Chapter 59 Osman Strikes Back
The conscientious mobilization and recruitment work of the high-ranking ministers allowed a total of 85,000 troops to be stationed in the capital. Except for Kapikulu, Sipaxi and irregular troops who were already stationed in Kostantiniya, they all came from Rumelia. Sanjaks, in addition to the vassals of Wallachia and Moldavia, and reinforcements provided by the Crimean Tatar Khan.
After filling and dividing the troops, there are currently nearly 15,000 people in Yenicheri gathered in Kostantinye, but one-third of them are recruits who have not yet graduated and cannot be put into combat. The actual number of combatable soldiers is Just over 10,000 yuan. Coupled with the cavalry, artillery and logistics support units belonging to Kapikulu, there are nearly 20,000 people.
As the backbone, an important component and even the main body of the Ottoman army, the Sipaxi came from Timar. The size of each Sanjak in Rumilia totaled thousands in Timar. At the same time, each Sipaxi also carried its size according to regulations. The attendants and riders who waited for him reported together. In this way, the Timar fief provided him with a total of about 40,000 soldiers and horses.
The rest are irregular troops such as Azab infantry and Ajinki cavalry recruited from the countryside, servants provided by the two vassals and Tatar horsemen from the Crimea. They add up to more than 25,000 people. In addition, there are some servants and logistics personnel who are not included in the statistics, but in fact, due to hasty preparations for war. These military personnel could not meet the needs of the army.
Selim believes that the size of the army in his hands is not significantly inferior to that of Ibrahim, but he currently has no way of knowing the specific composition of the Safavid army and is not sure about fighting with it.
Therefore, he did not intend to go straight to Bursa to regain the old capital. Instead, he set out from Skudar and marched along the Black Sea coast. Sanjaks such as Kastamonu and Sinop in this area were never affected by the war. , from which he can obtain soldiers and military supplies.
Some staff members had previously proposed a crazy idea to him - since the partial division could not achieve any results, then the entire army would take a boat to Trabzon and then go south to Erzurum. By occupying this place, he could threaten Tabriz in the east and attack Diyarbakır in the south. Ibrahim could not leave these two important rear cities to be attacked by the enemy, and he would definitely lead his troops to quickly return reinforcements. At that time, they can wait and work and face the exhausted troops rushing across Anatolia on the spot.
Selim first consulted Hesekzad Pasha and Kemal and Piri Rais on this matter. The three senior officers in charge of the navy expressed that it was very difficult to ship such a large army and it would take time and effort to sort it out. batch transportation.
And considering the harsh environment in eastern Anatolia, even if the local Shia and Alevi Turkmen are unable to confront the Ottoman army head-on, they can still cut off supplies through continuous harassment and clearing the country. The army's daily consumption of supplies can It's not a small number. Obviously, this has exceeded the logistical capabilities of the Ottoman army.
Before officially moving to the military camp, Selim went to the room where Suleiman was, and said to his son with a solemn face: "I will go out to fight against the Shah of Persia soon, and I will leave all the affairs of the Supreme Kingdom to you. Be sure to To ensure the safety of the rear, I will issue a formal edict appointing you as regent and supervising the country with the help of high officials. Also, if something unexpected happens to me on the battlefield, you should immediately establish yourself as Padishah and do not give the enemy any excuse. Take advantage of the opportunity.”
"My son, I obey." Suleiman bowed his head and replied respectfully.
With the experience of Governor Kaffa and the docile bureaucrats, he was not worried about whether Suleiman could take on the responsibility of supervising the country. He gave some words of encouragement and briefly asked Suleiman about his mother and sisters. Just left - since landing in Rumelia, he has been busy with the most important work. Suleiman presided over the transfer and settlement of his family and other matters.
However, before the departure, Yunus Pasha sent another message - Ibrahim had led the Safavid army to withdraw from Bursa, and the mosque and the late emperor's mausoleum were not damaged in any way. The Ottoman army successfully regained the old capital. And he sent scouts to quietly follow the enemy army, but the specific movements of the Safavid army have not yet been ascertained.
"The Persians are about to return eastward, but the war in Trabizon has not achieved any breakthrough. It is abnormal and strange for him to act like this." Selim held a military meeting in Yuskudar's camp regarding the latest news.
"Your Majesty, the enemy has been deep into our country for several weeks, and all their supplies have to be transported from the rear. I am afraid that the turnover of food and grass is not good, and they have to go back east for food." Arslan Pasha speculated, and this view was supported by the "Eunuch" Sinan Pasha and Chief Financial Officer Piri Mohammad Çelebi agreed.
Dukakinolu Pasha, Hesekzad Pasha and others have reservations about this view. It is possible for the Safavid army to withdraw eastward due to logistical problems, but it is not possible. Ignoring this may be actively leading the Ottoman army into a preset battlefield.
"The further east we go, the greater the logistical pressure on our army will be, and the more exhausted our army will be. Correspondingly, the Persians' transshipment pressure will become smaller, and they can wait for work or even create terrain advantages in advance to fight. As far as I'm concerned, The Persian army will not withdraw too far. Taking Ankara will be enough for the heretics to eat for a while. They are likely to choose this place to fight our army." Dukakin Olupasha said.
"As your Excellency said, it would be better for our army not to take the initiative to fight the enemy. But now our army really wants to regain the territory. We cannot let the lost territory go unnoticed without fighting the invaders." "Eunuch" Sinan Pasha Still optimistic, the two Bosnians and Albanians debated whether to adopt a more aggressive or conservative stance.
"Ankara..." Piri Mohammad Celebi, who is familiar with history books, thought silently about this ominous place of defeat and refrained from speaking out.
"Because the inland is deserted and bandits are rampant, the march is easily disturbed and it is difficult to collect military supplies, so I plan to go to Kastamonu first and then go south to Ankara, instead of attacking from Bursa as the enemy expected, along the already March in the area that was destroyed by it." Seeing that no one could come up with a more favorable battle plan, Selim finally ended the discussion in the tent and made a decision. He also asked for an order written by the secretary to Yunus Pasha, ordering him to march eastward with the entire army to follow the Safavid army and prepare to meet him in Ankara.
The citizens of Kostantinye, who had suffered from rising prices due to tax increases and the collection of military supplies, finally heard the news of the army's departure. They were sincerely happy about it. At least the war that burned them was over. hope.
The messengers and scouts set out ahead of the army, and according to Gaomen's orders, the beys on the Black Sea coast were prepared to receive the army.