War with Egypt
After the declaration of war and before the actual fighting began, a munitions depot was destroyed by what were supposedly Egyptian loyalists. This event at the start of the war was one that made the Empire look rather weak in the eyes of Europe. The Sultan immediately demanded a harsh crackdown on potential insurgents. Yet the prior weakening of the central authority by the Derebeyis or local warlords made that statement an empty decree. The British, while supporting the war effort, made clear in no uncertain terms that in order to keep their support, British trade must be unhindered by any domestic issues. Mahmud II dutifully complied, and focused himself on the war at hand.
The Crown Prince, Abd-ul-Mejid, who was leading the Imperial Guard in the war with Egypt was furious with his father when he learned of his father “cowering like a dog before the European masters.” The son of Mahmud II clamored for independent action against the Egyptians and was resentful of the concessions forced upon the Empire by the Balta Limani convention. As the Imperial Guard came upon the fortress in Halab in northern Syria, Abd-ul-Mejid began thinking that his father had grown unfit for the throne.
The war itself, however, was proceeding along almost as planned. The four forces that has been, in peace time, near the borders of Egypt at Syria had begun marching five days after war had been declared and were slowly working their way into Egyptian territory.
By August 1 The fortress at Halab had fallen and Empire’s forces were working their way south. The Egyptians had sent out small forces east in order to take provinces along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. But they were have a hard time quelling the local populace and it was assumed they would be swept up when the Empire’s army came in from the north.
At the end of August with the war in Syria going well, the Sultan ordered his Army of North Africa to march into Egypt and open up a second front.
After initial victories the army was split to cover more ground and to attempt a broad sweeping motion that would drive the Egyptians out of Egypt and into Palestine. Unfortunately the main force came upon stiff opposition and were bogged down in a rather brutal battle of attrition that the Army of North Africa was losing.
The war was going well, but the British had been garnering support from the other European nations to force a peaceful settlement upon the two nations and in October of 1839 met with the two nations to hammer out a ceasefire. Under heavy diplomatic pressure, the two nations agreed to a ceasefire in December of 1839. With the orginal borders restored, the Empire’s troops were forced to began their march out of Egyptian territory on December 15th.
The results of the Egyptian war were counted up as a total loss among those in the Porte that believed they did not need the intervention of the European powers. The most notable leader of this group was the Sultan’s own son, Abd-ul-Mejid. In the wake of this event and the idea of marching out of territory that he had rightfully conquered, the crown prince began plotting the downfall of his father.
The Sultan realized he was in a precarious position, especially among the military, whom he ordered to fight and die for nothing in the Egyptian war. Eager to show that he had a purpose for his agreeing to the ceasefire, the Mahmud II agreed to the terms in Britian’s first attempt to broker a settlement among the Empire and Egypt that would return Syria to Ottoman rule, but allow Muhammad Ali to retain heredity control over Egypt. The Egyptians stalled however and the growing discontent among the members of the Porte began to reach the breaking point.
It wasn’t until the Egyptians delayed again in the negotiations in April of 1840 with Britian and the Empire that Mahmud II’s fate was sealed with the Porte and his son. But before any conspiracy could be put into motion the Sultan died on June 21, 1840. Abd-ul-Mejid was crowned Sultan in Ankara and the new banner of the Ottoman Empire was raised.
Immediately, the new Sultan began intense negations with Britain to force the Egyptains to come to settlement or the Empire would go to war itself. Also the new sultan craftily organized a defense pact with the British, for while he had no love of European intervention, he realized the need for strong allies. The negations worked as the british communicated a final ultimatum to the Egyptians to evacuate Syria. The Egyptians refused and declared war upon the Ottoman Empire. The British immediately joined the war with the Empire and troops were sent back into Syria and Egypt on August 2 1840.
A few initial border skirmishes happened as the Egyptians retreated before the oncoming forces of the Empire. There was not enough time for maneuvers though as Egypt caved into the demands and ceded Syria and their coastal provinces along the Arabian Peninsula, while becoming a satellite of the Empire.
With the Egyptian question resolved, the new sultan began moving towards consolidating his power on the Arabian Peninsula and along the Persian border...