The Most Sublime Porte - An Ottoman AAR

[Riotkiller]

The Most Sublime Porte​

​

Greetings and welcome! This is an AAR about the Ottoman Empire between 1836 and 1951 (should I make it that far ).

Whilst I have never written a bona fide AAR before, I have experimented with some mini-AARs in the past, and recently decided to dip my toe into the world of the full AAR for the first time. I intend to use a history book style, and I hope I can provide some entertainment along the way.

I have for a while in my spare time now been building a mod for Victoria 2, and have now finally finished the first version of it. As such, I have chosen to play a country which I have not made very many changes to, in order to watch how the changes I have made affect the overall balance of the game.

Reading the many guides here in AARland has let me know to pre-warn people about cheats, so while I do not intend to use any reloads (or console commands), it is very much possible that my scripting will have proved less than brilliant and that I find myself needing to urgent fix a bug midgame - naturally, a reload may occur in such event. I will make it clear in this thread if I have to resort to such tactics though, so please only judge me for my poor scripting - and not my poor gamesmanship .

All advice, suggestions & comments are welcome, and I hope you enjoy the story (nearly as much as I hope I enjoy telling it! )


Mods: An Unreleased Mod based on @GAGA Extrem's Divide By Zero and integrating @Faulty's icons mod, @Marco Dandolo's Gott Mitt Uns, @RenatoDS's Mapping Project, and many other changes of my own creation.

Disclaimer: I am not any kind of expert on Ottoman history (not that experts are allowed in Britain anymore ), so I apologise in advance for any terrible faux pas that I make with my research and/or the history here!

 

[Riotkiller]

Prologue: The Ottoman Empire in the years preceding 1836

The Second Siege of Vienna​

On the 14th July 1683, during the reign of Sultan Mehmed IV Osmanli (r. 1647-1687), the Ottoman Empire began the second siege of Vienna. In the preceding two decades, the Ottomans had reached what would be the apogee of our territorial expansion in Europe; annexing Crete from the Venetians, Podolia from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Nova Zamky in Slovakia from the Habsburgs. Approximately 140,000 men under the command of Ottoman Grand Vizier Kara Mustafa Pasha stood outside the walls of the key fortress guarding the doors of Europe, and it seemed that the entire continent could soon fall under Turkish hegemony.

John III Sobieski​

Yet it was not to be. John III Sobieski of the Commonwealth led a Christian alliance of 90,000 men to relieve Vienna, and won a stunning victory on the 12th September. The ensuing Great Turkish War of 1683-1699 saw the Holy Roman Empire, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Tsardom of Russia, and Republic of Venice inflict several crushing defeats on Ottoman forces. The triumphs of this so-called “Holy League” eventually culminated in forcing the Ottomans to sign the Treaty of Karlowitz - ceding much of Hungary, Croatia, and Slavonia to the Habsburgs, along with the Principality of Transylvania. The Dalmatian coastline and the Morea were also ceded to Venice, and the Azov region to Russia. While the latter regions were later reconquered for a time by Sultan Ahmed III (r. 1703-1730), the Ottomans never again controlled the lands of Hungary, and over the following century the Austrians and the Russians inflicted several more defeats on Ottoman forces. Following the ending of Ottoman suzerainty over the Crimean Khanate in 1784, Ottoman possessions in North of the Danube and the Caucasus were whittled away, culminating in the 1829 Treaty of Adrianople ending all Ottoman presence North of these areas.

Sultan Mahmud II​

The current ruler, Sultan Mahmud II, came to the throne following a rebellion which toppled Mustafa IV in 1808. The loss of Ottoman territories in Europe has continued, with the Serbian Revolution (1805-35) leading to the quasi-independence of the Principality of Serbia, and our defeat in the Greek War of Independence (1821-29) leading to our loss of Attica, the Peloponnese Peninsula, and the Cyclades. Our victory in the recent Bosnian Uprising (1831-32) seems to have prevented further dissolution of our European territories for now, but our hold over our vassals in the Principalities of Moldavia and of Wallachia is tenuous, and the Serbs and Greeks are both eyeing further conquests of our lands.

Elsewhere in the Empire, our Sultan's reign has been more of a success. The centuries-old Janissary Corps had in the previous decades transitioned from an elite military corps into a hereditary ruling class, keeping their exemption from paying taxes in the process. The number of Janissaries had swollen from the initial 20,000 in 1575 up to 135,000 by 1826, making them a significant drain on the resources of the Empire. However, any Sultan who had previously attempted to move against them had been immediately killed or deposed, as happened to Mahmud II's cousin, Sultan Selim III in 1807. The immense power wielded by the Janissaries thus continued to undermine the Empire, and their vetoing of military reforms led to our Armies falling far behind those of our European adversaries.

In 1826, Mahmud II began hiring European gunners to form a new Ottoman Army, known as the Mansure Army. As usual, the Janissary Corps rebelled and marched on the Imperial Palace. Mahmud, however, had predicted this in advance, and the loyalist Sipahi Cavalry charged the Janissaries and forced them back to their barracks, aided by many local residents who despised the corrupt Janissaries. The Barracks were then set ablaze by artillery fire, with over 4000 Janissaries dying. Over the course of the rest of the year, the remaining Janissaries fled or were imprisoned, and their leaders executed or exiled. This event, known as the "Auspicious Incident", has allowed the formation of a modernised Ottoman Army, and ended a huge drain on the resources of the Empire.

The Disarming of the Janissary Corps​

Despite the successful military reforms, further setbacks to the Empire have occurred in Africa in recent years. The 1830 French invasion of Algiers ended our suzerainty over Algeria, although a civil war in Tripolitania has given us an opportunity to reassert authority over what had been another increasingly independent tribal kingdom. Far more critically, however, was the rebellion of Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt. Muhammad had risen to power after the French forces left Egypt during the Napoleonic Wars, and the power vacuum that followed allowed the young Pasha great freedom, particularly when he outmanoeuvred his local enemies by eliminating the Mameluke landowners in a bloody public execution. During the early years of his reign, he had defeated the rebellious Emirate of Diriyah in Arabia for the Sultanate, regaining the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. Further support for the Sultanate was requested, and given, during the Greek War of Independence.

In 1831, Muhammad Ali Pasha demanded control of the Levant be given to the Egyptian Vilayet, as a reward for his substantial support against the Greeks. When the Sublime Porte demurred, the Egyptians invaded Syria, seizing control of many cities from Acre to Damascus to Aleppo, and then invading Anatolia. On 21st November 1832 at the Battle of Konya, Egyptian forces under the command of Muhammad's son Ibrahim won a stunning victory over the Ottoman forces, leading to the road to Constantinople being wide open. In desperation, Mahmud II was forced to appeal to our age old enemies in Russia for help. With the arrival of Russian forces, the Convention of Kutahya was signed, which made Ibrahim the Pasha of Syria under the rule of Egypt, although Egypt remains a nominal vassal of the Empire. Whilst this has led to an uneasy peace, it is clear that Muhammad Ali dreams of full independence from us, and the situation in Egypt will eventually have to be solved - one way or another.

Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt​

Following the Egyptian rebellion, Sultan Mahmud has embarked on a series of fiscal and legal reforms; limiting the power of the Pashas to prevent another Egyptian scenario from occurring, relaxing laws on the consumption of alcohol, and establishing an official newspaper (the Takvim-i Vekayi), which is required reading for all civil servants. Salaries for bureaucrats have also been raised in an attempt to prevent bribery, and a Foreign Office has been formed to set up embassies across Europe. On the back of his administrative and military reforms, it is hoped that Mahmud can reverse the poor fortunes of the past century, and that we find our way back to the levels of power and prestige we enjoyed so many years ago…

 

[RossN]

You face formidable challenges but you've gone with a fascinating place to play. Good luck!

 

[stnylan]

I hope you enjoy yourself too.

A very good scene-setting post.

 

[diskoerekto]

good luck, a good start

 

[Riotkiller]

The Ottoman Empire in 1836​

The Ottoman Empire finds itself controlling a much reduced amount of territory in 1836. Beyond its core lands of Anatolia & Rumelia, direct Ottoman power is limited to Mesopotamia, some of the Aegean Islands, the isle of Cyprus, Bosnia, and a handful of unconnected overseas territories. The Principalities of Moldavia and of Wallachia, whilst nominally vassal states of the Empire, have been held only very tenuously since the signing of the Treaty of Adrianople of 1829. Meanwhile the lands of our great enemies, the Tsars of Russia, now include former Ottoman lands north of the Mouth of the Danube, on the Crimean Peninsula, and in Circassia and the Caucasus.

In Europe, the Principality of Serbia is now de facto independent, and a handful of tribes in the Montenegrin mountains also refuse to recognise Ottoman rule. The newly founded Greek state holds Attica & the Morea, and the British vassal state of the Duchy of the Ionian Islands provides the Brits with a military base nearby. Relations with our other great European neighbour, Habsburg Austria, have been friendlier in recent years, with the Austrians distracted by the rise of the Kingdom of Prussia as a rival for supremacy over the German People. This so-called "German Question", along with the potential unification of the Italians, may keep the Habsburgs preoccupied, but history has shown that we may trust them at our own peril.

In Asia, our long border with the Persian Empire has seen no significant change for many centuries, despite a recent defeat to them. Sultan Mahmud reintegrated what had been an increasing independent vilayet of Iraq with victory over the Mameluke Pasha of Baghdad who refused to stand down in 1831, but the Egyptian revolt has led to the de facto loss of the entire Levant. Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt also claims the vassalage of the Emirate of the Hedjaz, despite our suzerainty over them. This means that our far distant provinces in the Asir are very isolated from the rest of the Empire - an opportunity that the British have seized by taking control of the city of Aden in recent years.

Due to the title of Caliph belonging to our great Sultan, the entire Arabian Peninsula by rights should be the under the rule of the Caliphate. In reality, various tribes control the desert regions, and British influence has been increasing both in the Yemen from their new base in Aden, and in the Trucial States from their Indian bases. While the Brits have been our allies in many recent years, this encroachment on our rightful sphere of influence may prove a future bone of contention, as may the key Indian Ocean shipping routes that the Brits now control.

The war in Tripolitania in January 1836​

In Africa, our lands have been reduced to just the coast of Cyrenaica, and our vassals in the Beylik of Tunis. A recent civil war in Tripolitania has given us an opportunity to restore Ottoman control to the region, however, and our forces currently occupy the city of Tripoli. Hostile tribes in the harsh deserts of Fezzan to the South remain in play though, and our small garrison may need reinforcing if we are to claim a lasting victory there. A prolonged war would drain our precarious finances, so we must make a decision on whether to pursue the issue or withdraw from the area soon, lest we be drawn into an intractable war in the desert.

On the subject of our finances, the constant wars and rebellions of recent years have left our treasury in a very depleted state. Despite the recent reforms and very high taxes & import tariffs, income remains low due to the lack of an effective bureaucracy of the necessary size. Efforts are underway to train up new bureaucrats, but this will take time to have an effect. The recent reforms and our ongoing war in Tripolitania have also raised our administrative and military expenses, leading to us currently running a sharp deficit that must be quickly solved to avoid having to resort to borrowing money from foreign banks.

Ottoman Treasury in January 1836
​

Our Empire is also highly illiterate, with a literacy rate of just 13.7%. The recent advances in technology made in Western Europe have shown the increasing importance of literacy, and we are investing heavily in improving the education of our people. Whilst the Clergy have cited concerns over the reduction of importance of a traditional Islamic education in comparison to the Western education models, the Sultan strongly believes in the necessity of reform.

Politically, after many years of reforms, the calls for stability and consolidation have taken control of the Divan-i Humayun (Imperial Council). The current Grand Vizier, Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha, is seen a mediator between the many factions vying for power, and was recalled to office in 1833, 15 years after his first reign of office (1815-1818). Balancing the reforming tendencies of the Sultan and the highly traditionalist voices on the Council is no easy task, but he has proven a very capable leader thus far. Let us hope that this may continue.


The Ottoman Empire in 1836:
Head of State: Sultan Mahmud II
Head of Government: Grand Vizier Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha
Ruling Party: Nizam-i-Alem (Reactionary)
Adult Male Population: 5 Million
Vassals: The Principality of Moldavia, The Principality of Wallachia, The Vilayet of Egypt, The Beylik of Tunis
Sphere of Influence: Moldavia, Wallachia, Tunis
Allies: Moldavia, Wallachia, Tunis
Current Status: Great Power (Rank #8)

 

[Riotkiller]

You face formidable challenges but you've gone with a fascinating place to play. Good luck!

Thanks! I do indeed expect to have to play quite the balancing act both internally and externally!

I hope you enjoy yourself too.

A very good scene-setting post.

Thank you, I am glad you liked it

good luck, a good start

Thank you!

 

[stnylan]

Very neatly sets out the scale of the task ahead. I don't doubt that things might get worse for the Ottomans before they get better.

 

[Specialist290]

This looks like it will be worth following Let's see if the Sick Man of Europe can be cured.

 

[Riotkiller]

War in Tripolitania, 1836
​

In January 1836, the Imperial Council met in the Sublime Porte to discuss the ongoing fighting in Tripolitania. Over the course of a week, Grand Vizier Rauf Pasha mediated between several vocal factions. An unlikely alliance was formed between the Sultan’s personal supporters and the Liberal faction, with both being strongly in favour of taking the fight into the Fezzan and defeating the Tripolitanians once and for all. The Conservatives on the Council, on the other hand, argued that dealing with the fiscal crisis should be a bigger priority, and a more austere spending policy would be necessary.

The alliance between the Sultan and the Liberals had a clear majority on the Council, however, and Rauf Pasha was eventually able to persuade the Conservatives of the necessity of action. The disastrous defeat to the Egyptians in the 1832 Battle of Konya had been fought by a freshly raised “green” army, with no experience, against an Egyptian Army battle-hardened by campaigns in Arabia, the Sudan, and Greece. The Sultan believed that gaining experience for our forces was vital to prevent another catastrophe from occurring in future.

As such, 6000 men of the new Imperial Regulars were shipped to Cyrenaica, and were joined to the garrisons of Benghazi and Misratah to form a new “Army of Cyrenaica”, which was to invade the Fezzan and defeat the Tripolitanian tribes. As a concession to the Conservatives, the armies of our vassal in the Beylik of Tunis were also summoned to support this campaign, with it being made very clear that the Conservatives would not support any further troop shipments.

Anglo-Ottoman Alliance signed, 1836​

With the course of action in Tripolitania decided, the Council also had to decide on other matters of foreign policy. The centuries old historic alliance with France had been one of many things destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, and had not recovered since. France was also known to be a key supporter of Muhammad Ali Pasha in Egypt, so rapprochement was not an option there. Of the other Great Powers of the world, the far distant United States of America had no interest in the affairs of Europe and no love of monarchies, and the declining Spanish Empire had never been a friend of the Porte.

The rising power of the Kingdom of Prussia also had little interest in affairs so far to its south, which left the Council with three options: Picking up from where the Napoleonic Wars left off by allying with the British Empire, building on the support received from the Russians during the Ottoman-Egyptian War by allying with the Tsar, or ending the age old enmity by allying with the Habsburgs. In the end, it was decided to renew the alliance with Britain, as the Habsburgs were just not trusted enough, and the Russians not at all.

The Ottomans plan to seize Qatif, 1836​

As 1836 wore on, the Sultan continued to push for further campaigns to build the experience of our troops. He also feared that the alliance with the British could be mistaken by them as a sign of our acceptance of their recent interferences on the Arabian Peninsula. Given the Conservative opposition to any prolonged wars draining the budget, it was agreed to make a short campaign to seize and garrison the fortress of Qatif, south of Kuwait. Qatif had been lost during the chaos of the Great Turkish War when Ottoman power on the Peninsula had retreated, and was now occupied by the hostile Saud tribes. Planning for the campaign quickly got underway.

Meanwhile, it was also agreed to establish relations with the only other significant power in Arabia: The Sultanate of Muscat & Oman. This secretive state in the south eastern corner of the Peninsula had expanded to include much of the coast of East Africa in recent decades, and had been very impressive in repelling Europeans as it did so. Relations between Oman and the Porte had never been very friendly due to the Omani practising of the strange and heretical Ibadi sect of Islam, but it was known that the British had been building influence in Muscat in recent years. The Porte could not allow more of Arabia to fall into the British Sphere, and as a result diplomats were dispatched to build relations with Oman, with the goal of bringing it firmly into our Sphere of Influence.

The Saudi Surrender, October 1836​

The campaign to take Qatif was a resounding success - indeed, almost too much so. The Saudi tribes retreated and surrendered without even giving battle, meaning that whilst no troops were lost and very little money squandered; there was also not a lot of fighting experience gained in the two month campaign. Campaigns further into the blazing desert were not deemed achievable, however, and with so the eyes of the Sultan turned toward another tribal realm on our borders: Montenegro. Long had these mountain peasants denied Ottoman rule; refusing to pay tax or even respect to the Sultanate. And with the de facto independence of the Serbs, it was feared that a future war could even see the Montenegrins and Serbs link up and cut off our access to the Vilayet of Bosnia. Citing these strategic concerns, another campaign was launched to finally end their independence.

Annexation of Tripolitania, August 1837​

It did not take long. While the Montenegrins did attempt to defend themselves, they were quickly overwhelmed by our superior numbers and firepower, and forced to surrender. Shortly before this brief war, the campaign in the Fezzan had finally come to a successful conclusion. The war there had dragged on for nearly two years since we initially sized Tripoli, but in August 1837 the last tribes surrendered, and the entire region was brought under Ottoman control. The wars in the deserts had proven to be far costlier and taken longer than initially anticipated, but victory had been achieved, and Ottoman prestige was beginning to rise in the world again.

The Anglo-Ottoman Alliance Breaks, October 1838

The Pact of the Great Dynasties signed, October 1838​

Sadly, whilst our prestige may have been improving, our foreign relations were not. A series of disagreements with the British over our capture of Qatif and interference in Muscat led to the British officially ending our alliance in October 1838. This alarming development caused panic in the Porte: A hostile Britain could potentially devastate the Empire. It was clear that a new ally was needed - and fast. As such, it was decided that we should finally swallow our pride. Peace with our oldest of enemies had existed for quite some time, but it was time to take it up another notch - emissaries were sent to Vienna, and The “Pact of the Great Dynasties” with the Habsburg Empire signed.

Ottoman Finances, March 1839​

This new alliance had a secondary benefit to it. Our fiscal situation had not improved: tax intakes were rising, but not quickly enough, and expenses were continuing to balloon. A new budget had been passed slashing investment in education and significantly reducing the budget of the Ottoman Navy, but we were still heavily reliant on foreign loans to keep financially afloat. And the vast majority of these loans came from just two countries: Austria, and Prussia. Pressure from Austrian lenders was now reduced due to our friendly relations, whilst if the Prussians were to try and utilise their loans to increase their sway in the Porte then they would find their Austrian rivals in the way.

It was a good thing that alliance was signed, too. Within six months, a new crisis would arise in the Empire...

​

 

[Riotkiller]

Very neatly sets out the scale of the task ahead. I don't doubt that things might get worse for the Ottomans before they get better.

It's certainly very challenging, but all great achievements require sacrifices!

This looks like it will be worth following Let's see if the Sick Man of Europe can be cured.

Welcome . Let us hope so indeed - the world needs its Caliph!

 

[stnylan]

Not much rest for the Sublime Porte!

The Egyptian situation is most serious.

 

[Specialist290]

Those early successes against Tripoli and Nejd are welcome boons, and will do much to embolden the Ottoman leadership. They'll certainly need every ounce of hope and courage they can get -- the Egyptian crisis looks set to be the first serious test of the new reforms, and its resolution will undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the period.

 

[Riotkiller]

Not much rest for the Sublime Porte!

The Egyptian situation is most serious.

Sultan Mahmud is not a believer in sitting around and hoping things fix themselves

Those early successes against Tripoli and Nejd are welcome boons, and will do much to embolden the Ottoman leadership. They'll certainly need every ounce of hope and courage they can get -- the Egyptian crisis looks set to be the first serious test of the new reforms, and its resolution will undoubtedly set the tone for the rest of the period.

Indeed. The Sultan has staked much on the success of these reforms - the recent gains on the fringes of the Empire will be for nought if the very cores are overrun by the Egyptians.

 

[J_Master]

The victory in Tripolitania has 2 benefits. 1. Other European powers will se the Ottomans as a more serious power deu to the increase in prestige and 2. it provides an important strategic rear door into Egypt. Even if you were not to use it, it forces the Egyptians to divert a force there

 

[iain_a_wilson]

I've taken @stnylan 's recommendation to follow this from the Fan of the Week thread. Interesting start - consider me subbed!

 

[Riotkiller]

The victory in Tripolitania has 2 benefits. 1. Other European powers will se the Ottomans as a more serious power deu to the increase in prestige and 2. it provides an important strategic rear door into Egypt. Even if you were not to use it, it forces the Egyptians to divert a force there

Indeed, dividing the Egyptian forces could prove most fruitful...

I've taken @stnylan 's recommendation to follow this from the Fan of the Week thread. Interesting start - consider me subbed!

Welcome aboard!

 

[Riotkiller]

Operation Ayn Shams Deployment Plan
​

On the 30th March 1839, news reached the Sublime Porte that Muhammad Ali Pasha of Egypt was planning to declare de jure independence from the Ottoman Empire, taking not only Egypt but also the entire Levant out of our influence. Should the Porte allow this to happen then it would be admitting to the entire world that we are nothing more than a paper tiger, and it is likely that the piranhas would come to feast on us immediately - a crisis that could shake the very foundations of the Empire.

Sultan Mahmud would have none of it. He had placed great faith and stock in his military reforms, and preparations for a renewal of war with the Egyptians had been being made for years. While some Conservative forces again agitated against military action and suggested a peaceful resolution could be sought, the Porte rapidly decided to declare war on Egypt. As news of this turn of events spread across the world, it was soon coined the “Oriental Crisis”, drawing the attention of powers across all of Europe.

Ottoman forces were mobilised during the Oriental Crisis​

The Ottoman battleplan, codenamed Ayn Shams after the great Muslim victory that had freed Egypt from the Romans, was a complex plan. The Egyptian army was known to be quite dispersed, with many of their forces maintaining control of the Sudan, as well as their large army in Egypt itself. This left their Syrian forces isolated, and so the Porte had come up with a plan where the Army of Anatolia - the best equipped fighting force of the new Mansure Army - would attack the Egyptian Army of Syria and pursue it through Aleppo to the Lebanon. In secret, however, the Army of Arabia would move up the River Euphrates from Baghdad before crossing the Syrian Desert to Homs, and from there encircle and destroy the Egyptian forces in the Lebanon. The Army of Cyrenaica, supported by the Tunisian forces, would meanwhile launch a diversionary attack on Alexandria, to further delay Egyptian reinforcements to the Levant. Mobilised reserves and the forces of our Wallachian & Moldavian vassals would guard the roads into Anatolia and prevent any Egyptian breakout into the plains beyond.

The Battle of Adana (April 22nd 1839)​

During the Tribal campaigns of the past few years, no officers had shone particularly brightly, and thus Grand Vizier Rauf Pasha was sent to take personal command of the Ottoman forces. The campaign began positively, with the unprepared Egyptian forces defeated at the Battle of Adana and forced to retreat to Syria, with our forces in hot pursuit.

The Oriental Crisis makes the news​

As reports of the Crisis and our early victory spread across Europe, some minor news concerning a potential alliance between the French and the Russians caught the attention of our Foreign Office. Given the French were still tacitly supporting Muhammad Ali, diplomats were quickly sent to Moscow to ensure Russian neutrality in the current conflict.

Meanwhile, the Austrians had stood by the Pact of the Great Dynasties and were sending two armies to support us in the Levant, which also allowed us to send the Army of the Danube to support our campaign. Moldavia and Wallachia, too, were sending small armies, which meant we could advance further with the comfort of knowing our allies would mop up any forces behind our lines. This positive state of mind in the Porte did not last long, however.

The Battle of Aleppo (July 14th 1839)​

On July 14th, the Egyptian forces ended their retreat in Aleppo and suddenly turned and ambushed our pursuing forces. Ottoman casualties in the Battle of Aleppo were extremely high; at 2.5x greater than those suffered by the Egyptians, and suddenly it was our forces on the retreat. This defeat, whilst not as heavy as the catastrophe at Konya in the previous Ottoman-Egyptian War, was humiliating for the Sultan - and doubly so as the intervention of the newly arrived Army of Arabia could not prevent the defeat. His backing of the military reforms had put his reputation on the line, and his fury at this setback was extreme.

The Grand Vizier was summoned to appear before the Sultan and summarily dismissed from his post, with the Sultan himself taking control of the military forces for the foreseeable future. His supporters watched anxiously, with rumours of a potential coup in favour of another Prince beginning to swirl.

Grand Vizier Mehmed Emin Rauf Pasha's Dismissal [1]

The Battle of Antioch, August 1st 1839​

Disaster was averted by the intervention of the Austrians. Our retreating forces joined them at Antioch, and the pursuing Egyptians were once again forced to retreat. Whilst this salvaged the situation, the casualties taken by our main armies meant that the supporting Army of the Danube instead became our primary force in the Levant, with the prestigious Army of Anatolia relegated to a support role. The Army of the Danube, under the personal command of the Sultan, set upon the retreating Egyptian Army of Syria at the Battle of Hama and thoroughly routed them. The Egyptian force utterly surrendered, and Ottoman morale was greatly boosted. Sultan Mahmud took a great deal of personal satisfaction from the victory - which had notably been achieved without the support of the Austrians - as it finally avenged the great humiliation of the 1832 Defeat at Konya. His position was once more secure.

The Battle of Hama (September 4th 1839)

France declares its support for Muhammad Ali Pasha
​

Ottoman joy was short-lived due to the news that France was openly supporting the Egyptians. Whilst they had not yet intervened militarily, their ships were supplying Muhammad Ali with badly needed food, ammunition, and guns. The need for us to move quickly to defeat the Egyptians thus became paramount, but momentum was on our side as the conflict moved into its next stage...

The situation in the Levant, November 1839​

Notes:
[1] - The "Dismiss the First Minister" decision is not available during wars, but I selected it immediately upon the end of the war for RP purposes.

 

[diskoerekto]

you really have to put some generals to lead the armies, even the crappiest general is better than the default "no leader" stats. with any general, you can quickly turn this one around before anyone has the chance to intervene.

 

[Riotkiller]

you really have to put some generals to lead the armies, even the crappiest general is better than the default "no leader" stats. with any general, you can quickly turn this one around before anyone has the chance to intervene.

I'd love to, but DBZ is far harsher on leadership than vanilla, and I have so few officers that I don't have enough leadership to hire any yet