The Great Turk Returns 2.0: Ottoman resurgent TL
- Thread starter Osman Aga
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Osman Aga
Banned
There is no real benefit at this point for the Ottomans to build a canal. The priorities lay elsewhere. When the situation has eased, the priorities can be set to build that canal. So... earlier than OTL but not a century earlier.
Trying ti refrain from posting here but has the ottomans adopted a modern infantry force faster compared to the old tl Sekban seem to be modern infantry of the time while, old tl it felt like a long time.
Osman Aga
Banned
Yes. The timing might be different 1755 instead of 1765 ish. Instead of conscripting a brand new army, existing Sekban militia are turned into a regular infantry. Which works out faster as they know how to use weapons. Pretty much what Osman II planned. The only difference is that the Janissaries are not abolished but reformed... getting reformed.
By the way I don't mind you commenting here. If you thought that.
Btw how do you plan on keeping crimea alive if its not a partial wank, russian empire has all the advantages, more soldiers, money, resources, strong central government compared to the ottomans, and home field advantages kiev, kharkov. The battles in the old tp happened in the danube region russia crimea khanate was not even a speed bump for them. Going to be really interesting. Btw isn't me asking for them to be annexed rather i simply don't see how ottoman will keep crimea safe from russia.
Osman Aga
Banned
Russian population became bigger after the Russian gains in the Polish Partition, what I am trying to prevent as much as possible. Without that, the Ottoman Population is bigger for at least a few decades longer. Money is pretty much the same issue. Their revenue increased after the 1780s. The fall of the Crimea accelerated it with the opening of Russian Trade. And that also is attempted to be prevented. Russian Ukraine become a base of operation by the 1790s.
In OTL, the Russians did not really want war in 1768-1774. They ended up in war and not so surprisingly, won decisive victories. Most of their officers and soldiers were veterans of the Seven Years War while the Ottoman Armies had no war experience since the 1740s. The Army formation was not ideal, making it easier for the Russians to beat. In this TL the Ottomans fight the Russians earlier, with new forces and without Russia having the Seven Years experience and them fighting in other places as well. In my OTL, I noticed I had too much unnecessary wars as I copied some of OTL which would normally not happen if it went like my TL. The biggest difference is, no Catherine II of Russia. Instead, a Peter III of Russia. Peter III will be less interested to fight against the Ottomans and the Ottomans and Russians will enter an era of peace after this war. Crimea develops on its own and by the time it is the 1820-1830s, it is impossible to conquer the Crimean Khanate WITHOUT provoking a general war.
Some things of the OTL is different.
Osman Aga
Banned
Crimea would have survived it likely if Mustafa III had not declared war on Russia in 1768. The timing was bad, the army was in a sorry state and the Russians realized how weak the Ottoman Armies were. Their victory in 1768-74 is what made it easy for them to absorb the Crimean Khanate and give the Ottomans a new beating. In this TL, the changes happened in the late 1740s and early 1750s. Military changes, if you will.
Great chapter
The Russian are china of the west,they have almost unlimited manpower but a good defensive strategy can hold them until they deal with Austria
The Russian are china of the west,they have almost unlimited manpower but a good defensive strategy can hold them until they deal with Austria
Osman Aga
Banned
Currently, the Ottomans have a bigger population than Russia. But Russia is rising. I expect the Russians to overtake by the early 1800s and a century after now, it will likely have 50% more people.
with the conformation of non-wank im hoping if napoleon does happen ottomans face the same fate as austria faced on battlefield i.e. they get their asses handed to them. Mostly the napoleon campaign in orient should be the same rather it ends to due the british navy rather than ottoman military defeating him, im personally for russia getting their original glory for defeating him. Ottomans getting defeated should give the force for reform as it gave to coalition did.
are you referring to the old tl or the new one? as im confused to what your saying. im assuming its similar to the old tl so instead of nappy withdrawing due to the siege in tunis he smashes all the ottoman armies all they way to palestine. This is not me saying it has to be this way, rather i don't want the ottomans so easily defeating the french.
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Osman Aga
Banned
Well there is a thing I agree with you, the Ottomans got away waaaay to easy in the old TL. In this TL I have different plans for Nappy. A career elsewhere maybe... A different fate for Louis XVI but still a French Revolution. Enough to distract Europe and a slap on the face for nations because of it.
By the way I will write this TL for a century-ish. So 1747-1848. I don't want to overreach.
Osman III (1756: Austro-Turkish War / Balkan Campaign)
Osman Aga
Banned
Bosnia Campaign / Battle of Travnik - 17 May 1756 - Bosnia, Ottoman Empire
The Austro-Turkish negotiations after the Sabac meeting led to nothing and by Spring 1756, Maria Theresia was convinced to declare war on the Ottoman Empire. The Austrian Army of 40,000 left for Bosnia to conquer the Province and subdue the Muslim Landowners. Like in 1737, the Austrian Military command called the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics of the province to join the Austrian Army. The Muslim Landowners had two options: convert and keep property or abandon Bosnia. Long before the Austrian intervention, the Bosnian Ayans formed an army of 25,000 of local conscripts to face the Austrians. Much less trained and prepared than the Austrians. Fortunately, unlike 1737, the Ottoman Army was on its way to Bosnia under Sari Mustafa Pasha and Macar Hasan Pasha had an army of 40,000 on its way. The Army had to oust the Austrians from Bosnia and damage the Austrians as much as possible and join the main army to start an offensive in the East of Austria.
The Austrians had taken over Banja Luka with the aid of the Serb Rebels. The Austrians moved with 8,000 Serb support to Travnik to intercept the Ottoman-Bosnian Army in Travnik and destroy it. The Austrians were aware of the Ottoman Army nearby but had moved out already. The plans were changed and the Austrians wanted to face the Ottomans on the field. The Austrians had higher hopes of facing the Ottomans on the fields as they expected Russian results. The Austrian underestimation of the Ottoman Army reorganization would play in favor of the Ottomans. The Austrian Army and the Serb allies faced the Ottoman Army and Bosnian Ayans near Travnik. The Austrians attempted to move around Travnik but were repulsed by the Ottomans. The Serb rebels and the Ayan Forces met each other in Travnik, fighting the battle of the Austrians and the Turks in town while they remained out of sight. Attempts to draw the Ottomans in town failed, attempts to destroy the Ottoman flanks failed as well. The Austrian forces decided to cut their losses and move back to Banja Luka, with the Serb Rebels facing the biggest heath. The Austrians lost 1,200 men and the Serbs lost 3,400 men. The Turks lost 750 men and the Bosnian Militia lost 1,750 men. With total losses of 4,600 men, the Austrians retreated back to Banja Luka, hoping to dig in as soon as possible. The losses were minimal but success was not achieved.
Battle of Banja Luka - 4 June 1756 - Bosnia, Ottoman Empire
The Austrians were surprised by a message from Croatia. The Austrians had to retreat and join the forces in Vojvodina and aid the army to besiege Belgrade. Bosnia would be surrounded and attacked later. The defeat was unknown to Vienna who was late to call off the invasion of Bosnia. The Austrians stopped digging in and advised the Serb rebel leaders to stay in Bosnia and continue the fight. The Serb rebels had reached 16,000 men in Bosnia, both men from Bosnia and Croatia. The Ayans had now assembled a force of 30,000. Sari Mustafa Pasha had gotten word of the Austrian retreat from Bosnia and the Serbs being left to cause chaos. Macar Hasan Pasha advised the battle hardened Janissaries to breach through the defenses of the Serbs without much issue as the rebels were too inexperienced. The fleeing Serbs would be dealt with by the Ayan forces. If the Austrians can be caught by the time they cross the Sava, they can be eliminated. The Ottomans had reached Banja Luka and saw the Serbs unprepared. The Serbs tried to hold the South while also sending a few men in the houses. The Ottoman Artillery had been bombing the Serb defenses South of town to make it easier for the I. Janissary Tumen to overrun the defenses and it resulted. The Serbs retreated into Banja Luka in which the Janissaries were supported by the Bosnian Militias. In merely two hours, Banja Luka turned into an apocalyptic place where there was no order. The Ayans occupied Banja Luka while Macar Hasan Pasha offered a day break for the Janissaries to bury the victims and rest. The Army has to move forwards. The Serbs lost 4,500 men while the Ottomans lost 1,700. The Ottoman Artillery was already placed North of Banja Luka and was prepared to move. Macar Hasan was set to catch the Austrians before they crossed the Sava River.
Battle of Jasenovac - 25 June 1756 - Croatia, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria
Much to Macar Hasan Pasha’s frustration, the Austrians had passed the river. As far as Sari Mustafa Pasha was concerned, the Ottoman Army should leave for Belgrade to link up with Ali Pasha. But Hasan Pasha was not pleased yet. He made a daring plan. The Ottoman Army would move further East, cross the Sava River and march against the Austrians in Jasenovac. The Bosnian Militia can stay on the Bosnian side of the Rivers to await the Austrians while the Main Army hits the camp from the Austrian side. The Austrians won’t expect this. There was a certain part of the military border between Austria and the Ottoman Empire that was undefended after a number of Serbs left to join the rebellion in Northern Bosnia. The Ottoman Army crossed that path at night and marched immediately without breaks to reach the Austrians near Jasenovac. A few hours before the Ottoman Army had reached Jasenovac, the Serb units on the border spotted the Ottoman movement and rushed for the Army Camp in Jasenovac. They did however not arrive on time. The Austrian artillery were out of position. The Ottomans put their artillery in position. Using the hills around, the Ottomans attacked at night bombing the Camp while the Sekban Units were close enough to open fire on the North side of the Camp. The Austrian Officers tried to restore order in the Camp as shells hit every 5 seconds. While the units moved north to place the artillery in position, the Sipahis caught the Austrian infantry at the position they wanted. With the Sipahis entering the Camp, chaos was guaranteed. The Austrian units fled everywhere they could as long as it was outside the Camp. A part of the army fled to the River, where many drowned and the group that reached the Ottoman side was hit by the Bosnian Militia. The 38,000 Austrian Army lost 10,000 men in battle and another 6,000 were captured. The remaining 22,000 men fled to Agram. That was the last of the Bosnian Expedition forces, until Vienna added new troops to send them elsewhere. The defeat was catastrophic news so early in the war. The other army had crossed the Danube already and was in action. The Ottomans stormed the Camp and lost 3,000 men. Macar Hasan Pasha was declared a hero in the Capital after his return during the Winter time. The Ottomans crossed the River yet again and returned to Banja Luka. The next destination was Belgrade. The Ottoman Army had 35,000 men left in the army.
Serbia Campaign - Battle of Grocka - 7 August 1756 - Grocka, Belgrade, Ottoman E.
Ali Pasha had his 60,000 men in Nis. The Austrians knew he was there, but observed the Pasha not moving North. The Austrians had in total 98,000 men besieging 2,000 Ottoman soldiers in Grocka. Ali Pasha did not have enough men to engage the Austrians without cutting serious losses. Besides the 75,000 Austrians, another 23,000 Serb Rebels joined the Austrians. Not willing to risk his men, Ali Pasha awaited the arrival of Sari Mustafa Pasha and Macar Hasan Pasha. With the two armies combined, Ali Pasha and Halil Pasha can hit the Austrians and drive them back to their boats on the Sava River. The daring decision of Macar Hasan Pasha would only now prove how important it was to eliminate the Austrian Army in Jasenovac. Without the Austrian Expedition forces, the Austrians could not come to aid and move into Sabac and prevent the relief of Belgrade. Ali Pasha cannot come to aid without the additional troops. Now it was time to move together against the Austrians. With 95,000 men, almost all regulars against the Habsburg Army with a quarter irregular. When the Army of Sari Mustafa Pasha entered Sabac, Ali Pasha set out from Nis to Grocka.
The situation in Grocka was grim. The Ottoman garrison managed to repel an assault by the Serbs and later by the Austrians. If relief does not arrive within a month, Grocka will fall and the Austrians will surround Belgrade. Suleiman Aga sent a scout team out to sabotage the supplies of the Rebels. In the night, the scouts came in contact with the scouts of Ali Pasha’s Army. The Armies were one day left from arriving. The scouts returned without fulfilling the mission and informed Suleiman Aga. Suleiman Aga had to hold one more day.
As the next day arrived the Austrians halted their siege, moved a few miles South and East and were set to hold out. The Serbs were instructed to keep Grocka under siege. The Austrians tried to build as many trenches as possible in a short frame of time, and keep the artillery behind. Ali Pasha had the advantage. The Austrian supplies were not enough to hold out far too long. Ali Pasha can and will wait for the best attempt possible. In the morning of 5 August, two Sipahi Tumens of Ali Pasha’s Army moved around the trenches and hit the Serbs who kept Grocka surrounded. A new stealth attack followed soon afterwards, with the Serbs losing 1,600 men. The Serb supplies were partially damaged. To find out what to do and finish the confrontation fast enough, Ali Pasha set scouts for the badly defended part of the trenches. There were certain parts of the North West of the Ottoman Army which were badly defended. Ali Pasha ordered to overwhelm that part. The Austrian units came to relief and the fight lasted six hours before the Ottomans retreated. The Austrians held the line. The Austrians lost 2,000 men while the Ottomans lost 2,800 men. A part of the Serbs were asked to man the badly defended part of the trenches and defenses. This became a good chance to inform Suleiman Aga to start a stealth attack on the Serbs. The death of the commander Karajovan Milosevic the elder, the Serbs were in a moment of panic and retreated from Grocka. Suleiman Aga set a team of soldiers to bring in another 2,000 men from Belgrade’s remaining 4,000 Garrison and start another stealth attack behind the Austrian lines. Macar Hasan Pasha and Sari Mustafa Pasha ordered an all out attack on the Southern defenses of the lines West of Grocka the next day. Suleiman Aga heard of this and had to act fast and he attacked the lines in front of Ali Pasha from behind. Ali Pasha hearing this moved as well. A battle that lasted 13 hours with the Austrians and the Serbs retreating to the beachhead and moving back to Zemun. Grocka was saved but at the cost of 14,000 of the Ottoman Army. The Austrians lost 19,000 men while the Serbs lost more than half their rebel forces, either dead or as captives. Suleiman Aga died in battle and was buried in Belgrade. Ali Pasha entered Belgrade and prayed in the biggest mosque of the city. Ali Pasha’s initial plans succeeded. The attack on the frontiers were repulsed. The Campaigns of 1756 were now finished and the Armies would return back to İstanbul.
Vienna in panic - 28 September 1756 - Vienna, Austria
Empress Maria Theresia was shocked by the scale of destruction. The Bosnian Expedition was only survived by 22,000 men. The army heading for Serbia was repelled but did not suffer as much as the Bosnian Expedition. The Viennese Military Elite had not given up hope yet. The invasion in Ottoman Territory fell. Habsburg spies in Istanbul discovered Ali Pasha’s plans to create the Principality of Transylvania. This meant that the Ottoman Armies will invade Austrian territory, and the Ottoman Forces can be repelled. If the Ottoman Armies face bigger destruction in Habsburg territory, the invasion of the Balkans can start yet again, this time without the Ottoman Armies waiting for the Habsburg Forces. The plan was to bring the two expedition forces together and use Buda as a base of operation. The Austrians can move east or west faster, depending on Ottoman movement.
The situation was however grim as the Prussians occupied Saxony and the Austrians could not direct more forces to the South. The Habsburg forces against the Ottomans were 90,000 men for the next Campaign period. The Army had to be brought together and formed and reorganized which would take a few months. By then, everything is ready to face Ottoman incursion. The Austrians will not let this disaster happen a second time.
At the Court of Osman III - 28 October 1756 - Edirne, Thrace, Ottoman Empire
The Sultan awaited Ali Pasha in Edirne. Ali Pasha was embraced as a hero of the Empire for his success in defense. The Sultan ordered a large dinner for the Pasha’s who returned from battle and treated them with the grace of the Sultan. Ali Pasha explained after the dinner what was to be expected next.
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan. I brought you victories and I pray to Allah I will bring you more victories. But now, I want to explain the next years awaiting us. If the Pasha’s thought this was hard, the challenge starts next year. The Austrians will have the advantage in their own territories and this the first time we will go deep in enemy territory.”
Osman III: “I am worried Pasha… Should I be?”
Ali Pasha: “Worrying is a good sign my Sultan. But that does not mean we will fail. Worry makes us prepare better and expect the biggest challenges. That is what I believe. Our first challenge has been successful, giving the army much needed morale to move into Hungary.”
Mehmed Pasha: “But Ali Pasha, what is our first goal in the offense then? You say Hungary but Hungary is big. Transylvania? Where? How long will it last?”
Ali Pasha: “Thank you Mehmed Pasha. Our first goal is to take over Temes. The capital of our lost Vilayet is a perfect base of operation for Eastern Hungary. Our goal is to move in there by February and surprise the Austrians. If we wait longer, the Austrians will face us in the field and there is no telling whether we can oust them or they drive us back. The settlements of Resita, Sebes and Bocksa have to be taken over to secure our road to Temes. Once Temes falls before the Austrians cross the River, they will not dare to face us in the Banat. The area is too dangerous for them.”
Osman III: “What is the dangerous part then Ali Pasha?”
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan, after our conquest of Temes, the Austrians will face us in the open field and we will be too far from reinforcements to arrive. If we win, we can secure our desired territory. But if we fail, the Army has no place to flee and we will face huge casualties. That is why it is important to force the Austrians to battle on our own term.”
Mehmed Pasha: “And what are our terms?”
Ali Pasha: “That’s easy Grand Vizier excellency. We surround the Austrian Army between the Tisza River on both sides. If our spies are correct, the Habsburgs can field 90,000 men in the Kingdom of Hungary. If they mobilize a few thousand militia this can reach 120,000 men. A huge army far in enemy territory. The size doesn't frighten me as much as the geography and the dedication of the Hungarian Soldiers. We surround them, do not engage and let them either starve to submission or let them force the attack on us. They will take the casualties and we will eliminate one more army. The Prussians have drawn 150,000 Austrian soldiers up North. The Austrians can extract men from the Northern Armies, accepting the Prussian occupation of Saxony and the failure to conquer Silesia but that will put them in a much more tough position and leave Prague, and maybe even Vienna vulnerable to attack.”
Osman III: “The Russians fight the Prussians already. What if the Austrians convince the Russians to attack us? Surely you are prepared for such a scenario…”
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan, the Russians will declare war. Empress Elizabeth has to or she cannot defeat Prussia on their own. The Russians have more value for the Austrians to fight us than to fight the Prussians. But before they do that, we will strike first. I explained to Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha already that Bahri Mustafa Pasha has to move into Kamieniec and let the Russians throw themselves at us. We avoid the Russians overrunning Moldova and we can finally convince Stanislaw Poniatowski to depose the Saxon King in Warsaw. He will likely ask us to occupy Lvov”
Osman III: “Impressive Ali Pasha. Very impressive. I have not met a single Pasha who had prepared war as much as you did. We all know Mehmed Pasha, he is too much fond of peace to come up with such preparations. You are a great man...”
Ali Pasha’s plans did rely a bit on luck. Words had come from Vienna that the Saxons were as good as defeated and the Saxon Field Marshal Frederick August, Count Rutowsky, was asked to lead the Army of Hungary, with consent of the Saxon Prince. Due to his early experience, the Count was seen as potentially problematic for the operation. The Russians would soon after start moving troops to Poland-Lithuania, in hope to prepare for war with the Ottomans.
The situation of the world - 1 January 1757
Europe was at war. An alliance of Great Britain, Prussia, Savoy, United Provinces, Hannover, Denmark and Portugal fought against an alliance France, Austria, Russia, Spain and Saxony. The Ottoman entry started with the war with Austria already before the start of war between Prussia and Austria. The British had their biggest advantage of Prussia and the Ottoman Empire in mainland Europe. The French directed troops to the Holy Roman Empire to fight the Prussians, Dutch, pro-British German States and Denmark. The Danes were pressured into war by the British offering protection against Russian threats for their Claims in Schleswig-Holstein. All they had to do was aid Hannover defensively. The Swedes could not be convinced to declare war on Russia to support Prussia. The Portuguese had to hold off the Spanish in 1757 while Savoy advanced on Milan and Parma in hope to expand their territory in Lombardy. The British would manage to convince the Ottomans to declare war on Russia as well to take heat off from Prussia. When that was already a given, the Ottomans offered to move against Spain by moving against Oran, Melilla and Ceuta. Ali Pasha was portrayed as an ambitious Pasha. The Great Venetian turned Turk. The Ottomans did however demand British Naval presence in the Western Mediterranean. The Ottoman demand was made as such to keep the Spanish away from Malta. Ali Pasha still wanted to get rid of the pesky Maltese base in the middle of the Mediterranean. The Pasha already prepared to deport half the Maltese population to Palestine and Southern Anatolia, and settle 40,000 Greeks and Arabs to ensure loyalty. These preparations were not told as to prevent the British from landing on Malta themselves as an operation against the Spanish. Osman III also promised to draw more of the Austrians and Russian from the Prussians to relieve Northern Germany, a move Frederick II never forgot and developed some sympathy for the Ottomans. Osman III did not live long and his successor Mehmed V (1757-....) kept the same diplomatic alliance with the British. The only thing the British could not convince the Ottomans was the embargo of the French Merchants. Neither Osman III nor Mehmed V had any hard feelings for the French and declared that France was not an enemy and the French could continue to trade with the Ottoman Empire as long as that was the case. The same applied for the Dutch and their Russian trade. Europe started with war in 1756 and each year, the war would turn for the worse.
In the Americas, the war was largely absent in South America. The Spanish could not actively move against Portuguese Brazil nor did the Portuguese want to leave Brazil defenseless for an ambitious adventure in Spanish South America. The biggest scenes of war were in the Guyanas as 1,500 Dutch forces were besieging Cayenne, the capital of French Guyana. The WIC merchants pressured the Dutch Governor to take an active hold in the Caribbean. The latter region was the biggest scene of war. The French and British Ships were fighting along the Windward and Leeward Islands. The French lost St. Martin to the Dutch and Tobago to the British, while conquering Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands from the British. The Ohio Valley would become the second front with the most active warfare in the Americas.
India was another zone of war. The French and British Companies were fighting each other for Indian Trade Posts. The Mughals hoped to assert themselves over Bengal as the British EIC was also trying to wrest control of the area. The French saw it as a chance to wrest control of Madras from the British. The Dutch remained oddly passive in the East.
Africa faced several conflicts. The biggest area of conflict was North Africa. Mohammed III would assume the throne of Morocco and start an aggressive campaign against the Spanish in the North. The Moroccans had already taken over the abandoned Mazagao from the Portuguese, who saw no hope to keep it after the Lisbon earthquake. The Portuguese participation in war was already considered as too costly and the Portuguese therefore abandoned places like Mazagao in exchange for 100,000 Dinar from Morocco. The British paid yearly 300,000 Sterling to the Portuguese and had 10,000 soldiers in Portugal in hope to defend it against a Spanish attack. The Moroccans laid siege on Ceuta after storming Melilla. For Mohammed III, this would end the European threat against Morocco and end the Ottoman threat by taking it themselves. The Governor of Algiers had his own plan. In correspondence with Ali Pasha, the Governor of Algiers set for Oran to take it from the Spanish. The city was besieged and the Spanish Fleet could not move out as the British were active in the Gulf of Malaga.
Outside the European War, there were other wars. The Qing Forces had recently subdued the Dzungars. When considered to eliminate them, the Dzungars lost half of the population in Dzungaria due to the attack of the Qing Forces and illness. The Khojas of the Tarim Basin welcomed the Qing Overlords. The Kazakh Khan accepted the Qing conquest and accepted the superiority of Emperor Qianlong. The Manchus now dominated the lands from the Pacific to the Tian Shan Mountains, becoming bigger than the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. The Qing Conquest of the Tarim Basin would eventually lead to rivalry with the Persians. As Ismail III conquered Shiraz, he moved further to Khorasan and reached Merv in 1759. The 1760s was followed with a Persian Conquest of the Uzbek lands and the elimination of the Zands entirely. The Persians formed their own Uzbek Vassals in Central Asia and this would lead to conflict whether the Uzbeks were bound to accept the vassalage under the Manchu Qing Emperors of China, or the Turkic Safavid Shahs of Persia. Skirmishers followed later between Persian garrison in the land of the Kyrgyz and the Manchus from the Tarim Basin. This is where the Durranis play a role. The Durrani Empire of Ahmad Shah Abdali had already observed the Safavid reconquest. Ismail III was unwilling to sign any treaty with the Afghans but promised to respect the Durrani State and even offered 10,000 Sipahis for the Durrani Campaign in Punjab against the Marathas. The Durrani Conflict with the Marathas was the biggest conflict at the moment, and would only become bigger in the upcoming years. The Durranis have conquered Lahore and raided Shahjahanabad, near Delhi, killing 1,500 of the Maratha Garrison there. The Marathas followed their own expedition North and reconquered Amritsar and Firozpur. The Sikh supported initial Maratha conquest until they started to experience their own conflict with the Peshwa.
The Austro-Turkish negotiations after the Sabac meeting led to nothing and by Spring 1756, Maria Theresia was convinced to declare war on the Ottoman Empire. The Austrian Army of 40,000 left for Bosnia to conquer the Province and subdue the Muslim Landowners. Like in 1737, the Austrian Military command called the Eastern Orthodox and the Roman Catholics of the province to join the Austrian Army. The Muslim Landowners had two options: convert and keep property or abandon Bosnia. Long before the Austrian intervention, the Bosnian Ayans formed an army of 25,000 of local conscripts to face the Austrians. Much less trained and prepared than the Austrians. Fortunately, unlike 1737, the Ottoman Army was on its way to Bosnia under Sari Mustafa Pasha and Macar Hasan Pasha had an army of 40,000 on its way. The Army had to oust the Austrians from Bosnia and damage the Austrians as much as possible and join the main army to start an offensive in the East of Austria.
The Austrians had taken over Banja Luka with the aid of the Serb Rebels. The Austrians moved with 8,000 Serb support to Travnik to intercept the Ottoman-Bosnian Army in Travnik and destroy it. The Austrians were aware of the Ottoman Army nearby but had moved out already. The plans were changed and the Austrians wanted to face the Ottomans on the field. The Austrians had higher hopes of facing the Ottomans on the fields as they expected Russian results. The Austrian underestimation of the Ottoman Army reorganization would play in favor of the Ottomans. The Austrian Army and the Serb allies faced the Ottoman Army and Bosnian Ayans near Travnik. The Austrians attempted to move around Travnik but were repulsed by the Ottomans. The Serb rebels and the Ayan Forces met each other in Travnik, fighting the battle of the Austrians and the Turks in town while they remained out of sight. Attempts to draw the Ottomans in town failed, attempts to destroy the Ottoman flanks failed as well. The Austrian forces decided to cut their losses and move back to Banja Luka, with the Serb Rebels facing the biggest heath. The Austrians lost 1,200 men and the Serbs lost 3,400 men. The Turks lost 750 men and the Bosnian Militia lost 1,750 men. With total losses of 4,600 men, the Austrians retreated back to Banja Luka, hoping to dig in as soon as possible. The losses were minimal but success was not achieved.
Battle of Banja Luka - 4 June 1756 - Bosnia, Ottoman Empire
The Austrians were surprised by a message from Croatia. The Austrians had to retreat and join the forces in Vojvodina and aid the army to besiege Belgrade. Bosnia would be surrounded and attacked later. The defeat was unknown to Vienna who was late to call off the invasion of Bosnia. The Austrians stopped digging in and advised the Serb rebel leaders to stay in Bosnia and continue the fight. The Serb rebels had reached 16,000 men in Bosnia, both men from Bosnia and Croatia. The Ayans had now assembled a force of 30,000. Sari Mustafa Pasha had gotten word of the Austrian retreat from Bosnia and the Serbs being left to cause chaos. Macar Hasan Pasha advised the battle hardened Janissaries to breach through the defenses of the Serbs without much issue as the rebels were too inexperienced. The fleeing Serbs would be dealt with by the Ayan forces. If the Austrians can be caught by the time they cross the Sava, they can be eliminated. The Ottomans had reached Banja Luka and saw the Serbs unprepared. The Serbs tried to hold the South while also sending a few men in the houses. The Ottoman Artillery had been bombing the Serb defenses South of town to make it easier for the I. Janissary Tumen to overrun the defenses and it resulted. The Serbs retreated into Banja Luka in which the Janissaries were supported by the Bosnian Militias. In merely two hours, Banja Luka turned into an apocalyptic place where there was no order. The Ayans occupied Banja Luka while Macar Hasan Pasha offered a day break for the Janissaries to bury the victims and rest. The Army has to move forwards. The Serbs lost 4,500 men while the Ottomans lost 1,700. The Ottoman Artillery was already placed North of Banja Luka and was prepared to move. Macar Hasan was set to catch the Austrians before they crossed the Sava River.
Battle of Jasenovac - 25 June 1756 - Croatia, Kingdom of Hungary, Austria
Much to Macar Hasan Pasha’s frustration, the Austrians had passed the river. As far as Sari Mustafa Pasha was concerned, the Ottoman Army should leave for Belgrade to link up with Ali Pasha. But Hasan Pasha was not pleased yet. He made a daring plan. The Ottoman Army would move further East, cross the Sava River and march against the Austrians in Jasenovac. The Bosnian Militia can stay on the Bosnian side of the Rivers to await the Austrians while the Main Army hits the camp from the Austrian side. The Austrians won’t expect this. There was a certain part of the military border between Austria and the Ottoman Empire that was undefended after a number of Serbs left to join the rebellion in Northern Bosnia. The Ottoman Army crossed that path at night and marched immediately without breaks to reach the Austrians near Jasenovac. A few hours before the Ottoman Army had reached Jasenovac, the Serb units on the border spotted the Ottoman movement and rushed for the Army Camp in Jasenovac. They did however not arrive on time. The Austrian artillery were out of position. The Ottomans put their artillery in position. Using the hills around, the Ottomans attacked at night bombing the Camp while the Sekban Units were close enough to open fire on the North side of the Camp. The Austrian Officers tried to restore order in the Camp as shells hit every 5 seconds. While the units moved north to place the artillery in position, the Sipahis caught the Austrian infantry at the position they wanted. With the Sipahis entering the Camp, chaos was guaranteed. The Austrian units fled everywhere they could as long as it was outside the Camp. A part of the army fled to the River, where many drowned and the group that reached the Ottoman side was hit by the Bosnian Militia. The 38,000 Austrian Army lost 10,000 men in battle and another 6,000 were captured. The remaining 22,000 men fled to Agram. That was the last of the Bosnian Expedition forces, until Vienna added new troops to send them elsewhere. The defeat was catastrophic news so early in the war. The other army had crossed the Danube already and was in action. The Ottomans stormed the Camp and lost 3,000 men. Macar Hasan Pasha was declared a hero in the Capital after his return during the Winter time. The Ottomans crossed the River yet again and returned to Banja Luka. The next destination was Belgrade. The Ottoman Army had 35,000 men left in the army.
Serbia Campaign - Battle of Grocka - 7 August 1756 - Grocka, Belgrade, Ottoman E.
Ali Pasha had his 60,000 men in Nis. The Austrians knew he was there, but observed the Pasha not moving North. The Austrians had in total 98,000 men besieging 2,000 Ottoman soldiers in Grocka. Ali Pasha did not have enough men to engage the Austrians without cutting serious losses. Besides the 75,000 Austrians, another 23,000 Serb Rebels joined the Austrians. Not willing to risk his men, Ali Pasha awaited the arrival of Sari Mustafa Pasha and Macar Hasan Pasha. With the two armies combined, Ali Pasha and Halil Pasha can hit the Austrians and drive them back to their boats on the Sava River. The daring decision of Macar Hasan Pasha would only now prove how important it was to eliminate the Austrian Army in Jasenovac. Without the Austrian Expedition forces, the Austrians could not come to aid and move into Sabac and prevent the relief of Belgrade. Ali Pasha cannot come to aid without the additional troops. Now it was time to move together against the Austrians. With 95,000 men, almost all regulars against the Habsburg Army with a quarter irregular. When the Army of Sari Mustafa Pasha entered Sabac, Ali Pasha set out from Nis to Grocka.
The situation in Grocka was grim. The Ottoman garrison managed to repel an assault by the Serbs and later by the Austrians. If relief does not arrive within a month, Grocka will fall and the Austrians will surround Belgrade. Suleiman Aga sent a scout team out to sabotage the supplies of the Rebels. In the night, the scouts came in contact with the scouts of Ali Pasha’s Army. The Armies were one day left from arriving. The scouts returned without fulfilling the mission and informed Suleiman Aga. Suleiman Aga had to hold one more day.
As the next day arrived the Austrians halted their siege, moved a few miles South and East and were set to hold out. The Serbs were instructed to keep Grocka under siege. The Austrians tried to build as many trenches as possible in a short frame of time, and keep the artillery behind. Ali Pasha had the advantage. The Austrian supplies were not enough to hold out far too long. Ali Pasha can and will wait for the best attempt possible. In the morning of 5 August, two Sipahi Tumens of Ali Pasha’s Army moved around the trenches and hit the Serbs who kept Grocka surrounded. A new stealth attack followed soon afterwards, with the Serbs losing 1,600 men. The Serb supplies were partially damaged. To find out what to do and finish the confrontation fast enough, Ali Pasha set scouts for the badly defended part of the trenches. There were certain parts of the North West of the Ottoman Army which were badly defended. Ali Pasha ordered to overwhelm that part. The Austrian units came to relief and the fight lasted six hours before the Ottomans retreated. The Austrians held the line. The Austrians lost 2,000 men while the Ottomans lost 2,800 men. A part of the Serbs were asked to man the badly defended part of the trenches and defenses. This became a good chance to inform Suleiman Aga to start a stealth attack on the Serbs. The death of the commander Karajovan Milosevic the elder, the Serbs were in a moment of panic and retreated from Grocka. Suleiman Aga set a team of soldiers to bring in another 2,000 men from Belgrade’s remaining 4,000 Garrison and start another stealth attack behind the Austrian lines. Macar Hasan Pasha and Sari Mustafa Pasha ordered an all out attack on the Southern defenses of the lines West of Grocka the next day. Suleiman Aga heard of this and had to act fast and he attacked the lines in front of Ali Pasha from behind. Ali Pasha hearing this moved as well. A battle that lasted 13 hours with the Austrians and the Serbs retreating to the beachhead and moving back to Zemun. Grocka was saved but at the cost of 14,000 of the Ottoman Army. The Austrians lost 19,000 men while the Serbs lost more than half their rebel forces, either dead or as captives. Suleiman Aga died in battle and was buried in Belgrade. Ali Pasha entered Belgrade and prayed in the biggest mosque of the city. Ali Pasha’s initial plans succeeded. The attack on the frontiers were repulsed. The Campaigns of 1756 were now finished and the Armies would return back to İstanbul.
Vienna in panic - 28 September 1756 - Vienna, Austria
Empress Maria Theresia was shocked by the scale of destruction. The Bosnian Expedition was only survived by 22,000 men. The army heading for Serbia was repelled but did not suffer as much as the Bosnian Expedition. The Viennese Military Elite had not given up hope yet. The invasion in Ottoman Territory fell. Habsburg spies in Istanbul discovered Ali Pasha’s plans to create the Principality of Transylvania. This meant that the Ottoman Armies will invade Austrian territory, and the Ottoman Forces can be repelled. If the Ottoman Armies face bigger destruction in Habsburg territory, the invasion of the Balkans can start yet again, this time without the Ottoman Armies waiting for the Habsburg Forces. The plan was to bring the two expedition forces together and use Buda as a base of operation. The Austrians can move east or west faster, depending on Ottoman movement.
The situation was however grim as the Prussians occupied Saxony and the Austrians could not direct more forces to the South. The Habsburg forces against the Ottomans were 90,000 men for the next Campaign period. The Army had to be brought together and formed and reorganized which would take a few months. By then, everything is ready to face Ottoman incursion. The Austrians will not let this disaster happen a second time.
At the Court of Osman III - 28 October 1756 - Edirne, Thrace, Ottoman Empire
The Sultan awaited Ali Pasha in Edirne. Ali Pasha was embraced as a hero of the Empire for his success in defense. The Sultan ordered a large dinner for the Pasha’s who returned from battle and treated them with the grace of the Sultan. Ali Pasha explained after the dinner what was to be expected next.
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan. I brought you victories and I pray to Allah I will bring you more victories. But now, I want to explain the next years awaiting us. If the Pasha’s thought this was hard, the challenge starts next year. The Austrians will have the advantage in their own territories and this the first time we will go deep in enemy territory.”
Osman III: “I am worried Pasha… Should I be?”
Ali Pasha: “Worrying is a good sign my Sultan. But that does not mean we will fail. Worry makes us prepare better and expect the biggest challenges. That is what I believe. Our first challenge has been successful, giving the army much needed morale to move into Hungary.”
Mehmed Pasha: “But Ali Pasha, what is our first goal in the offense then? You say Hungary but Hungary is big. Transylvania? Where? How long will it last?”
Ali Pasha: “Thank you Mehmed Pasha. Our first goal is to take over Temes. The capital of our lost Vilayet is a perfect base of operation for Eastern Hungary. Our goal is to move in there by February and surprise the Austrians. If we wait longer, the Austrians will face us in the field and there is no telling whether we can oust them or they drive us back. The settlements of Resita, Sebes and Bocksa have to be taken over to secure our road to Temes. Once Temes falls before the Austrians cross the River, they will not dare to face us in the Banat. The area is too dangerous for them.”
Osman III: “What is the dangerous part then Ali Pasha?”
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan, after our conquest of Temes, the Austrians will face us in the open field and we will be too far from reinforcements to arrive. If we win, we can secure our desired territory. But if we fail, the Army has no place to flee and we will face huge casualties. That is why it is important to force the Austrians to battle on our own term.”
Mehmed Pasha: “And what are our terms?”
Ali Pasha: “That’s easy Grand Vizier excellency. We surround the Austrian Army between the Tisza River on both sides. If our spies are correct, the Habsburgs can field 90,000 men in the Kingdom of Hungary. If they mobilize a few thousand militia this can reach 120,000 men. A huge army far in enemy territory. The size doesn't frighten me as much as the geography and the dedication of the Hungarian Soldiers. We surround them, do not engage and let them either starve to submission or let them force the attack on us. They will take the casualties and we will eliminate one more army. The Prussians have drawn 150,000 Austrian soldiers up North. The Austrians can extract men from the Northern Armies, accepting the Prussian occupation of Saxony and the failure to conquer Silesia but that will put them in a much more tough position and leave Prague, and maybe even Vienna vulnerable to attack.”
Osman III: “The Russians fight the Prussians already. What if the Austrians convince the Russians to attack us? Surely you are prepared for such a scenario…”
Ali Pasha: “My Sultan, the Russians will declare war. Empress Elizabeth has to or she cannot defeat Prussia on their own. The Russians have more value for the Austrians to fight us than to fight the Prussians. But before they do that, we will strike first. I explained to Grand Vizier Mehmed Pasha already that Bahri Mustafa Pasha has to move into Kamieniec and let the Russians throw themselves at us. We avoid the Russians overrunning Moldova and we can finally convince Stanislaw Poniatowski to depose the Saxon King in Warsaw. He will likely ask us to occupy Lvov”
Osman III: “Impressive Ali Pasha. Very impressive. I have not met a single Pasha who had prepared war as much as you did. We all know Mehmed Pasha, he is too much fond of peace to come up with such preparations. You are a great man...”
Ali Pasha’s plans did rely a bit on luck. Words had come from Vienna that the Saxons were as good as defeated and the Saxon Field Marshal Frederick August, Count Rutowsky, was asked to lead the Army of Hungary, with consent of the Saxon Prince. Due to his early experience, the Count was seen as potentially problematic for the operation. The Russians would soon after start moving troops to Poland-Lithuania, in hope to prepare for war with the Ottomans.
The situation of the world - 1 January 1757
Europe was at war. An alliance of Great Britain, Prussia, Savoy, United Provinces, Hannover, Denmark and Portugal fought against an alliance France, Austria, Russia, Spain and Saxony. The Ottoman entry started with the war with Austria already before the start of war between Prussia and Austria. The British had their biggest advantage of Prussia and the Ottoman Empire in mainland Europe. The French directed troops to the Holy Roman Empire to fight the Prussians, Dutch, pro-British German States and Denmark. The Danes were pressured into war by the British offering protection against Russian threats for their Claims in Schleswig-Holstein. All they had to do was aid Hannover defensively. The Swedes could not be convinced to declare war on Russia to support Prussia. The Portuguese had to hold off the Spanish in 1757 while Savoy advanced on Milan and Parma in hope to expand their territory in Lombardy. The British would manage to convince the Ottomans to declare war on Russia as well to take heat off from Prussia. When that was already a given, the Ottomans offered to move against Spain by moving against Oran, Melilla and Ceuta. Ali Pasha was portrayed as an ambitious Pasha. The Great Venetian turned Turk. The Ottomans did however demand British Naval presence in the Western Mediterranean. The Ottoman demand was made as such to keep the Spanish away from Malta. Ali Pasha still wanted to get rid of the pesky Maltese base in the middle of the Mediterranean. The Pasha already prepared to deport half the Maltese population to Palestine and Southern Anatolia, and settle 40,000 Greeks and Arabs to ensure loyalty. These preparations were not told as to prevent the British from landing on Malta themselves as an operation against the Spanish. Osman III also promised to draw more of the Austrians and Russian from the Prussians to relieve Northern Germany, a move Frederick II never forgot and developed some sympathy for the Ottomans. Osman III did not live long and his successor Mehmed V (1757-....) kept the same diplomatic alliance with the British. The only thing the British could not convince the Ottomans was the embargo of the French Merchants. Neither Osman III nor Mehmed V had any hard feelings for the French and declared that France was not an enemy and the French could continue to trade with the Ottoman Empire as long as that was the case. The same applied for the Dutch and their Russian trade. Europe started with war in 1756 and each year, the war would turn for the worse.
In the Americas, the war was largely absent in South America. The Spanish could not actively move against Portuguese Brazil nor did the Portuguese want to leave Brazil defenseless for an ambitious adventure in Spanish South America. The biggest scenes of war were in the Guyanas as 1,500 Dutch forces were besieging Cayenne, the capital of French Guyana. The WIC merchants pressured the Dutch Governor to take an active hold in the Caribbean. The latter region was the biggest scene of war. The French and British Ships were fighting along the Windward and Leeward Islands. The French lost St. Martin to the Dutch and Tobago to the British, while conquering Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands from the British. The Ohio Valley would become the second front with the most active warfare in the Americas.
India was another zone of war. The French and British Companies were fighting each other for Indian Trade Posts. The Mughals hoped to assert themselves over Bengal as the British EIC was also trying to wrest control of the area. The French saw it as a chance to wrest control of Madras from the British. The Dutch remained oddly passive in the East.
Africa faced several conflicts. The biggest area of conflict was North Africa. Mohammed III would assume the throne of Morocco and start an aggressive campaign against the Spanish in the North. The Moroccans had already taken over the abandoned Mazagao from the Portuguese, who saw no hope to keep it after the Lisbon earthquake. The Portuguese participation in war was already considered as too costly and the Portuguese therefore abandoned places like Mazagao in exchange for 100,000 Dinar from Morocco. The British paid yearly 300,000 Sterling to the Portuguese and had 10,000 soldiers in Portugal in hope to defend it against a Spanish attack. The Moroccans laid siege on Ceuta after storming Melilla. For Mohammed III, this would end the European threat against Morocco and end the Ottoman threat by taking it themselves. The Governor of Algiers had his own plan. In correspondence with Ali Pasha, the Governor of Algiers set for Oran to take it from the Spanish. The city was besieged and the Spanish Fleet could not move out as the British were active in the Gulf of Malaga.
Outside the European War, there were other wars. The Qing Forces had recently subdued the Dzungars. When considered to eliminate them, the Dzungars lost half of the population in Dzungaria due to the attack of the Qing Forces and illness. The Khojas of the Tarim Basin welcomed the Qing Overlords. The Kazakh Khan accepted the Qing conquest and accepted the superiority of Emperor Qianlong. The Manchus now dominated the lands from the Pacific to the Tian Shan Mountains, becoming bigger than the Mongolian Yuan Dynasty. The Qing Conquest of the Tarim Basin would eventually lead to rivalry with the Persians. As Ismail III conquered Shiraz, he moved further to Khorasan and reached Merv in 1759. The 1760s was followed with a Persian Conquest of the Uzbek lands and the elimination of the Zands entirely. The Persians formed their own Uzbek Vassals in Central Asia and this would lead to conflict whether the Uzbeks were bound to accept the vassalage under the Manchu Qing Emperors of China, or the Turkic Safavid Shahs of Persia. Skirmishers followed later between Persian garrison in the land of the Kyrgyz and the Manchus from the Tarim Basin. This is where the Durranis play a role. The Durrani Empire of Ahmad Shah Abdali had already observed the Safavid reconquest. Ismail III was unwilling to sign any treaty with the Afghans but promised to respect the Durrani State and even offered 10,000 Sipahis for the Durrani Campaign in Punjab against the Marathas. The Durrani Conflict with the Marathas was the biggest conflict at the moment, and would only become bigger in the upcoming years. The Durranis have conquered Lahore and raided Shahjahanabad, near Delhi, killing 1,500 of the Maratha Garrison there. The Marathas followed their own expedition North and reconquered Amritsar and Firozpur. The Sikh supported initial Maratha conquest until they started to experience their own conflict with the Peshwa.
Great chapter again, and Pls make the TL to 1900 because it's rare to find an ottoman TL and finding one that is fun and good is a blessing.
Any way are you turning the turan region "the Stan's " to shia ? And is morroco got land in the new world if so I hope south amarica is ready for couscous 😄 .
Any way are you turning the turan region "the Stan's " to shia ? And is morroco got land in the new world if so I hope south amarica is ready for couscous 😄 .
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