died from the disease. The death toll in the French forces was even higher, with over 60 dying each day.
And this was just the beginning. The epidemic, which had initially gone unnoticed, spread to other areas as people moved around.
Constantinople
There was a stretch of open ground near the docks where more than 10 French soldiers were resting. All eyes turned to one of the guys who began to vomit out of the blue.
A young man asked with concern, “Alphonse, what’s wrong with you?”
The vomiting man replied weakly, “I don’t know. I just suddenly felt nauseous and wanted to throw up.”
A man who looked like an officer said, “You might have caught a cold. Just take care of yourself. If it’s still the same tomorrow, then you should see a medic.”
He just thought Alphonse had a common cold, a minor ailment that everyone usually overcomes on their own, seeking medical attention only in severe cases.
Despite the French army’s better logistics compared to the British, medical resources were still very scarce. Except for higher-ranking officers, it was difficult for ordinary soldiers to receive effective treatment.
At that moment, another person said, “I can’t hold it, I need to go.”
After saying this, he ran off to a nearby spot to relieve himself without looking back.
Such a minor incident didn’t attract much attention. They were reinforcements who had just arrived a few days ago and were now getting used to the climate of Constantinople.
Everyone was accustomed to seeing some adverse reactions due to the change in environment and climate. Usually, these issues resolve themselves after some time, and if not, the affected person would have to be sent back.
However, most people were reluctant to be sent back, even though the casualty rate on the Constantinople battlefield was exceedingly high.
Adverse reactions caused by the inability to adapt to the climate usually meant that one couldn’t return home safely; most would die on the way.
In this era, the sea was not to be trifled with. The conditions aboard ships were quite harsh, and in the absence of adequate medical care, falling ill was like stepping into the gates of death.
Watching the number of sick soldiers increasing day by day, the French commander, Aimable Pélissier, finally realized something was wrong, but by then it was already too late.
In Constantinople, the death toll was extremely high. In the defense of this fortress city, over a hundred thousand French soldiers had fallen, and the number of Russian casualties was likely even higher. The civilian casualties within the city were incalculable.
Due to the war, the French army was unable to properly clear the corpses within the city. Many bodies were buried under collapsed buildings, making their retrieval and cleanup impossible.
This created an ideal living environment for rats and flies. That summer, the number of rats and flies in Constantinople broke historical records, as if they were the true masters of the city.
Pélissier instructed a guard: “Please call Dr. Ambroise, and hand these documents to him.”
Although he had his suspicions, Pélissier was still not certain that an epidemic had broken out. Until this point, he had not been informed of the outbreak of the plague on the Crimean Peninsula.
Busy with the defense of Constantinople, Pélissier did not have the energy to pay attention to rumors, and even if he wanted to, he might not have taken them seriously.
The allied forces had been plagued by disease since the beginning of their campaign in Crimea, and this was no longer news. Over time, everyone had become accustomed to it.
Moreover, the confirmation of the epidemic outbreak by the allied forces in Crimea only occurred a few days before Pélissier became aware of it. The virus had already entered the city before this.
Because of the war, a large number of people died in the city every day. Over time, people became numb to death. What did a few more deaths from disease matter?
……
Ambroise said solemnly, “Commander, I have just visited the hospital and, by combining this data, we can preliminarily conclude that there is indeed a plague.”
Pélissier’s face darkened. The worst-case scenario had occurred. Constantinople was connected to the sea, allowing for a continuous flow of reinforcements and supplies. He was confident in holding out as long as he was willing to bear the casualties.
However, there was one exception to this: the plague. In the face of disease, humans are vulnerable. Pélissier could defeat the Russians, but he was powerless against this epidemic.
“Can it be controlled?” Pélissier asked with concern.
He was only hoping to control the spread, not a cure. In this era, contracting the plague meant leaving one’s fate to chance, as there were no effective treatments available.
Ambroise thought for a moment before responding, “I’m sorry, Commander, I cannot answer that question for you.
It depends on the contagiousness of the plague and determining how many people have already been infected with the virus before we can draw a conclusion.
However, it is currently a time of war, the army is moving too frequently, and we have a severe shortage of doctors. It’s impossible to disperse them among the troops for diagnosis and treatment, and we can’t determine which cases are common colds and which are the plague.
In fact, from the symptoms alone, common colds could also present these symptoms. If it weren’t for the high mortality rate, I might even suspect this is just a highly contagious influenza outbreak.”
The reason the plague is so feared is because of its rapid spread and high mortality rate.
Pélissier continued to ask, “Can we determine the nature of this epidemic?”
Plagues are classified into different types, and each type can cause varying levels of destruction.
Ambroise shook his head and said, “At the moment, we have too little information to determine the origin and transmission routes of this epidemic. We cannot rule out the possibility of it being the bubonic plague.
From a professional standpoint, I believe that Constantinople is no longer a suitable place to stay.
Too many people have died in the city, and often we can smell the stench of rotting corpses in the gutters. War itself is a breeding ground for plagues.”
Pélissier replied with a wry smile, “Alright then, Dr. Ambroise, the task of investigating and combating the plague is yours. As for whether Constantinople is suitable for habitation, I cannot answer you. This is not just a military issue, but also a political one.”
Pélissier knew too well that Constantinople was no longer a viable place to stay; a plague outbreak made it unsuitable.
However, the consequences of abandoning Constantinople were too severe. At least as the commander of the expeditionary force, he could not take responsibility for such a decision, and he didn’t even have a say in the matter.
Ambroise responded, “Alright then, Commander. I can only say I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee the outcome!”
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