In the mountains of southern Albania, countless fortified towers rose above the rugged landscape. Its people were every bit as fierce as those of Montenegro.
On top of that, the treacherous terrain made any would-be conqueror think twice. Historically, only the Albanians themselves had ever conquered Albania.
Though Albania was still Ottoman territory, it was practically independent. Even the British, before this, had failed to control the mountains of southern Albania.
Mustafa Reshid Pasha was a greedy powerbroker, but he was no fool.
The moment Mustafa Reshid Pasha heard that Austria had invaded, he sent people to contact the tribes in the mountains of southern Albania.
And he was willing to pay dearly. He gave them not only weapons, equipment, and scarce supplies, but also the autonomy they had long dreamed of.
Was Reshid Pasha not afraid the tribes would turn on him, defect to the Austrians, and join them in attacking the Ottoman Empire?
Of course that was possible. But given the local geography and historical tradition, the people there disliked leaving the homes where their families had lived for generations. They disliked having armies cross their territory even more, and they would not tolerate any government threatening their rule over themselves.
Yet any Austrian army marching against the Ottoman Empire would have to cross the lands of the southern Albanian tribes.
Reshid Pasha's terms might not sway every tribe, but as soon as someone took the bait—even if it was not a particular tribe that struck first—all the tribes of southern Albania would inevitably be dragged into the war.
Reshid Pasha knew full well how extensive Austria's intelligence network was. His secret maneuvers would have a hard time escaping Austrian notice.
But who could say he hadn't done it on purpose?
In fact, the southern Albanian tribes had