Duke Uvarov's sentiment was shared by the Russians. With the Austrian Empire too preoccupied to look east, Russia could have continued its advance into the Balkans.
Unfortunately, Russia was also tied down by internal rebellions at the time, and could only watch the opportunity slip away.
June 17, 1849. From cloudy to clear.
Barcelona, Spanish Naval Base.
General Joaquin Iglesias sat before a chart of the sea, unable to calm his thoughts.
"Declaring war on the Austrian Empire was a stupid idea. Her Majesty the Queen must be mad! She actually ordered us to take the offensive. The few wrecks in the naval dockyard are nearly as old as I am!
We'll be lucky if our fleet doesn't sink the moment it leaves port!"
After venting his frustrations, General Iglesias returned to his seat and stared blankly at the chart.
He had already considered nearly every possibility: reefs, coastal guns, waves, monsoons. He had even considered feigning surrender.
But every outcome he could foresee pointed to defeat. He had to admit that his fleet posed no threat whatsoever.
It wasn't that old warships were useless. It was that these old warships were beyond use.
Even without ever putting to sea, their ancient wooden hulls had nearly rotted through, just like this ancient empire, which could collapse at any moment.
General Iglesias knew nothing of the Mediterranean naval battle. To this day, it remained unclear whether it was the French Navy or the Austrian Navy that had defeated the British.
But he had witnessed the Austrian Navy shelling Gibraltar: that fearsome fleet and its overwhelming firepower.
As a soldier, Iglesias couldn't bear to see two countries fighting in Spain's inland sea. At the time, many Spanish naval officers had felt the same.
They couldn't beat the British, but the Austrian Navy