London
The course of the Near East War left the British dumbfounded. The Russians had actually traded the two principalities in the Danube basin for Austrian logistical support.
This meant the Russians had an enormous appetite this time. Only even greater gains could make them give up the Principality of Moldavia and the Principality of Wallachia.
John Russell said with a gloomy expression, "Our previous plan has failed. Austria and the Russians have reached an agreement. If we do not act now, the Ottoman Empire will absolutely be no match for them.
"Mr. Palmerston, does your Foreign Office have any way to break up the alliance between Russia and Austria in the shortest possible time?
"With those two countries joining forces, they are practically invincible in the Near East. Even if we join forces with France, it will be difficult to win."
Prime Minister John Russell's words were not without cause. The only regions where Russia bordered the Ottomans were the Balkan Peninsula and the Caucasus.
The Caucasus was constrained by its terrain. If large-scale army operations were conducted there, logistics would become a major problem.
Given Russia's terrible domestic transport conditions, coupled with the complex terrain of the Caucasus, it simply could not sustain combat operations involving more than two hundred thousand troops.
Of course, if they retained control of the Black Sea, they could still advance along the coastline, and logistical supplies would not be a problem.
Now, the only overland route left for Russian troop deployments was the Balkan Peninsula. The two principalities in the Danube basin were both major grain-producing regions, so the food issue could basically be solved locally, cutting the Russian Army's logistical pressure in half.
Even so, the Russians lacked the capacity to fight all the way to Constantinople. After occupying the two