Holy Roman Empire

Vienna Palace

Foreign Minister Weisenberg, weighed down with heavy feelings, said with deep concern, "Your Majesty, this is a diplomatic note from the Tsarist Government.

The outbreak that emerged in the Asia Minor Peninsula has been confirmed as a man-made plague crafted by the Ottoman Government, and the situation is now out of control."

After pointing the finger at the former Ottoman Government for the "plague," the Russians immediately interrogated the surrendered Ottoman officials.

Under severe torture, they confessed to everything they should and shouldn't have known.

An enraged Alexander III instantly issued an order to hunt down Abdul Hamid II, and this diplomatic note was to inform the allies of the same.

After carefully reading through the note, Franz spoke slowly, "Call upon the nation's citizens for rat extermination, and command the related businesses within the country to produce rodenticides at full capacity.

First, gather a batch of rodenticides to send to the troops stationed on the Asia Minor Peninsula and order the armed forces to limit contact with the outside world."

We should feel fortunate that it's winter; the severe cold is not conducive to the spread of viruses, and there are no mosquitoes or flies to transmit the disease. If the plague had broken out in spring, or summer, the lethality would increase several-fold.

Looking for the remnants of the Ottomans isn't urgent—those fellows are all in hiding, and it will be difficult to find them for a while. The pressing matter is disease prevention.

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

…

Prime Minister Felix asked, "Your Majesty, should the news of the plague be concealed?"

Franz shook his head, "There's no need, such a significant matter can't be kept secret, and it would only be a matter of days anyhow. Let's disclose it to the public directly!

The news coming from the Russians might not be complete. The bureaucrats, in an attempt to minimize losses, might underreport the initial damages.

While intensifying our disease prevention efforts, we must also prepare for the worst and blockade the coastline of the Asia Minor Peninsula and the borders of the Middle East Region."

Pausing a moment, Franz added, "Pay attention to guiding public opinion, emphasizing the fact that the Ottoman Empire created the plague. We can appropriately draw a parallel with the Black Death.

Propagate the efforts we are making to prevent the virus from spreading in the European world, and by extension, take the opportunity to cast the British in a negative light."

…

Following Franz's order, as the Vienna Government strengthened its contagion control, the propaganda machine also started up.

Shocking headlines appeared on the front pages of the European newspapers; the objective and relatively factual ones included "Plague Manufacturer—Ottoman Empire," "Cancer of the Human World"...

There were images and genuine evidence, and even though some artistic license was taken, accusing the Ottoman Empire of creating a plague wasn't unfounded.

The randomly fabricated topics that followed were even more abundant. The Austrian Propaganda Department only started it, leaving the rest to journalists' creativity.

"The Origins of the Black Death," "History's Greatest Conspirator," "Real Culprits behind the Black Death's Ravages"... Explore new worlds at empire

The Black Death had passed centuries ago. Nobody really knew how it came about, but that didn't stop people from laying the blame at the Ottoman Empire's doorstep.

Linking history cleverly, the rise of the Ottoman Empire was connected with the "Black Death."

For instance, the case in "The Black Death Saved the Ottomans": When Timur's Empire launched an invasion of the Ottoman Empire in 1399 and had surrounded the Ottoman capital, they had to retreat due to the ravage of the Black Death.

Or take "The Bloody Rise of the Ottoman Empire," which directly attributed the rise of the Ottoman Empire to the widespread Black Death that severely weakened the European countries, leading to a loss of control over the Ottomans.

Even though the Ottoman Empire was also a victim of the Black Death, the concept was subtly shifted, overlooking the disparity in populations between the two sides.

The Rhein Daily presented a set of figures, the origin of which was unclear: 25 million deaths in the European world vs. 210 thousand Ottoman deaths from the Black Death, a ratio of 119:1.

In conclusion: Without the Black Death's ravage, there would have been no rise of the Ottoman Empire.

The final conclusion drawn was that the Black Death was an Ottoman conspiracy.

Not to mention the general public, even Franz, the initiator, was somewhat inclined to believe in the Ottoman conspiracy behind the Black Death.

True or false? Time had passed by several centuries, with no way to investigate.

Combining history, the Ottoman Empire was a beneficiary, rising after the Black Death. From the perspective of conspiracy theories, they had a motive to commit such acts.

There are also confirmed cases of plague being artificially created, and with the relentless propaganda from countries across Europe, this was already the perceived image of the Ottomans.

The European society quickly reached its verdict, and apart from Austria guiding public opinion, what mattered more was that no one stood up to defend the Ottoman Empire.

Events from hundreds of years ago might be unclear, but the truth unfolding before everyone's eyes could not be erased.

Defending the Ottoman Government at this time was akin to playing with fire, and if one were branded an Ottoman spy, it would be life-threatening.

Even the typically irresponsible experts and scholars, who enjoyed being unconventional, did not dare to counter public opinion at this juncture.

...

In London, an incensed Prime Minister Gladstone once again tore up the newspaper he was holding; this was yet another paper he had destroyed in recent times.

Discrediting the Ottoman Empire was one thing, but with the emergence of the man-made plague, there was no way to restore the reputation of the already collapsed Ottoman Empire.

Since the Empire had already perished, adding the label of a Black Death conspirator hardly made a difference.

But as time passed, the narrative in the media began to skew, starting with the Austrian Daily's article "Britain's Disgraceful Role in the Near Eastern War."

It meticulously presented the financial and military support that Britons provided to the Ottoman Empire during the Near Eastern War and accused the British Government of harboring Ottoman "remnants" after the war.

Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't matter, and there was a respectable term for it: "political asylum." Unfortunately, the timing was off, and the "manufactured plague" incident had occurred.

It wasn't that the British public had an international spirit, but rather that the "plague" was too deadly and contagious, and if it were to spread widely, everyone could become a victim.

The creators of the "plague," who posed a threat to everyone's safety, were naturally abhorred. When the public heard that the British Government was shielding these individuals, they were outraged.

This was a tricky problem to handle. If they handed the people over, where would the London Government's dignity lie?

However, neglecting the matter was not an option, as the Opposition Party would not miss this chance, and Prime Minister Gladstone was not yet ready to resign in disgrace.

With no other choice, Gladstone reluctantly ordered the arrest of several visible high-ranking Ottoman officials, handing them over to the justice system to quell public anger.

Yet, this was just the beginning. Maybe due to their excessive involvement in conspiracies in the past, their disreputable image was deeply entrenched, and the European media always liked to link them with conspiracy theories.

No sooner had the issue of sheltering "Ottoman remnants" been resolved than another claim emerged, "Britain's Conspiracy," not just one accusation but many.

In mainstream European media, more than half of the newspapers associated the British Government with this "man-made plague incident."

"Britain's Conspiracy" was the most sharp-tongued, speculating the British Government's involvement with the most malice, boldly surmising that the British Government and the Ottomans conspired together to plan this "man-made pandemic."

The reasoning being: The British Isles are separated by channels, which are advantageous for blocking the spread of the plague; should the European Continent witness a revival of the medieval scourge of the Black Death, Britain would effortlessly become the supreme power in Europe without shedding blood.

In return, the London Government would support the Ottomans' restoration. This could be the Ottomans' only chance to regain power, and the malevolent Sultan Government surely wouldn't pass it by.

This was merely speculation, without any substantial evidence.

The center of European public opinion rested with England, France, and Austria, and the mutual smearing between them was commonplace. In theory, Gladstone shouldn't be upset.

However, the issue is that even domestic critics began to stir trouble, with extreme newspapers openly criticizing: the London Government had poor execution, unable to handle even such minor matters; if...

The specifics that followed weren't important; what mattered was the public acknowledgment of the British Government's collusion with the Ottomans—was the consequence not considered?

There were more than a few newspapers adding fuel to the fire, and if you wonder why they wrote this, the answer is simple: money.

Whether this was orchestrated by international anti-British forces or a domestic Opposition plot, Gladstone could no longer afford to investigate.

When some in the country believed this theory, not to mention internationally.

The core reason for all that had happened was that the London Government indeed had dealings with the Ottoman Empire, but excluding the latter part about "manufactured plague."

With half the truth revealed, the whole matter became indefensible.

If the "plague" could be contained, then it would be alright, but if it evolved into a second Black Death, the Gladstone Government would be doomed.

In those days, no country could afford the consequences of infuriating the entire European world, and Britain was no exception.