Externally, the effect of the Revolution is uncertain, because t
is complicated by the action of Great Britain. At the moment of the fall of Abdul Aziz, Servia and Montenegro had ratified an alliance, which it is believed included also Roumania and Greece, and war was immediately at hand. This war was secretly sup- ported by Russia, and dozens of Russian officers, headed by General Tehernayeff, an officer out of employ, but formerly of great reputation in Turkeatan, had entered the Servian army. The Bulgarian outbreak, moreover, described elsewhere, had been carefully timed, so as to strip Roumelia of all available Turkish troops, and create a diversion in the rear of any army advancing on Belgrade. The British Government, however, perhaps suspecting a Russian design either to force the Dardanelles or to threaten Constantinople itself, not only separated itself from the other Powers, but ordered a fleet of most unusual strength to Besika Bay. This decided stew appears to have detached France from the Imperial Powers, ancliimay make Russia recede, as she does not want open war by sea. In that event, Servia will be warned to wait. It is, however, more probable that Russia, smarting under the terrible blow to her prestige inflicted by the dismissal of Abdul Aziz, and aware that England cannot operate by land, will let Servia go, while Hussein Avni is known to favour a policy of open war with Servia and Montenegro, and his party is master of the situation.
