Chapter 557: Shady Deals in the Shadows
What Potemkin didn't mention was a humiliating defeat Russia had suffered months earlier. Nearly 200 warships of the Russian Baltic Fleet were ambushed by Duke Charles of Södermanland of Sweden.
The Swedish fleet, comprised mostly of gunboats barely the size of fishing vessels, was waiting in the Svensksund Strait. Though their vessels had poor seaworthiness, they were equipped with 24-pound and even 32-pound cannons. Utilizing the strait to their advantage, the Swedes devastated the encircled Russian fleet.
The Russian fleet's bad luck worsened when adverse winds scuttled their hopes of leveraging their numerical superiority. Ultimately, they lost 64 ships and over a thousand men, retreating in disgrace.
This defeat forced Russia to end the Seventh Russo-Swedish War. Fortunately for Russia, its ally Denmark seized the opportunity to launch a southern raid on Gothenburg, prompting Sweden to abandon plans to reclaim its lost territories. Sweden signed the Treaty of Värälä, preserving the pre-war borders.
However, this loss left Russia facing the need to secure its Baltic dominance by investing heavily in the region.
This meant Russia was now committed to military deployments in three separate regions—leaving little room for an offensive against Poland. Even if they could muster 50,000 troops for an invasion, Poland still had an army of nearly 70,000, and fighting on home soil gave it a defensive advantage. A premature Russian attack would almost certainly backfire.
Catherine II had originally planned for Russia to strike Poland in collaboration with Prussia, as per a secret agreement. The fertile lands of the Eastern European plains were a long-standing Russian ambition. But circumstances changed when Austria and Prussia turned on each other.
Now, over 100,000 Austrian and Prussian troops were still locked in a tense standoff in Silesia, making any Polish campaign impractical for the time being.
The Tsarina's secretary nodded and smiled faintly:
"Your Highness, the British envoy is here in Petersburg to negotiate a truce between Austria and Prussia. That's why Her Majesty summoned you back urgently."
Potemkin straightened up, his expression cautious rather than hopeful. He knew better than to trust goodwill at face value.
"What do the British want?" he asked pointedly.
Baron Khrapovitsky replied, "It seems they want to help Prussia extricate itself from the quagmire of the Silesian War in exchange for certain trade concessions.
"You're aware of Prussia's dire financial state. If their conflict with Austria drags on for another year—or even six months—they risk a total fiscal collapse.
"As Prussia's ally, the British are asking us to exert influence over Austria to broker a ceasefire."
Potemkin frowned. "But we have an agreement with France not to pressure Austria over the Silesian conflict."
Khrapovitsky nodded. "Her Majesty has made this clear to the British envoy. However, the British suggested we offer Austria certain benefits in exchange for their agreement to peace terms."
"Benefits? What kind of benefits?"
"They proposed we recognize Austria's claims to Wallachia…"
"Those bastards!" Potemkin's temper flared. "Wallachia is our path to Constantinople! How can we hand it over to the Austrians?!"
Russia's ultimate dream was to claim the legacy of the Eastern Roman Empire. Through Sophia Palaiologina, who married Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow, Russia had inherited the bloodline of the Byzantine emperors. This gave them a supposed legal right to the throne of Constantinople.
To fulfill this ambition, Russia needed a strategic foothold in the Balkans. The logistical nightmare of transporting supplies from Russia's heartland to Anatolia without a Balkan base would doom any campaign.
Romania, particularly its northeastern region of Moldavia, was Russia's stepping stone. After the previous Russo-Turkish War, Russia had solidified control over Moldavia.
Wallachia, lying in central Romania, was the next critical target. Securing it would allow Russia to push south into the Bulgarian plains and ultimately the Thrace region, which bordered Constantinople.
Austria, however, also eyed the Balkans for expansion. They viewed southeastern Europe as a prime opportunity, especially with France competing for dominance in northern Italy. Though Austria had once controlled much of the northern Balkans, they had retreated under pressure from both Russia and the Ottomans.
Wallachia remained a battleground of influence—nominally part of the Ottoman Empire, but populated largely by Slavs sympathetic to Russia. Yet Austria's sway over the region remained the strongest.
For Austria to secure Wallachia fully, Russian consent was crucial. Moscow's ability to incite Slav uprisings posed the greatest challenge to Austrian rule.
Khrapovitsky lowered his voice:
"The British have hinted they could persuade Austria to refrain from interfering in the Silistra Corridor and abandon their insistence on Polish sovereignty. They're willing to provide guarantees for these terms."
The Silistra Corridor, a narrow strip along the Black Sea's western coast, connected Moldavia to Thrace. Small in size, its strategic value was immense—it would allow Russian forces to bypass Wallachia entirely and directly strike at Constantinople.
Potemkin's eyes gleamed.
If Wallachia—never fully under Russian control—could be traded for a truce between Austria and Prussia, and if Austria agreed to leave the Silistra Corridor unchallenged, the deal made strategic sense.
A Silesian truce would free Prussia's army to join Russia in a pincer attack on Poland. With Poland's defenses already weak, such an offensive would almost certainly succeed.
Khrapovitsky pressed on:
"The British envoy also proposed increasing their purchases of our timber, tallow, wax, and furs by at least 25% over the next three to five years.
"They're also prepared to invest no less than £200,000 in Crimea to develop its coal mines, with all transportation handled exclusively by Russian merchant ships."
Historical Note:
In the mid-15th century, the Ottoman Empire extinguished the Eastern Roman Empire. The last Byzantine emperor died in battle, but his bloodline survived through Sophia Palaiologina. She was married off to Grand Duke Ivan III of Moscow, marking Russia's claim as the "Third Rome" and heir to Byzantine legacy.
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