With the British Army suffering a total rout on the Near East front, the Holy Alliance and the Anglo-Turkish Alliance finally sat down at the negotiating table.
The negotiations were held neither in Saint Petersburg nor Vienna, much less London, but in Constantinople.
It was a matter of Nicholas I's pride, along with a touch of Franz's perverse amusement.
The British-Ottoman Alliance had no bargaining chips whatsoever at the table, so-called negotiations were naturally out of the question.
Yet through the efforts of Viscount Stratford and the Ottomans, Russia once again gave back the land it had gained on the eastern front. Though that was not quite accurate, since the Russians had never truly secured their footing there.
Moreover, Russia had already gained more than enough territory this time. The Ottoman Empire would withdraw completely from Europe and pledge never again to invade Europe.
Naturally, the surface formalities could not be neglected either: discrimination against Christians and European peoples would not be permitted within the Ottoman Empire, nor would the Ottoman Empire be allowed to engage in any form of slave hunting or slaveholding again.
These provisions were chiefly meant to slap the British in the face. After all, these were the very things the British loved to trumpet about in their daily rhetoric.
Seemingly useless clauses could seal the mouths of Britain's media and the Pro-British Faction's press. After all, we too were doing this for fairness, justice, love and peace, and the noble mission of civilization.
"Gentlemen! Though the cruel war has ended, if all of Europe is not to repeat the same mistakes, we must use wisdom and foresight to build a peaceful future.
"Please, do not let hatred and victory rush to your heads!"
Although Britain was on the losing side at this point, Lord Palmerston,