Chapter 272: The Grave Situation
Ottoman Empire.Constantinople.
Sultan Hamid I was lying in bed, watching the British envoy leave. After the servant closed the door, he weakly turned to the Grand Vizier and asked, "What do you think is the best way to handle this?"
Grand Vizier Yusuf pondered for a few seconds before replying, "Great Sultan, although the British proposal to 'jointly attack Tunisia' is impractical, they have indeed provided assistance, helping our people take control of Tripoli.
"The empire recently suffered a defeat in Bessarabia and needs a victory to boost morale. I believe we should send troops to garrison Tripoli and make it a real province of the empire.
"Moreover, this would create a pincer movement against Egypt, forcing the Mamluks to return to the Topkapi Palace and renew their allegiance to you."
Currently, although Egypt was officially part of the Ottoman Empire, it was actually controlled by the Mamluk faction. The Ottomans had long struggled to maintain control over this fertile region but had failed to subdue the Mamluk cavalry, leaving Egypt largely independent.
Sultan Hamid I nodded silently, "I hope I live to see that day. Go and select some troops. Have the navy transport them to Tripoli. I need to rest now..."
"As you command, Great Sultan." Yusuf bowed and left.
Because of France's influence in Tunisia, the Ottomans were in a different position than they had been historically—they hadn't exhausted their main forces in the Russo-Turkish War, so they still had troops available to deploy.
A few days later, more than ten thousand Ottoman Janissaries and Sipahi cavalry boarded ships bound for Tunisia.
French North African Territory, Province of Susa.Tunis.
Joan and Ishaq, along with several officials, stood in front of a villa north of the city, awaiting the arrival of the Crown Prince.
Although Joan was only the administrative commissioner of Susa, since the province's governor had not yet taken office, he was managing all administrative matters. Ishaq, a former leader of the Tunisian rebel army, also had significant influence in the Tunisian regiment formed from the former rebel forces.
In essence, they were the top military and administrative leaders of the Susa province.
Joseph had specifically ordered that his presence not be widely publicized; otherwise, he'd be surrounded by a horde of Tunisian nobles and unable to conduct any real business.
Joan and Ishaq respectfully escorted the Crown Prince into the villa's main hall and had local high-quality coffee served.
Joseph motioned for everyone to sit and got straight to the point, asking, "Are you aware of the situation in Tripoli?"
Ishaq quickly replied, "Yes, Your Highness. Ben Jouir's forces have completely taken control of the area from Tripoli to Benghazi and are currently attacking Pasha Ali I's troops in Zuara."
He then detailed the ongoing battle in Zuara.
Zuara, a city on the border between Tripoli and Tunisia, was where fewer than 600 soldiers remained loyal to the former Tripoli Pasha, Ali I. They were holding out in the city but were on their last legs, especially after Ali I fled Tripoli, leaving them demoralized.
Joseph asked, "Do they pose a threat to Tunisia?"
"Your Highness, while there's a possibility, Ben Jouir only has 2,000 troops. If he dares to invade Tunisia, the Tunisian regiment stationed in Sfax can handle it."
As they spoke, an Arab intelligence officer signaled urgently to Ishaq from the doorway. Frowning, Ishaq stepped out to receive the report, then quickly returned to the hall and addressed Joseph.
"Your Highness, we've just received word that the Sultan of Morocco has sent 12,000 Royal Guards to Algiers. Additionally, the Algerian Janissaries seem to have received a shipment of flintlock rifles. Although most were manufactured in Germany or Spain, it's highly likely they were supplied by the British."
Given that Britain had acquired many Austrian and Spanish weapons through various channels during past wars, it was entirely possible they had passed them on to Algiers.
"The British again?" Joseph frowned. "The Moulin regiment will arrive in Tunisia in a few days. Have them first station themselves on the Algerian border to prevent any surprises."
He then turned to Ishaq. "How many combat-ready troops does the Tunisian regiment have now?"
Although the Tunisian rebel army had nearly 20,000 soldiers, most were older men or young boys, and many were tribal militias that had returned to their tribes after the war. In the end, only a little over 10,000 were incorporated into the Tunisian regiment, and even fewer were well-trained.
Ishaq hesitated before answering, "Your Highness, the only units with any real combat capability are Major Jamilah's two battalions and Ghazi's battalion. That's about 4,000 men."
In other words, the regiment had fewer than 4,000 troops with any real fighting capability. The rest could man defenses and fire their weapons but were likely to crumble in a direct confrontation.
Joseph did a quick calculation of the forces in Algiers and shook his head, realizing the situation in Tunisia was more severe than expected.
After all, the Algerian Janissaries had attacked Tunisia once before at the instigation of the British, and with the British involved again, they could not be underestimated.
The Algerian Janissaries, though weakened from their last defeat, still numbered around 6,000 to 7,000 men. Combined with the Moroccan forces, they now had nearly 20,000 troops. Depending solely on the Moulin regiment and local Tunisian forces seemed risky.
"It seems we'll need to deploy more troops from the mainland."
Joseph quickly wrote a letter to Berthier, then discussed the situation in eastern and western Tunisia with Ishaq and the others until the sun began to set.
Joan seized the opportunity during a pause in the conversation to suggest, "Your Highness, I've prepared a dinner for you. Shall we dine?"
Joseph realized he was indeed hungry and rose to follow Joan to the dining room.
On the way, he noticed through the arched windows that over a hundred people were still laboring with hoes and shovels in the distance. He casually asked Joan, "What are those people doing so late?"
Joan glanced over and then turned back to reply, "Your Highness, those are prisoners from Algiers and Albanian mercenaries captured during the last war. They're now slaves, working on road construction throughout Tunisia. They won't stop until it's completely dark."
Joseph nodded in understanding. No wonder the reports from Tunisia had indicated that new roads were being built so quickly—it was thanks to these strong, able-bodied prisoners.
(End of Chapter)
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