Although the Bulgarians thought there was still time, with the arrival of the Ottoman delegation two days later, they immediately ran out of time because peace talks in Rome officially began.
The Ottomans were not given time to rest. On the second day after their arrival in Rome, negotiations regarding the war began at the Quirinal Palace.
It’s just that the Ottomans are in a more difficult situation in this negotiation. Although there are still representatives from so many countries, compared with the London peace talks, not only the voice of Greece and Serbia has dropped sharply, but also the influence that other powerful countries can exert in this peace negotiation.
In the middle, it is also reduced a lot.
All of this is due to the negative consequences of the Ottomans' previous refusal to sign the peace treaty. Now the Ottomans have to rely more on themselves.
However, the results on the battlefield left the Ottomans very emboldened. After the two negotiating parties sat down, Italian Foreign Minister Bacona came up with the conditions for defeating one side. "Sayed Pasha, these are our conditions.
Please take a look."
As the negotiator of the Ottoman side, Said Pasha, who had been mentally prepared after taking over as Grand Vizier, did not refute after hearing the words from the Italian Foreign Minister, but silently took over the document representing the conditions of the Italian side from the other party.
Start reading.
This time Italy's conditions increased a lot. In addition to the original requirement to cede Albanian and Ottoman North African territories and ensure the independence of Crete, it also required the Ottomans to give up Kosovo and the Twelve Islands as punishment for prolonging the war.
After Said Pasha read the Italian conditions, Popkov, as the Bulgarian Foreign Minister, came up with the Bulgarian conditions. "This is our country's request. Please take a look at it."
Like the conditions of the Italians, Bulgaria also added many conditions, the most critical of which was that Bulgaria strongly demanded that the entire Macedonian region be ceded to them as punishment for the Ottomans' previous overthrow of the London Contract.
As for Greece and Serbia, the conditions of these two countries are the same as before, so there is no change. But then again, they were more or less involved in the previous wars. To put it shamelessly, they were doing their part to win the war.
They made a contribution. In this rematch with the Ottomans, they didn't even touch the hair. Even if they wanted to touch the porcelain, they didn't have the conditions, so they had no choice but to see this kind of price increase.
Perhaps you have also discovered that apart from Italy and Bulgaria, there is another country that has not put forward conditions. Yes, the Grand Duchy of Montenegro, which hates the Ottomans the most, has not made any move. This is unscientific.
There is nothing unscientific. Montenegro has no border with the Ottomans, so it is not easy to divide the territory. Considering this, Italy, as the big brother, reluctantly helps Montenegro to gain territory, and at most it will cut off part of the adjacent Albanian region as compensation.
In fact, Montenegro and Italy have already negotiated privately that the 1,400 square kilometers of territory on Lake Skadar where Montenegro meets Albania will be used as a reward for the Grand Duchy of Montenegro in this war.
Although this piece of land is small, Montenegro is very happy because most of its territory is mountainous, and the land around Skadar Lake is not a lot of grain-producing land. This is not at all tempting to the Grand Duchy of Montenegro.
.So the dividends from the Grand Duchy of Montenegro’s second war with the Ottomans came from Italy.
Of course, Italy did not suffer. It gained more from the Ottomans. The Kosovo region and the Twelve Islands were enough to satisfy Italy.
The only new terms added to the peace talks this time were Italy and Bulgaria, so the new Grand Vizier Said Pasha, who was in charge of the Ottoman negotiators, quickly read through them.
After reading the conditions of Italy and Bulgaria, Said Pasha put down the document and said, "We have seen your conditions, and I have some questions about it."
Having said this, Said Pasha did not wait for others to ask, and said, "I wonder what basis you are basing your request for the Twelve Islands and Macedonia?"
Said Pasha's words seemed to be nonsense, but there were people who were proficient in diplomacy present, so how could they not understand the meaning of his words.
This is asking what they use as evidence to claim the territory.
As for why he only asked about the Twelve Islands and Macedonia, this was also his strategy. In this war, the Ottomans lost even their underwear, so they must lose some territory. Other areas were beyond the reach of the Ottomans, only the Twelve Islands and Macedonia.
The region is extremely important to the Ottomans. The Twelve Islands can directly threaten their core territory of the Asia Minor Peninsula, which is very important to the Ottomans. As for the Macedonian region, it is the Ottomans’ strategy. This war allowed the Ottomans to significantly recover their power.
Asia, which made the Ottomans very unwilling. In this case, it became natural for them to lay mines necessary to create opportunities for their return.
In this case, there is no better choice than the Macedonian region. Everyone knows that this is a hornet's nest, and the Ottomans want to make a fuss out of it, so this is the perfect thing.
Faced with Said Pasha's question, Bakona and Popkov quickly gave an answer.
"Our country is here to liberate the local people from your country."
There is nothing wrong with what Bacona said. Although the Greek residents of the Twelve Islands may not be willing to do so, do their opinions matter?
Greece didn't dare to mention it at all. They couldn't even do anything about Crete. As for the Ottomans, who made them lose so miserably!
"The Macedonian region has historically been our country's territory, and most of the people in this area are our people, so it should be included in our country, and this is also our unanimous request."
When Popkov said this, he turned his attention to Italian allies, which was recognized by the Italian delegation headed by Italian Prime Minister Despretis. In some respects, Bulgaria's request is more reasonable than Italy's, but
In diplomatic negotiations, reasonableness and legality cannot be the main basis.
No, as soon as Stambolov finished speaking, he immediately aroused opposition.
"I disagree with what Mr. Popkov said. There are also people from our country in Macedonia, and Macedonia has also been our territory in history. So according to your words, Macedonia should also belong to our country."
The speaker was Greek Foreign Minister Mavros, and his words also attracted the approval of Serbian Foreign Minister Jeremic.
"Your Excellency Mavros is right. There are also people from our country in Macedonia, and it once belonged to our country in history. So according to Your Excellency Popkov's words, this area should also have a share of our country."
Faced with the obstruction of Serbia and Greece, this is also within the scope of Bulgaria's consideration. After all, the three countries all have ambitions for the Macedonian region, so who can not know each other.
Therefore, after hearing the objections from the two countries, Prime Minister Stambolov, who is the head of the Bulgarian negotiations, must stand up.
"You two may have forgotten that in this war, our country contributed more. The bloody battle of nearly 300,000 Bulgarian troops and the help of Italian and Montenegrin allies allowed the Macedonian people to escape the oppression of the Ottomans. What contributions did the two countries have?
Have your say on Macedonia.”
Although there were Ottomans present, the Bulgarian Bismarck did not consider the feelings of the Ottomans at all in his words.
The Ottomans were not angry about this situation, because they knew who the Bulgarian Prime Minister was targeting. They were just accidentally implicated, and it was more of a competition between Bulgaria and Sechi. Let’s see next.
The confrontation between the three countries is more beneficial to the Ottomans. And according to the Ottomans' understanding of the three countries, the two countries will never surrender to the Bulgarians on the Macedonian issue.
Sure enough, even the naked threat of force from the Bulgarian Bismarck still did not make the two countries flinch.
I saw Greek Prime Minister Trikoupis saying with a mocking face. "Your Excellency Stambolov, do you think that your country's force alone can make us surrender? I'm afraid you will let your country down."
, Greece’s three million soldiers and civilians will never accept any oppression.”
Before Trikupis, the Greek Prime Minister, could finish his words, Serbian Prime Minister Grujic said coldly on the side. "The same is true for our country's three million soldiers and civilians. They will never accept any oppression."
Seeing the sudden internal disputes over the Macedonian issue at the peace talks venue, Italian Prime Minister Depretis, as the host, stood up.
"You three, this is a peace negotiation with the Ottomans, not a negotiation on the Macedonian issue. If you want to talk about Macedonia, then I can open a separate conference room for the three of you."
Despretis' words suppressed the atmosphere of the venue again. All three countries need to give face to the Italian host, and these words gave the three people who had just gradually become a tiger, a step to step down.
"Now let's get on with it!"
After taking a look at the prime ministers of the three countries of Bosesi, Despretis said to the real target, the Ottoman representative. "Your Excellency Said Pasha, what is your country's opinion on our conditions?"
