Chapter 30: Chapter 29: Ottoman Onslaught Begins

Somewhere in Ottoman Balkans

“Sir orders from the Provincial Governor Emre Kaba.”

An Ottoman soldier is delivering a message order from the provincial governor in the Balkans to the Ottoman Commander in the Balkan region, General Ekber Tuncer. The Ottoman General’s eyebrows raised after reading the order that he received from the provincial government. General Ekber Tuncer is inside his forward headquarters camp somewhere in the Ottoman Balkans to clear any insurgents and rebellions that arise in the area.

“So, there is another attack in the supply lines by the rebels?”

“Yes General.”

“And the three divisions under my command are given the tasks to clear those rebels again?”

“Yes General. You are allowed to use any means necessary to end this mission as soon as possible. The provincial governor personally asks me to tell you that it is better to wipe any possible enemies and troubles in the region within two months General.”

The Ottoman General had clearly understood what just the messenger means by that message. He smirked and he seems happy given such ominous order from the Provincial Governor. He even laughed so hard after a few seconds, scaring the young messenger that the General might have gone crazy.

“Hahaha… You can leave now Sergeant. Tell the Governor that I will clear the region of any threats and sources of rebellions. I’ll make the entire region quieter than before.”

“Yes sir.”

The messenger immediately flees away from where General Ekber Tuncer is staying. As he trotted across the camp, he can see that the soldiers have become more aggressive and warlike than before. Some are drinking wine and gambling while others are sleeping after being drunk. The area around the camp is filled with vomit and other disgusting matter that makes the messenger sick. There are even screams for help from women in a few of the tents in the camp, and the soldiers only laughed every time they heard such loud screams.

He immediately rode his horse and started to leave the camp immediately, together with the messenger’s guards that had come with him to this camp. They feel sick every time they bring messages and reports to army bases and camps.

General Ekber Tuncer seeing that the messenger and his guards were already far from the premises of the camp, called his adjutant staying outside the General’s tent and said to him, “Call all the officers right now. The higher-ups had given us another extermination task to fulfill.”

The adjutant then salutes to General Ekber Tuncer and leaves the tent to call the officers for a military briefing. General Ekber Tuncer then lounges in his seat waiting for the officers to come to his tent, he even lights a cigar and smokes while waiting. He is very relaxed because he is very accustomed to this type of operation and even if he would only send a quarter of the troops under his command it would still be accomplished.

The officers are slowly arriving one after another and the tent is slowly becoming crowded but the tent would still have enough space because this tent is as big as those tents used for circuses. The atmosphere inside the tent is even very relaxed and pleasant that the officers including the General are just chattering unimportant and simple things like when would the army be given a holiday break from their continuous duty serving the Empire.

General Ekber Tuncer had then observed that it seems everyone or most of the officers have already arrived in the tent. He wants to start the briefing immediately so they could end it fast.

“Attention Officers!”

The Ottoman officers then immediately stop what they were doing and stand at attention following the General’s order. After seeing that the focus and attention of all men present are on him, the General is satisfied that he can start the briefing with every people here listening.

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“At ease officers… The Provincial Governor had sent us a message that the Sultan wants every rebellion and insurgency should be vanquished in the next two to three months. It even permitted us to do anything deemed necessary to make the mission accomplished in that short timeframe.”

General Ekber Tuncer is continuing to speak to the officers about the message he had received. The officers after learning about the mission, are not scared or even tensed of the upcoming mission. They already knew what to do in this mission, the only question they had is whether everyone will participate or not.

“Officers, since this mission is something that seems important for the entire Ottoman Empire. Based on the messenger’s revelation that this mission is given to all armies around the empire. It seems there is something bigger is happening in the future. So, I think it would be better to send everyone and each will be given specified missions and objectives so that it would be faster to finish everything. I think it is also the time to destroy the heretics trying to disrupt the peace and development of our Ottoman Empire.”

All officers present in the briefing are happy because the mission would be faster and easier if everyone is part of the operation, and everyone could gain something in this mission. There are three ottoman infantry divisions under the command of the General with a total number of about sixty thousand troops, they can sweep around the region and clear any villages and towns suspected of being part or related to the rebels. But what they are really happy about is the loot and gain that they will gain after their raids and seizure of possible enemy supplies.

“I want everything to be done and finished before two months. You can do anything you want with the people as long they are related to the rebels. I know that you are all raring to go for personal reasons, but I need you to make and submit first your tactical plan in your areas assigned before you will go. Also, if you can capture foreign agents aiding the rebels, the better. The Sultan needs your service, my men. Allah is with us.”

“Allah is with us.”

“Allah is with us.”

“Allah is with us.”

Every officer present immediately responded with eagerness toward General Ekber Tuncer. The Ottoman soldiers are already used to such missions that it would be a walk to a park. They can just raze or massacre an entire village especially if it is a Non-Muslim or ethnic minority. Even if there are only a few or even none suspected of a rebel, they can just label a town or village a rebel supporter or sympathizer.

This kind of system of the military had already been done for centuries not only by the Ottomans but also by other states and kingdoms. In history, people of the majority would persecute minorities for their own gain. So, the soldiers didn’t even feel guilty or shame about such barbarous actions.

For them, even the Christians and other religions would do this to their fellow Muslims if they were the ones in power like the Crusades and Reconquista. For the soldiers, what is the difference between what they are doing from those in other countries. It is just the way of the jungle, the strong will devour the weak.

All of the Ottoman officers immediately goes to their respective units to plot their own tactical operations and strategies to be submitted and approved by the General. After the officers had told their men that the mission would be another clearing and counter-rebellion mission, every one of them is happy and eager to participate. Everyone knew that there would be spoils and good loot can be seized from the people. They don’t care that the people would feel discontent and furious with these dishonorable and atrocious military actions.

The military is the most powerful branch in the Empire, no one could question and go against their wishes, and if there are anyone who would rise against them, they would be labeled as rebels and traitors of the Ottoman Empire. Their family, relatives, and acquaintances would be implicated in their actions.

The Germans, Sardinians, and the Nords also provided them support and intelligence about any brewing rebellion sponsored outside the Empire so it is hard to gain external support. The United States of America and the United Kingdom might be countries that might help the rebels but those countries are also afraid of provoking the German Empire which is allied with the Ottomans.

Especially the United States of America when during their Civil war from the year 1856 to 1860, which they almost lost because the Germans and Ottomans at first supported the Confederate South. They only stopped their support when the United States agree to the German conditions that the United States would not meddle in European and Mediterranean affairs.

Right now, the United States might have already recovered from the Civil war but the scars and the threat of the German Empire still make American politicians and presidents avoid meddling in European and Mediterranean affairs.

With such, the Ottoman Empire has free reign of its policies and rules in the region without any massive repercussions from other countries. Only Russia, Austria, and Sicily are active powers that are against Ottoman tyranny, especially Russia.

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