16: THE OTTOMAN

 As soon as the ship arrived at the quayside in Haydar Pasa, a carriage and a troop of the Sultanate Guard met it.

Abdülmecid was said to be a mild-mannered monarch. He was an active reformist who introduced many European ideas and technologies into the Empire. His hope was twofold: first, to modernize the Empire.  and second, to forge a friendship and bond with the great powers of Europe. He was educated in Paris, spoke French, and was interested in literature and classical music.

Four days after their arrival, St Croix and Marcano were granted an audience with the Sultan. He asked his guests if they wished to converse in French or Arabic. They deferred to his power and authority and replied, "Arabic."

“Gentlemen, I have spoken to the envoys of France, Prussia and The Austrians, and they all say that war may be imminent with the Czarist forces to my north.

Alexander wants to exert more freedom, which means controlling the Dardanelles and Bosphorus. He also wishes that I proclaim his Eastern Orthodox Church, the rightful protector of all Christian sites in the Levant, which are now under French Protection.

We cannot fight his forces alone, and since the crisis a dozen or so years ago, we have not been a great power.

Gentleman, I know that you and others have helped the Empire and the occupants of the Topkapi Palace for a very long time.” 

Both of his European guests knew that those occupants, although often wary of outsiders and foreigners and even those within their own families, had always trusted the Devi.  It was even known that the long lines of the Sultan were aware of the longevity of the Devi. Mehmed II constructed this agreement for Devi's assistance with information and tactics, which led to the Ottoman ‘liberation’ of Constantinople and the end of the Eastern Roman Empire. As part of this, in exchange for that advice and counsel, the Devi were free to live anywhere in the Empire and granted protection.

“We are here to serve and advise you as best we can, your Excellency. We live by the pact of our forefathers,” Marcano spoke softly.

Pointing at St Croix. “Are you the envoy here on behalf of her graciousness, the Lady Victoria? Are you not?” Before Jonathan had a chance to answer, the Sultan continued. “The rolls in the archives say that you had met Mehmed I? Is that true?”

“Yes, your Grace, that is true. I vaguely remember that time, but I was here for that siege. I had met with the Exalted Mehmed often, and he unworthily credited me with the idea of the construction of a road of greased logs across Galata, which bypassed the Great Chain of the Golden Horn, and the defeat and destruction of many Genoese ships.”

“Where did you get such a marvellous idea as a road to draw ships across?”

“I do not know how I knew of that. But it was in my memory, a part of that I can no longer recall. Since then, I have found out that the Vikings, Norsemen, or those the Palace here employed and called to be the Varangian Guard employed a similar tactic in a raid on Paris.”

The Sultan brought his hands together, forming an arch with his fingers. “Strangely, the Byzantine rulers and the Italians were not aware of such a tacit, as I am; it was noted in European histories.”

St Croix agreed and added, partly to appeal to the Sultan. “Your Empire is greater in size than all of Europe, and Europe is divided and often fighting against each other and their brothers in faith and others of differing faiths. There are a dozen kings and kingdoms, and there is no unity. Here, one-man rules all of your Empire, you, your excellency, under one flag and one faith.”

“You appeal to my vanity. I may be thirty, but I have learned that being blinded by vanity and one’s opinion is an excellent way to meet with a scimitar wielded by a friend or a family member. 

After being dismissed, the two felt like they were under house arrest. They could go almost anywhere in the palace and throughout the city, but they were always accompanied by at least two guards and four when in the city. They thought that this was unusual until an attempt on the life of a French diplomat occurred.

During the first few days of March, all the events of that week would turn the world, or at least Europe, on its head.

On March 3, Menshikov arrived in Constantinople with demands to see the Sublime Porte or the Ottoman Porte, the Court of the Sultan.

The Russians insisted on private negotiations with the Sultan. France and England advised against meeting that demand. Nonetheless, talks ensued through secondary parties in short hallway conferences and walks in the gardens.

The tensions and fear throughout the city were palatable to both Devi. There was also an air of uncertainty and, with others, a sense of buoyancy. The city was the crossroads between Europe and Asia; every diverse cultural group had a different hope for the future.

Talks began with difficulty and stalled until the third week, when Menshikov suddenly began to be more than receptive to all points of view and all parties. April was looking like a promising month. For most of the month, compromise and honest negotiation began on all fronts. The Russians now wanted to deal with all matters as independent issues without linkage or quid-pro-quo. 

With news of the progression of the talk leaking out of the palace, a group of Moldovan nationalists attempted to kill several Russian officials and attack a pro-Russia print shop, killing two people. Taking this as an open provocation, the more militant in the entourage with Menshikov once again pushed for a more aggressive and pro-Russian outcome of the talks.

On the 21st of May, Menshikov broke off talks and returned to St Petersburg. Ten days later, Russia delivered an unworkable ultimatum to the Ottomans.

A week after that, an English fleet approached the Dardanelles, and a month later, Russia invaded Moldova. Turkey declared war on Russia in the first week of October; six months later, on March 28, 1854, France and England, standing by the Ottomans, declared war on Russia.