Chapter 272: The Situation Grows Dire
Osman.
Constantinople.
Sultan Hamid I lay in bed, weakly watching as the British envoy took his leave.
Only after the servant bowed and closed the grand doors did the Sultan turn his feeble gaze toward the Grand Vizier.
“What do you think is the best way to handle this?” he asked.
Grand Vizier Yusuf pondered for a few moments before replying,
“Great Sultan, while the British proposal to 'jointly strike against Tunis' is impractical, they have indeed assisted us by helping our people seize control of Tripoli.
“The Empire has just suffered a defeat in Bessarabia and urgently needs a victory to boost morale. I suggest we station troops in Tripoli and turn it into a true province of the Empire.
“Furthermore, this will enable us to encircle Egypt and pressure the Mamluks into returning to Topkapi Palace to reaffirm their allegiance to you.”
At present, while Egypt was nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, it was effectively under the control of the Mamluk faction. The Ottomans had long coveted the fertile land of Egypt but had been unable to wrest control from the Mamluk cavalry through direct military action.
Hamid I nodded silently.
“I hope I live to see that day. Go and select some troops. Have the navy transport them to Tripoli. I shall rest for now...”
“At your command, Great Sultan,” Yusuf replied with a deep bow before retreating.
Thanks to France's influence in Tunis, the Ottoman Empire's situation had diverged from history—this time, they had not exhausted their main forces during the Russo-Turkish War. As a result, some troops remained available for redeployment.
A few days later, over 10,000 Ottoman Janissaries and Sipahi cavalry boarded transport ships bound for Tunis.
...
French North African Territory, Susa Province.
Tunis.
Joan and Ishak led several officials to welcome the Crown Prince and his entourage in front of a villa in the northern part of the city.
Although Joan was only the administrative commissioner of Susa, the province’s governor had not yet taken office, leaving him in charge of its administration. Meanwhile, Ishak, once a leader of the Tunisian rebel army, still held considerable influence within the Tunisian Corps, which had been formed from the restructured rebel forces.
In essence, they were the de facto military and political heads of Susa Province.
At Joseph’s explicit instruction, his arrival was kept low-key to avoid being surrounded all day by Tunisian nobles, which would hinder his work.
Joan and Ishak greeted the Crown Prince with great respect, escorting him into the villa’s hall, where they served high-quality local coffee.
Joseph gestured for everyone to sit and went straight to the point:
“What do you know about the situation in Tripoli?”
Ishak quickly replied,
“Your Highness, the forces of Ali Benjiul have completely taken control of the area from Tripoli to Benghazi. They are now attacking the Pasha’s army in Zuwara.”
He then gave a detailed report on the ongoing battle in Zuwara.
Zuwara, a city on the border between Tripoli and Tunis, was defended by fewer than 600 soldiers loyal to the former Tripolitanian Pasha, Ali I. They were entrenched, resisting fiercely.
However, under the overwhelming firepower of the British-equipped rebels, they were barely holding on. When Ali I fled Tripoli, their morale plummeted further.
Joseph asked,
“Do they pose a threat to Tunis?”
“Your Highness, it’s a possibility. However, Benjiul has only 2,000 troops. If he dares set foot in Tunis, the Tunisian Corps stationed in Sfax should be sufficient to handle them.”
As they spoke, an Arab intelligence officer gestured urgently to Ishak from outside. Ishak frowned and quickly stepped out. After listening to the report, he returned to the hall and addressed Joseph:
“Your Highness, new information has just arrived. The Moroccan Sultan has dispatched 12,000 elite troops to Algiers. Additionally, the Algerian Janissaries seem to have acquired a batch of flintlock rifles, mostly of German or Spanish origin, likely provided by the British.”
In their many wars, the British had obtained weapons from Austria and Spain through various means, making it plausible that they had supplied them to Algiers.
“Once again, the British?” Joseph frowned. “The Moulin Corps will arrive in Tunis in a few days. Have them stationed at the Algerian border to prevent any surprises.”
Turning back to Ishak, Joseph asked,
“How many combat-ready troops does the Tunisian Corps have now?”
Although the Tunisian rebel forces once numbered nearly 20,000, many were older men or looters seeking spoils of war. Numerous tribal warriors had also returned to their clans after the conflict ended.
Ultimately, the Tunisian Corps was reduced to just over 10,000 men, with only a fraction properly trained as elite soldiers.
Ishak hesitated before responding,
“Your Highness, the strongest units are the two regiments under Major Jamil and Captain Ghazi’s battalion.”
In other words, the effective fighting force amounted to about two and a half regiments—fewer than 4,000 troops. The remaining soldiers could only man fortifications or fire weapons; they would likely collapse in a direct confrontation.
Joseph roughly calculated the Algerian forces, shaking his head grimly. The situation in Tunis had become unexpectedly precarious.
Previously, the Algerian Janissaries, under British instigation, had launched an attack on Tunis and suffered a crushing defeat. This time, with the British still meddling, the danger could not be underestimated.
After their last disastrous loss, the Algerian Janissaries had about 6,000 to 7,000 men remaining. Combined with the Moroccan reinforcements, they now fielded nearly 20,000 troops. Relying solely on the Moulin Corps and local Tunisian soldiers would not suffice.
“It seems more reinforcements will need to be sent from the mainland,” Joseph said, immediately drafting a letter to Berthier.
Afterward, he discussed the situation on both the eastern and western fronts of Tunis with Ishak and the others. By the time they finished, the sunlight outside had begun to fade.
Taking advantage of a pause in the conversation, Joan suggested,
“Your Highness, I’ve prepared a banquet for you. Shall we dine?”
Joseph realized he was hungry and rose to follow Joan to the dining room.
On the way, Joseph glanced through an arched window, noticing over a hundred people toiling with shovels and picks in the distance. He asked Joan casually,
“What are those people doing so late?”
Joan glanced over and replied,
“Your Highness, those are Algerian prisoners from the last war, along with some Albanian mercenaries. They’re now slaves, building roads across Tunis. They’ll work until it’s completely dark.”
Joseph immediately understood. No wonder reports from Tunis indicated rapid progress on new roads—it was thanks to the labor of these strong prisoners.