Murad V, well versed in military history, would not waste his elite troops on something so meaningless. As for the losses of the New Army, he did not care.
In this chaotic situation, he, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, could not even command the New Army. What use was there in keeping such a force?
If the Russians were not already at the gates, Murad V would have wanted to follow his grandfather Mahmud II's example and simply abolish the New Army.
Having the New Army fight the Russians at the front now would not only weaken Russian forces, but also whittle down that detestable New Army.
There was another piece of good news: although the Ottomans still did not know how many Russian troops had arrived, the Russian landings had stopped.
Judging solely by manpower, the Russian force numbered around ten thousand, while Murad V knew perfectly well that Istanbul still had at least forty thousand troops available.
Added to that were the civilians, who should be ready at any moment to offer up their lives for the Ottoman Empire. Once he had grasped the balance between friend and foe, Murad V no longer felt his initial panic.
He had now begun planning for the future. Murad V had once believed that his greatest enemy was his mother, the evil Holy Alliance.
But now he realized that his greatest enemy had been right beside him all along—the very people he had always relied upon.
Murad V had already resolved to carry out a thorough reform. He would never give up halfway like his father and grandfather had.
"But, great Sultan, most of the New Army are recruits now. In a war of attrition like this, I fear their morale will not hold for long."
Omar, the Grand Vizier,