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When the London Government chose to watch and wait, war became inevitable. The decision by England and France didn't come as a surprise to the Sultan Government; after all, Austria and Russia were the enemies this time. Without sufficient interest, how could England and France be expected to fight desperately on their behalf?
According to the original plan, Abdul-Aziz I believed that the Prussians would restrain the Russians from behind, and they would only need to face Austria. Asking England and France to intervene, and giving up some interests, Austria would most likely back off.
This was not without basis, as early as ten years ago the Vienna Government had proposed to the Sultan Government to purchase sovereignty over the Arabian Peninsula, and three years ago they proposed to buy the sovereignty of the Palestine region.
