Constantinople is located on the dividing line between Asia and Europe and has witnessed countless storms from ancient times to the present.
Yes, the situation in Europe and Asia all arises from here.
Now that the allied forces from the East and the West are fighting here again, they will decide the fate of the world.
The First Army prepared for three months in Chollu, waiting until all logistics supplies, artillery and ammunition were delivered before launching the attack.
The battle was very hard.
The Ottomans also knew that Constantinople could not afford to lose anything, and turned hundreds of miles outside the city into solid fortifications.
Fevzi Pasha came out shortly before Chollu, and the two sides devoted all their strength to fight for it.
The north of Fevzi Pasha was all hilly, and the Ottomans became ruthless, dragging their heavy artillery up the mountain with heavy casualties, and bombarded the First Army from a high position.
Therefore, it has been fighting European countries for many years, so the Ottoman Empire is not lagging behind in terms of military equipment.
Under the massive artillery bombardment, the First Army was beaten so hard that it couldn't even get close to Fevzi Pasha.
The progress on the Second Army's side was not smooth either.
The Ottomans were well aware of the importance of the strait, so they deployed heavy troops on both sides.
When the ocean-going fleet attacked for the first time, it was hit by heavy artillery from both sides and suffered heavy casualties, and had to retreat to Canakkale in embarrassment.
Although the artillery performance of the National Defense Force is more advanced, using the navy to attack coastal defenses is inherently difficult.
Moreover, the strait is too narrow, and Ottoman artillery can easily cover the entire water surface, making it impossible for ships of the ocean-going fleet to avoid it.
In desperation, Shang Kexi and Chang Ying negotiated and could only move forward by land and water.
The troops of the Third Marine Division were divided into two groups, each leading a part of the North African coalition forces to attack the Ottoman army from both sides of the Dardanelles Strait.
This made the Ottomans uncomfortable.
The land has always been used to defend the sea. In addition to being passive, we are afraid of outflanking.
In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, the Beiyang Fleet was destroyed because of this.
Now that the Ottomans are dealing with a fleet at sea and a large army on land, how can they be prepared?
The Third Marine Division knew that it could not rely on the North Africans to attack the fortress, so it had to go into battle in person, and also showed its allies what powerful force was.
Gribolu and Chardak were respectively surrounded by the Third Marine Division. The Ottomans carried out rescue operations one after another, but were all repelled by the Second Army.
Ten years later, Chardak was captured and the Dardanelles completely fell into the hands of the Allies.
The ocean-going fleet that rushed into the Sea of Marmara was like a dragon returning to the sea, and immediately began to make waves.
They first broke through Marmara Island and completely controlled the Sea of Marmara. Then they moved forward to the coast of Fifzi Pasha, and cooperated with the First Army to bombard the city indiscriminately.
Under attack from both sides, the Ottoman defense line finally wavered.
Marton Traup was very brave and personally commanded the Dutch army to capture the northern hills, causing the Ottomans to lose their advantage.
Seeing that Fevzi Pasha could no longer hold on, the Ottomans marched all the way to Chatarja.
This is the outskirts of Constantinople. Standing high in the city, you can already see the buildings of Constantinople.
The Europeans were getting closer to their holy city.
Because the center of gravity of the war was Constantinople, the Second Army on the southern front was progressing very smoothly. After taking the Dardanelles, no more obstacles were encountered.
A month later, Bandirma and Bursa fell into the hands of the Allies.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that it will not be long before the Allies complete the siege of Constantinople.
Muhammad IV was panic-stricken and desperately tried to raise troops from all over to relieve the siege of Constantinople. To this end, he even led an army from Ankara.
But not long after setting off, bad news came from the East.
Erzincan was captured by the Wehrmacht, and the entire valley corridor was no longer defendable.
Perhaps before the reinforcements of the Ottoman Empire arrive in Constantinople, their rear will be completely lost.
What's even more terrible is that the Arabs have already reached Aleppo, and the Persians have also reached Mosul. There were no Ottoman troops in the entire southeast, allowing the enemy to capture the city.
"Even if we do hold Constantinople, it will be meaningless. Once the Ottomans are destroyed, everything will be gone."
The Grand Vizier followed Muhammad IV on the expedition. Seeing the situation in danger, he decided to persuade the Sultan to act in the national interest.
"In addition to defeating the enemy, do we have any other choice? We have a vast territory through expansion. Once we show our weak side, the country will surely fall apart."
Muhammad IV was not a war madman, he also had his own considerations.
The rise of the Ottoman Empire was brilliant, but just like the Mongols, it relied too much on war.
Although it has conquered a large territory, its rule over many areas relies on tyrannical force and extreme oppression.
Yes, under the blooming flowers, there are many forces dissatisfied with Ottoman rule.
This time, various forces in North Africa, Europe, and the Middle East launched uprisings, which is clear evidence of this.
Even within the core areas of the Ottoman Empire, the Lebanese, Syrians, Georgians, Armenians, Greeks, etc. have always had second thoughts.
Mehmed IV could not imagine what would be left of the country once these areas were separated from the Ottoman Empire.
"At least we can keep hope and wait for the situation to change in the future. Otherwise, everything we have will become trophies for others, and our descendants will be enslaved by others and will never raise their heads."
Grand Vizier's attitude is very clear and represents many people.
The defeat of the Ottoman Empire was inevitable, but whether the country could continue was still up for grabs.
Although a lot will be lost, as long as the Ottoman Empire remains, it will have the opportunity to regain its glory in the future.
"Your Majesty, please consider the future of Osman."
Hula la, all the civil and military officials were prostrate on the ground, but they were already trying to force the palace.
Obviously, behind the back of Mohammed IV, the Ottoman leadership had reached a consensus.
They intend to surrender, even if they pay a heavy price for it.
Even if the Sultan Muhammad IV is sacrificed!
Mohammed IV was not surprised by this.
He is a mature politician who certainly knows that anyone can be sacrificed for his own benefit.
However, the situation is not such that he will die, and it depends on the conditions of the Allies.
Now that the consensus was decided, Muhammad IV wisely chose to obey.
"Then it will be up to Da Wei to take full responsibility for this matter."
Muhammad IV's counterattack was very insidious and laid a trap for the Grand Vizier.
No matter what conditions were negotiated between the Ottoman Empire and the Allies, the Grand Vizier responsible for this matter could not escape the charge of being a traitor.
At that point, he would have a ready-made excuse to continue to control the power of the entire country.
