Winds of Change (2) (July-September, 1876

Summit?]

"If the French cannot attend, the Austro-Hungarians, Italians and Germans do not want to cooperate, we will not be able to force the Russians to a diplomatic summit." Minister Benjamin Disraeli, keenly interested in foreign diplomacy, argues with British Foreign Minister Edward Henry Stanley. "What can we do?".

"Perhaps opposing Russia at this time is not the best solution, we must take advantage while they have not yet driven the Ottomans from Europe and force a quick peace. We already have control of Suez, there is not much we can want from the Ottomans, they have no sympathy in our country either. " Stanley argues.

"Stanley, if the Russians dominate the straits they threaten Suez, if they threaten Suez they threaten our main connection to the British Raj." Benjamin Disraeli argues.

"But they haven't tried." Stanley responds.

"For now." Disraeli declares.

"Then we have to press for the Sultan to declare a quick truce before the Ottoman Empire loses more, please, Europe is not interested in a war between Russia and us." Stanley exclaims worried.

"With Western Europe weakened we cannot allow Russia to become more powerful, I will once again support a mobilization towards the Aegean and the Straits if we can keep Russia out of the Mediterranean." Disraeli sustains.

*******

Minister Edward Henry Stanley met with his wife and the Russian ambassador to London, Pyotr Andreyevich Shuvalov. Stanley delivered some of Disraeli's orders to Ambassador Shuvalov.

A spoonful of Disraeli's own medicine that never informed Shuvalov of vital diplomacy between Russia and Britain (the things that were important and that should go to Shuvalov were always handed to him last or at the last minute).

Information that Disraeli was planning to recruit 20,000 young British men to support the Ottoman Empire mysteriously spread to the press in late September.

With anti-Ottoman or pro-Bulgarian opinion growing, this was a straw that broke the camel's back, with newspapers infested against such a proposal: "Send the youth to die for the Ottomans?"

And people opposing such intervention that was in favor of the Ottoman Empire, a serious blow to Disraeli's credibility and his diplomatic plans.

Stanley believed that he was doing his best to ensure a peace between Britain and Russia by sabotaging Disraeli's intervention plans.

*******

"Dammit." Benjamin Disraeli rips up another copy of the newspaper written against him, lampooning him as an Arab or Turk offering 'jenissary' English children to the Ottoman Empire.

With his reputation in jeopardy, Disraeli sent diplomatic pressure to Abdul Hamid II to seek a truce with Russia