Holy Roman Empire

Since May, the Ottoman government had unconsciously started reducing relief food. The bread, which was already mixed with leaves and sand, could no longer be guaranteed.

Hunger cannot be deceived, and dissatisfaction grew among the refugees. News of the food shortage spread quickly in the camps, and all kinds of rumors flew around, leaving people anxious and fearful.

In a refugee camp near the Persian border, Akyöl, who had just received his daily ration, walked out with frustration. A fist-sized potato was all the food he had for the day. It was not even enough for a small child, let alone a grown adult.

Oh, there were no small children left in the refugee camp anymore. The youngest were boys around ten years old. During the harsh years of fleeing, the first to die were the infants and the elderly.

The Ottoman Empire was already poor, and being able to eat enough was always a luxury for most of the population. After becoming refugees, it became even worse.

After receiving his food, Akyöl immediately left with a few relatives he had been traveling with. The camp wasn’t safe either. If you don’t stick together, you could end up as someone else’s meal at any time.

Human nature meant nothing in the face of hunger. Akyöl had seen too many scenes of people eating each other’s children, so now he trusted no one completely.

A worried companion asked, “Akyöl, you’re knowledgeable. With food becoming scarcer, what should we do next?”

They were among the more moral refugees, who, even in starvation, had not resorted to cannibalism like others.

Of course, this moral baseline only holds for now. If things continue, no one can guarantee they won’t turn into something darker.

Akyöl replied bitterly, “All the food in the surrounding areas has been eaten up. The army has blocked the roads behind us, preventing anyone from passing through.

If we don’t want to starve, the only option is to take the risk and cross the border into Persian territory to survive. I fear that’s exactly what the officials back home are hoping for—they’d be glad if we all just died.”

The worsening situation had reached this point, and the previous Ottoman government bore most of the responsibility. Since the government hadn’t controlled the refugees or provided effective relief in time, they ended up creating even more refugees.

Otherwise, the war refugees created by the Russians alone wouldn’t have been so numerous.

When the first wave of war refugees appeared, the Ottoman government didn’t provide timely relief. As the number of refugees grew, begging was no longer enough to stave off hunger, and many people abandoned their moral boundaries, starting to forcibly take food from locals along their path.

Once Pandora’s box was opened, it couldn’t be closed again. The locals, who had their food stolen by the refugees, became new refugees themselves, and the cycle continued.

By the time the war ended and the Ottoman government began to address the refugee problem, the situation had already spiraled out of control.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. Alongside providing aid, the Ottoman government also resorted to brutal repression to barely restore order.

But by then it was too late as the refugee crisis had turned into a national crisis. Due to the government’s earlier negligence, many refugees harbored deep resentment toward the authorities.

Akyöl was a craftsman, making a living in the city, barely literate but with some knowledge and understanding of the current situation.

The Young Ottomans were well-packaged in their propaganda, earning a good reputation domestically and inspiring many, including Akyöl, with high hopes.

He had thought that once the Young Ottomans came to power, they would arrange for everyone to return to their villages and resume production. Instead, they were dispersed under the pretense of “relocation” and driven to the border.

As the food rations continued to shrink day by day, and the government offered no explanation, Akyöl gradually lost faith in the authorities.

The idea of seeking a livelihood in Persia was a rumor spreading through the refugee camp, the gist of which was a complaint: Persia had a good harvest this year, but the Ottoman government had failed to borrow grain from them.

The border between the Ottoman Empire and Persia was long, and in some places, it was defined by forests and mountains, making it difficult to fully seal off.

Some had already risked crossing the border, but none had returned, and the situation on the other side remained unclear. Just a few kilometers away, some unfortunate souls caught by the Persians were hanging from poles as a warning.

“But what if we run into the Persians? They’re known to be brutal and ruthless!”

As he said this, Johann Şenker was trembling as if the Persians were right in front of him.

Akyöl shook his head and said, “The grain shortage in the country is real. This war has created millions of refugees, and the nation truly has no money left.

Expecting those officials to dig into their own pockets to buy grain for relief is probably just a dream. You might have heard that some have suggested reverting to traditional methods of reducing the population to survive the food crisis.

If that becomes a reality, we ordinary folks without any connections will likely be the ones to be wiped out.

If we don’t run now, later on, we won’t even have the chance. I’ve already decided to leave. We’ll pretend to be foraging for wild vegetables, and if the Persians find us, we’ll claim we wandered in by mistake. At worst, we’ll get a beating.”

As he said this, Akyöl wasn’t fully confident, but in order to survive, he had to convince the others to escape with him.

In these times, xenophobia was intense, and entering a foreign land alone would make survival difficult.

Now, with thousands of refugees at the border, the Persians, if they didn’t want to be overwhelmed by the waves of refugees, would surely try to block it.

This is where luck would come into play. If they were unlucky and ran into a patrol, they could die in vain.

Simply getting a beating and escaping with your life was something only the fortunate could hope for. Most people would end up hanging on poles, used as an example to warn others.

...

Not far from the camp, in the Ottoman military base, Major General Şentürk, who was in charge of executing the refugee expulsion plan, was at his wit’s end.

Despite continuously spreading rumors, reducing food supplies to apply pressure, and encouraging the refugees to go to Persia for survival, too few had managed to cross the border successfully.

The term “few” is relative. Along the long border, hundreds to thousands of refugees were crossing into Persia daily, and the Persian military had started to tighten their defenses.

However, compared to the entire refugee population, this number was almost negligible. Watching the grain stores deplete by the day, Major General Şentürk had grown desperate.

“Gentlemen, our food supplies are about to run out. In half a month, we will be completely out of grain. No matter what, we must send the refugees away within this time.

The Persians are closely watching now, and the success rate of refugees crossing the border is very low. Especially after the bloody slaughter by the Persian army, many refugees are too afraid to attempt crossing.

This situation must change, otherwise, you all know the consequences.”

A young officer asked sympathetically, “General, is there really no other way? Considering the brutality of the Persians, even if the refugees make it across, at most only one or two out of ten will survive.”

Major General Şentürk shook his head, “If one or two survive, that’s already a success for us. It’s better than staying here and waiting for death. Let me remind you all, put away your pitiful sense of sympathy.

You should be aware, the refugee numbers wouldn’t have gotten this high if not for some people’s misplaced sympathy which led to the current situation.

If changes are not made soon, all Ottoman people will become refugees. The government’s reserves have long been drained by war, and the treasury is so empty that mice could run through it. Military operations to suppress the rebellions have even been suspended to focus on refugee relief.

Let me share some bad news: This year’s domestic grain production is estimated to be only around 60% of normal years. If we don’t send the refugees away, by the time autumn harvest arrives, everyone will go hungry.”

The Ottoman Empire has extensive experience in dealing with famines. According to the Turkic tradition, the usual approach in times like these was to start a war, reducing the population through conflict to get through the crisis.

Unfortunately, this ancient method is increasingly out of date. With the advent of the age of firearms, the Ottoman Empire has declined and no longer has the strength to capture and plunder cities.

After a long silence, a middle-aged officer suggested, “General, the Persians have tightened their defenses. To get the majority of the refugees across, we’ll first need to deal with their troops.

How about we disguise soldiers as refugees and directly attack the Persian forces, using force to break through and let the refugees through?

To be safe, we should clear out the area within a 50-mile radius so the refugees know there’s no food nearby, cutting off their hope of coming back.”

“Clear out the area” isn’t much of a concern for the Ottoman Empire now. The land around the refugee camps has long been ravaged, and the local population has also been turned into refugees.

After witnessing so much, people’s sympathy has gradually run out, and many have started to see refugees as a scourge. In a way, they’re not wrong. Hunger tests the limits of human nature.

...

On the morning of May 18, 1875, the Ottoman army removed their uniforms and disguised themselves as refugees, launching surprise attacks on Persian forces from multiple locations.

The Persian troops, caught completely off guard, were stunned by the sudden onslaught. Before the Persian government could react, an overwhelming wave of refugees followed. In just one day, over a million refugees crossed the border, flooding into Persian territory.

With guidance from the Ottoman military, the refugees, like marauding bandits, wreaked havoc across Persia. And this was only the beginning. The Ottoman government continued to drive more refugees into Persia, treating the country as if it were a dumping ground for unwanted people.