With the capture of Komotini by the Bulgarian forces, with the exception of a few islands, the Ottoman Empire in the Aegean region was swept away!
At this point, after the Bulgarian 7th Infantry Division captured Serre, the striker troops again approached Saronic. At the same time, the 18th Division of the Second Army also entered the Thessaloniki Bay, and the 7th Division completed the meeting.
The troops in Thessaloniki are limited, or Thessaloniki is not the main battlefield of this war!
Bulgaria has invested two regiments in the 7th Infantry Division plus 18th Infantry Division with more than 170,000 people.
At the beginning of the siege, the third, fifth, and eighteenth infantry divisions of the Seventh Infantry Division launched two charges, under the cover of artillery fire, and stormed Thessaloniki. city!
What is an anti-aircraft gun mosquito, this is it! At this time, the city's highest commander, Tama Pasha, was so angry that he was too bullying!
At present, there are only three infantry regiments in the Ottoman garrison in the city, including an infantry regiment formed by temporarily collapsing troops, with a total strength of about 5,000 people!
That's it. Keep the city. A little less troops are acceptable! The key is that Tamar Pasha has a gun and no shells, a gun and no bullets!
After the Greek-Turkish war broke out, in order to fight back against Greece, the Ottoman government mobilized supplies from various places, and Thessaloniki was no exception.
In theory, the ammunition reserves in the city still maintained the minimum holdings, enough to fight one or two medium-scale battles. In fact, after the first offensive in Bulgaria was repelled, the shells were declared exhausted!
Tama Pasha is not a martyr who would rather die. When Bulgaria launched a second round of attack to open a gap, he couldn't do anything and decided to strategically retreat!
But now the 4th, 5th, and 6th Regiments of the 18th Division of the Bao'an Army have not participated in the siege. Of course, when they see the Ottoman army running away, they will chase after all!
It is a pity that the "October One Training" Ottoman army failed to outperform the Bulgarian army. Except for some talents, everyone else became a captive!
First Séré, Kavala, then Komotini and Thessaloniki, even if Ferdinand's military level is average, he knows that the war along the Aegean coast is almost over!
Unless the Ottomans are crazy, regardless of Constantinople!
"Why didn't Ottoman's navy dispatch?" Ferdinand asked in confusion.
"Duke, it is said that the Ottoman navy is defending the Marmara waters in order to prevent the Russians from looting!" Ferhu answered.
"Do you believe such an idiot? The Bosphorus is still in their hands. Can the Russians still fly?" Ferdinand sneered.
Verhus busy said "Yes! According to data collected by intelligence personnel, the Ottoman Empire is repairing naval vessels.
Before the Greek-Turkish war, the Ottoman Navy had dispatched. Unfortunately, before reaching the battlefield, two warships sank on the road, and then they never dared to leave the port! "
At this moment Ferdinand's heart ran past a group of grass and mud horses. What kind of navy can be so amazing that it can drive the warship to sink?
"How is this possible? Didn't you say it was damaged during the battle with the Greek Navy?"
Verhu explained, "This is true, Grand Duke. Our intelligence personnel have confirmed that except for the two sunken Ottoman navies, all other warships are well-preserved, unlike a naval battle!
In addition, the news just from Greece also confirmed this, the Greek Navy does not have any warships under repair!
In a naval battle, except for the two sunken ships, the other ships were unscathed. This is abnormal!
In addition, from the information gathered by the Ottoman government, the navy funds allocated by them in the past two decades are actually less than 10 million pounds!
Their naval training schedule is even more bizarre. From 1887 to the present, each naval ship has sailed less than three times on average, with each trip less than 500 nautical miles!
After the war broke out, in order to make up for the crew, they also forced the sailors of some merchant ships! "
Ferdinand was speechless. He had been used to and strange things in previous lives. He could only show conviction for the Ottoman navy!
If you do n't have a navy, why not put in a fleet, do n't you stand in that pit and do n't shit?
I do n't understand the Ottoman Empire, and Ferdinand does n't care about it. As the two wonderful empires of the contemporary era, there seems to be nothing they can't do!
"Are the Prime Minister's supplies to Istanbul ready?"
Prime Minister Constantine calmly replied, "Please be assured, Grand Duke, in order to ensure the smooth progress of the Battle of Constantinople, we mobilized 150,000 people to participate in the transportation.
The people of all ethnic groups who were oppressed by the Ottomans along the way are eager to register, and various civilian volunteer teams have also been arranged by us into the transportation team! "
Ferdinand thought about it and said, "Well, we can't fight the patriotic passion of the people! The people of East Thrace are also our citizens in the future. This war will definitely affect their lives. The government can consider replacing them with work and taking them Put it together! "
Constantine answered "Yes!" Without hesitation.
After the Balkan war, Bulgaria will definitely harvest a large area of territory, and with it a large number of people of all ethnic groups. If you want long-term peace, you must assimilate them!
First of all, the Bulgarian government must gain their trust, otherwise there will be no talk of assimilation!
Ferdinand has been thinking about this for a long time, and combined with the success stories of later generations, he decided to start with the sense of identity first!
As it happens, the people of all ethnic groups in the Balkans have a common enemy-the Ottoman nobility!
Bulgaria has done a good job in this regard. As soon as the Balkan War broke out, the Ottoman Empire fell into the sea of people's war!
The Bulgarian army can make rapid advances and gallop across the territory, and it cannot do without the help of people of all ethnic groups along the way!
But this help is based on hostility to the Ottoman Empire and cannot last!
Ferdinand also knows that for ordinary people, the basic problem is chai rice, salt and vinegar. What nation and doctrine are empty talk!
Especially in the 19th century, everyone could n't even eat enough food. If you talk to them about ideals, they will tell you that the ideal of life is to eat enough food!
This is Ferdinand's opportunity As long as this problem can be solved, it can be guaranteed that the ordinary people will not make his reaction!
As for the others?
Those who follow me prosper, those who oppose me die!
Ferdinand thought carefully and said, "The focus of the government's work next is to establish a system in the newly occupied territories and vigorously announce policies.
Now, in the name of the Saxony-Coburg-Gotha-Kohali family, I have three chapters with them.
First, exempt agricultural taxes throughout Bulgaria in 1897; permanent exemption from tithes, religious tax, and head tax ...
Second, confiscate the illegal income of the Ottoman aristocrats and capitalists; the government will take part of the land and share it with the people who contributed in the Balkan war!
Third, Bulgaria will implement a one-tax system for agriculture, with a fixed tax rate of 5, which will never increase, and can be lowered as appropriate according to actual conditions in various places! "
Everyone's face changed slightly, but they still answered "Yes!"
Obviously, this is that Ferdinand has already given out his family honor as a guarantee, and no one is allowed to object at all!
In fact, there is no need to discuss it. If Ferdinand did not go it alone, let the government decide that it would not pass!
Ferdinand's three core policies will obviously affect the government's future fiscal revenue.
But most of them are aimed at ordinary people, and the biggest beneficiary class is the peasant class. But the peasant class does not have any right to speak in the government. Who wants to distribute the benefits to them?
As for the other classes, the Ottoman Empire was originally the agricultural empire. The working class has not separated from the peasant class. Most of them are craftsmen, that is, farming and working!
There is no doubt that the Ottoman aristocrats were the enemies of Bulgaria, as were the capitalists who attached to them. Who would not be attacked?