He Became Napoleon’S Genius Son [EN]: Chapter 218

(218) The Ottoman Empire Shakes from Its Roots

The Ottoman Empire, a great power that had dominated the Eastern Mediterranean since the 16th century, now faced unprecedented challenges.

This vast empire, spanning three continents and encompassing a diverse array of ethnic groups, was inherently unstable.

Even without the revolutionary fervor sweeping across Europe, maintaining peace within such a heterogeneous realm would have been a monumental task.

The subject peoples under Turkish rule harbored deep-seated discontent, particularly in regions like Rumelia, the area once known as Greece in ancient times.

“Have you heard? The French have conquered Egypt and Syria,” a voice whispered, spreading alarm.

North of Rumelia lay Romania, divided into Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldavia.

Three centuries prior, these regions had enjoyed periods of independence, but now they were firmly under the control of the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

Yet, the governor, or [Hospodar] as Europeans called them, was neither Romanian nor Turkish.

Instead, these positions were often filled by Rumelians, Ottoman nobles of Greek origin, a peculiar arrangement that fueled resentment.

Alexandros Ypsilantis, a member of this subject population who had risen to the rank of governor, savored his coffee, a Turkish custom he had come to enjoy.

Suddenly, his son, Konstantinos Ypsilantis, his face etched with concern, broke the silence.

“Father, could this be an opportunity for us?”

“Perhaps,” Ypsilantis replied cautiously. “But I’ve also heard that France rejects the very notion of [nobility].”

“They abolished the aristocracy in Corfu,” Konstantinos countered, his eyes gleaming with hope. “However, I also heard that in Syria, they recognized the rule of the beys.”

“Wouldn’t they try to apply the same method to our [Hellas], our Greece?” he pressed, his voice filled with anticipation.

Ypsilantis frowned, studying his son’s eager expression.

The Ypsilantis family belonged to the [Phanariotes], the elite Greek nobles of the Ottoman Empire.

These Phanariote nobles traced their lineage back to the medieval Eastern Roman Empire [Byzantine Empire].

Even after the Ottoman conquest, they had preserved their Orthodox Christian faith and served as trusted advisors and administrators to the Turkish rulers.

Since the 17th century, they had been entrusted with governing northern Greece, Wallachia, and Moldavia, acting as intermediaries between the Ottoman authorities and the local populations.

Of course, their power remained subordinate to the Ottoman Empire.

Some, like the Ypsilantis family, had ascended to the prestigious position of governor.

To put it bluntly, their situation was akin to that of Korean nobles who prospered under Japanese rule, enjoying privilege while ultimately serving a foreign power.

Ypsilantis, acutely aware of this inherent contradiction, fixed his gaze on his son.

He knew that Konstantinos was deeply involved in the [Greek Liberation Conspiracy], a clandestine movement seeking to overthrow Ottoman rule.

He still remembered his shock when the Ottoman Empire’s central administration, the Grand Vizierate Porte, had flagged his son’s name as a potential traitor!

Ten years ago, he had worked tirelessly to remove his son from that list, pulling every string he could.

Yet, Ypsilantis understood his son’s yearning for freedom.

Living under the yoke of the Islamic Turks was a stifling existence, especially for proud Greek nobles.

However, prudence was paramount.

“Konstantinos, do not act rashly,” he warned. “The Turks are still powerful. There are over 50,000 Janissaries [elite Ottoman infantry] stationed in Constantinople. And if necessary, they can mobilize 100,000, even 200,000 men.”

In the late 18th century, the Janissaries had boasted a nominal strength of 100,000.

Of course, those numbers were inflated, and modern armies rarely met their full quotas.

Furthermore, the recent Egyptian expedition had decimated their ranks.

Nevertheless, a substantial number of troops remained in the capital, and the Ottoman Empire retained considerable mobilization capabilities, enough to crush any internal rebellion.

At that moment, a voice interjected.

“Hospodar Ypsilantis, why not attempt to make contact with the French?”

Ypsilantis turned to face the [secretary] standing discreetly to one side of the governor’s office.

“What do you mean, Rigas Feraios?”

“As you know, I previously worked at the French Consulate. The French Consul in Bucharest, Constantine Stamati, maintains connections with a powerful figure in France.”

“Who is it?” Ypsilantis inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Rigas lowered his voice, ensuring their conversation remained private.

“It’s the Commander-in-Chief of the French Army, Napoleon Bonaparte.”

Rigas Feraios, a name that would later be etched in history as a catalyst for the Greek independence movement, was the son of a wealthy Greek merchant.

Remarkably, the upper echelons of Ottoman society in this era maintained close ties with France.

Even in Constantinople, many nobles were fluent in French.

The same held true for the Greek elite, and Ypsilantis and Rigas were no exception.

Moreover, numerous Greek exiles had found refuge in Europe.

The Fermor family, friends of Pauline and Laure Permon, were among them.

Many exiled Greek nobles resided in France, and Constantine Stamati was one of them.

Stamati had embraced the French Revolution and secured a position within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He had forged a friendship with Napoleon through the Fermor family and had been dispatched to Moldavia.

As the consul of the French Consulate, he oversaw Bucharest, Moldavia, and Wallachia.

This explained the connection between Rigas, Stamati, and Bonaparte.

Ypsilantis, taken aback by the mention of such a prominent figure, pressed further.

“Wait, Bonaparte? I heard that the chief of staff of this Egyptian expedition is General Bonaparte’s adopted son?”

“He is a general named Eugene Bonaparte. I heard he is still a boy.”

“Then it’s safe to assume he’s acting under General Bonaparte’s orders,” Ypsilantis mused.

Ypsilantis weighed this unexpected information carefully.

If it were merely a connection between his secretary and a powerful figure in the French army, he would have dismissed it.

But the French army had conquered Egypt and liberated Syria.

Furthermore, the expeditionary force was now setting its sights on the Turkish mainland.

The power of Eugene’s Expeditionary Force, the victory at Damietta, and the name Bonaparte finally swayed Ypsilantis.

“How far has the French army advanced, Rigas?”

“The most recent reports place them in Cyprus.”

“Cyprus? That’s faster than I anticipated,” Ypsilantis exclaimed, surprised by the rapid pace of their advance.

He turned to his son.

“Konstantinos, you and Rigas will meet with this young general.”

Konstantinos’s eyes lit up with excitement.

“Do you think they will intervene?”

“No, we, especially Moldavia, will not move directly,” Ypsilantis clarified.

“Then what kind of proposal are you going to make?” Konstantinos asked, puzzled.

Ypsilantis gestured towards the map in the governor’s office.

“There is a man who commands a bandit group in the Peloponnese, the [Klephts]. His name is Theodoros Kolokotronis. He is the son of Konstantinos Kolokotronis, who led the old Orlov Revolt.”

[Klephts] referred to the groups of bandits who roamed the Greek peninsula in the late 18th century.

While labeled as bandits, they were essentially rebels, driven by a desire for freedom.

Their emergence was rooted in the great revolt in Greece that had occurred in 1770, three decades prior.

That revolt, instigated by the Russian Empire to weaken the Ottoman Empire, was known as the Orlov Revolt, named after Duke Orlov, the Russian nobleman who orchestrated it.

Numerous Greek nobles had perished in the aftermath of that uprising.

Now, Kolokotronis’s son was active in the Peloponnese, the land of ancient Sparta.

From the Ottoman Empire’s perspective, he was nothing more than a traitor.

Why would Ypsilantis, a noble serving the Ottoman Empire, bring up Kolokotronis?

Ypsilantis lowered his voice, his tone conspiratorial.

“He is under my patronage. He will act if I ask him to, especially if the opponent is the conqueror of Syria.”

In original history, the father of Greece’s greatest independence activist, Konstantinos, stood up powerfully.

“I will make it a success, Father!” Konstantinos vowed, his voice ringing with determination.

The storm unleashed by Eugene’s French expeditionary force had begun to shake the very foundations of the Ottoman Empire.

***

Originally, the Ottoman Empire’s biggest hypothetical enemy is Russia.

“There is talk that the Greeks who participated in the Orlov Revolt are agitated again.”

In the year 1770, there was a revolt that burned Greece.

The name comes from Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov, one of the Russian powerful figures who raised Catherine the Great to the Tsar.

Count Orlov focused on attacking the Ottomans in order to build up his insufficient military achievements.

One of them is the Orlov Revolt, which was instigated by inciting the Greeks.

The revolt itself did not last very long, about a year.

But the impact on the Ottoman Empire was enormous.

Rumelia, the core of the empire, virtually defected, Bosnian and Albanian mercenaries were widely used, shaking the military system, and the navy was shattered.

28 years have passed since then, but the scars still remain in the empire.

The young man of [Bosnian] descent sitting in this very place also entered the military when his father was appointed at that time.

Osman Pazvantoğlu, the Pasha of [Vidin] from Bosnia, wore a strange smile.

“Kapudan Pasha, what do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you have many Greeks among your friends? Pazvantoğlu Pasha.”

“Are there only Greeks? There are also Serbians, Bosnians, and Moldavians. Moldavian Duke Ypsilantis is also a good friend of mine.”

Pazvantoğlu said, staring at Kapudan Pasha, Grand Admiral Hussein.

“I am a former rebel, after all.”

This place is Vidin, once the capital of a country called Bulgaria.

Now, of course, it is northern [Rumelia], the territory of the Ottoman Empire.

However, the area around Vidin itself is outside the control of Constantinople.

Because it is occupied by Pazvantoğlu, a Bosnian Janissary warlord right in front of Hussein.

Grand Admiral Hussein looked at Pazvantoğlu and lowered his head.

“His Majesty has expressed his apology for the death of your father.”

“Thank you.”

“So, please raise an army to protect the empire.”

Hussein said clearly to Pazvantoğlu with an expression of enduring humiliation.

“As the Pasha of Vidin in Bulgaria.”

Pazvantoğlu’s father, Omer, died at the hands of Selim III.

The reason for his death was a conflict with the governor of Vidin at the time.

The governor of Vidin, Melek Pasha, accused Omer of blasphemy, and Selim executed Omer without much investigation.

At the time, he was creating [new armies], including the Nizam-ı Cedid, so he may have had a disdainful attitude towards Omer, who was from the Janissaries.

However, from the Padishah’s point of view, a trivial decision brought disaster to the country.

The old Bulgarian land is close to the capital, Constantinople.

In 1793, Pazvantoğlu gathered Janissaries and Bosnian and Albanian mercenaries, Omer’s subordinates, and started a rebellion.

Five years have passed since then, and the owner of Vidin is not Selim III but Pazvantoğlu.

This is because the rebellion ended in the form of Selim III recognizing Pazvantoğlu, who was a rebel, as the governor.

Moreover, the situation has worsened as France invaded.

To the point where Grand Admiral Hussein came to bow down like this.

Pazvantoğlu looked at Hussein with an enjoying face and turned his gaze.

“Then, give me the Rumelia Beylerbey, Haci Mustafa, as my subordinate.”

Rumelia Beylerbey, meaning the commander-in-chief of the Ottoman Empire’s European front.

Haci Mustafa, who was sitting next to Grand Admiral Hussein and blushing, jumped up.

A former rebel says he will put the European commander-in-chief under him.

It is natural that he cannot contain his anger.

“What! This brat! How dare you ask for someone as a subordinate!”

“I’m old enough, Haci.”

“You! You have forgotten the grace of the Sultan’s mercy and are acting recklessly!”

Pazvantoğlu, 40, looked at Haci, 65, with a sneer.

Clearly, in terms of the empire’s hierarchy, Pazvantoğlu is just the governor of a city.

But now, half of the empire has been plundered by the French expeditionary force’s offensive, in an emergency situation.

If the mainland, Anatolia and Rumelia, become endangered, the empire may perish.

So, rather, Pazvantoğlu, who has well-trained elites under his command, has the upper hand.

In the end, Grand Admiral Hussein, 41, lowered his head.

“I will give you the overall command.”

“Grand Admiral!”

“The Grand Vizier has been confined, and the Padishah’s new army is all dead, Haci Mustafa!”

Hussein urged Haci Mustafa.

“Now, whether it’s a brat or whoever, all the forces of the empire must gather and fight! Against the invasion of those Franks!”

Haci Mustafa gritted his teeth.

Originally, Haci is the man who has been in charge of dismantling the Janissaries and creating [new armies].

On the other hand, Pazvantoğlu in front of him was like the hope of the old relic, the Janissaries.

Because he is the one who gathered the Rumelia Janissaries, who had been ordered to disband, and occupied Vidin.

A former rebel who denies what he has done all his life laughs.

“So, will you acknowledge my command? Haci?”

“I acknowledge it.”

“Then, kneel down.”

Lowering his head and kneeling, Haci Mustafa vowed.

Once this war is over, he will definitely kill this rebel.

At that moment, Pazvantoğlu stepped on Haci’s head.

-Thud.

In the moment when Grand Admiral Hussein turned away from the sight, Pazvantoğlu shouted excitedly.

“Good. Then, I’ll take care of that Frank brat for you!”

In original history, the conqueror of Bulgaria, the plunderer of Wallachia, and the man who threatened Belgrade.

It was the day when Osman Pazvantoğlu stood as a countermeasure for the Ottoman Turkish Empire.

***

But even mobilizing rebels means that there is not enough capacity.

“The Padishah is really calling Pazvantoğlu? That traitor?”

Hussein’s wife, Esma, the daughter of the former Sultan Abdul Hamid, asked with an absurd face.

This place is Constantinople, the capital of the empire that the Turks call [Konstantiniyye].

Esma’s mansion is located in a position overlooking the Golden Horn.

It is a place that can be threatened from the sea in the event of a war, but until now, that has not happened.

But what about in the future?

Hussein sighed, looking at his wife, Esma, who is only 20 years old.

“Yes, Princess Esma.”

“I can’t understand. Are there so few Janissaries? You can also gather Sipahis, especially Kapikulu cavalry, with all your strength from Anatolia.”

“It’s not a simple matter. It’s all about money. Since 50,000 elites have died, the one with the most troops in Rumelia is Pazvantoğlu.”

Esma, who was listening to her husband’s words, clicked her tongue and turned her head.

“What do you think, ‘Mother’?”

A woman was sitting in the seat of honor, where a veil was drawn.

This is strange considering that this is Esma’s mansion.

Naturally, Esma, the owner, should be sitting at the top.

But Esma just called the woman behind the veil ‘Mother’.

But Esma’s mother is already dead.

Suddenly, the woman behind the veil parted her lips.

“Please refrain from using titles that are difficult to handle. [Sultan].”

“Huhu, you are the wife of my late father, aren’t you? Nakşidil.”

“I am just the princess’s eternal maid.”

Sultan, this title originally refers to a commander or monarch, but it has a slightly different meaning in the Ottoman Empire.

The title [Sultan] is also used for empresses or noble ladies of the imperial family.

That’s why Nakşidil, the late Grand Sultan and Padishah Abdul Hamid’s concubine, called Esma Sultan.

Suddenly, Esma asked Nakşidil with a strange smile.

“Now, then. Our maid queen. How do you judge? Tell me like a French aristocrat. Who will win?”

Hussein also looked behind the veil with a nervous face.

He is Hussein, the Grand Admiral of the Ottoman Empire.

With Grand Vizier Ziyauddin virtually out of power and the country in crisis, Hussein is virtually the chief of national defense.

But at the same time, Hussein is also making contact with France through the French Consulate.

Through Nakşidil, the late Padishah’s concubine.

Nakşidil replied in Turkish with a soft French accent.

“I don’t know either. But one thing is certain, the enemy commander.”

“The enemy commander? Ah, I heard he’s a child. I wonder if he’s cute?”

“Maybe if he resembles his mother.”

Behind the veil, a French beauty with black hair and blue eyes smiled thinly.

“Because she is my distant relative.”

July 1798.

The Ottoman Empire, which welcomed Eugene’s Syrian expeditionary force, is all dreaming different dreams.

When you think about it, the opponent is only about 30,000 in total.

It was a moment when the entire empire was being shaken.