Struggle in Russia

Alexander II thought for a while and agreed with Count Rostovtsev's opinion. Now it is indeed necessary to recall Duke Baryatinsky. If Dmitry Milyutin's power is allowed to expand, it will be very detrimental to the balance of power in the future.

He nodded and agreed with Count Rostovtsev's opinion: "It is indeed necessary to bring the Duke back. With him around, I think those reformers will be more at ease!"

Can Baryatinsky suppress the reformists?

The answer is of course no. Some things cannot be said too straightforwardly. Even if Alexander II was worried about the balance of power in the future, he could not directly say that Baryatinsky would come back to suppress Dmitry.

It seems that he, the tsar, is too useless and cannot even handle a few ministers.

However, if Duke Baryatinsky is to be recalled, then the Caucasus region must also send a reliable person to take charge.

Count Rostovtsev replied nonchalantly: "Your Majesty, I have said that the Caucasus region is not the focus of the empire in the future, and there is no need to send special personnel there. I believe that the Ministry of War has a lot of suitable candidates!"

These words made Alexander II a little embarrassed, because he actually meant to "exile" Grand Duke Constantine.

However, Count Rostovtsev refused immediately, which somewhat embarrassed him.

"Your Majesty, I believe that the beatings made some time ago have made Grand Duke Constantine honest for a while. If he is sent to the Caucasus at this time, it is likely to arouse the vigilance and dissatisfaction of liberal elements..."

Alexander II stopped talking. He must understand the truth. Now that the reformists are too strong, they must recall Duke Baryatinsky. At this time, suddenly sending their leader to the border area is likely to cause their backlash, and recalling Baryatinsky The Duke is not in vain.

Alexander II sighed and regretfully gave up the idea of ​​continuing to suppress Grand Duke Constantine. He knew that now was not the time to completely fall out with his brother, but he vowed to make this **** look good sooner or later!

"Well, you are right!" Alexander II sighed and asked: "According to your opinion, how should Count Dmitry Milyutin arrange it?"

Count Rostovtsev bowed and said: "Your Majesty, your Excellency the Count has made outstanding achievements and definitely needs a big commendation. What's more, you also need to expand your influence in the military. If Your Excellency the Count is loyal enough, I think he will be appointed as The Secretary of War would be great.”

Alexander II frowned. Is the Minister of War too tall? After all, this position is too important. According to his original idea, this position should be reserved for Duke Baryatinsky. After all, he is his first spokesperson in the military.

But now this position is actually going to Dmitry. To be honest, Alexander II is very hesitant.

At this time, Count Rostovtsev spoke again: "Your Majesty, I know that your initial opinion was to have His Excellency the Duke serve as Minister of War, but with all due respect, this is not particularly suitable!"

Alexander II was stunned and asked curiously: "Is there any problem?"

Count Rostovtsev replied solemnly: "It is undeniable that His Excellency the Duke has outstanding military exploits and is very capable, but I think he is more suitable to lead troops to fight and expand territory, and let him return to the office to take care of all aspects of the army's counterattack Work, it’s not for him!”

After a pause, Count Rostovtsev continued: "Count Dmitry Milyutin is different. He has been working as a staff officer for a long time and is familiar with everything in the Army Ministry. As the brother of Count Nikolai Milyutin, he served as The Secretary of War will not incur the enmity of the reformists, which will help you to control the War Department..."

Alexander II suddenly realized that it was all nonsense that Baryatinsky was not suitable for office work. There was only one reason why Dmitri was more suitable than him, and that was that he had a brother who was a big boss in the reformist party. This prevented him from incurring the dissatisfaction of the reformists as Minister of War.

This answer made Alexander II somewhat angry and helpless. When did the reformists' strength expand to such an extent that if they were unhappy with the Minister of War, they would not be able to sit still. This is just another slap in the face of the Czar!

But Alexander II had to admit that Count Rostovtsev's strategy was correct, and doing so could indeed avoid a lot of trouble. As he said, if Dmitry Milyutin is reliable and loyal enough, letting him serve as Minister of War is the best solution to break the situation.

After being silent for a long time, Alexander II asked: "What are the arrangements for Duke Baryatinsky? We can't let him come back and sit on the bench, right?"

Count Rostovtsev replied solemnly: "Of course not. I said that His Excellency the Duke's position is very crucial. He will play the role of a needle in the sea. I think the Commander of the Capital Garrison and the Minister of State Council are particularly suitable for him!"

The Commander of the Capital Garrison is not a high-ranking official~www.readwn.com~, but it is indeed very crucial. Several divisions stationed near St. Petersburg are under his control. If something goes wrong, it will definitely cause a big mess.

This position must be filled by the most trusted person of the Tsar, but after Nicholas I's death, this position was temporarily held by Nicholas Lukashe, the illegitimate son of Alexander I.

It's just that this person is not a serious member of the Romanov family after all, and his abilities are also very mediocre. If it weren't for the fact that he was relatively reliable and there was no more suitable candidate for the time being, Alexander II would have replaced him long ago.

It is indeed good to let Duke Baryatinsky replace him. At least this Duke is more reliable and more capable than him. With Duke Baryatinsky in charge, no one can make a name for himself in St. Petersburg.

It's just that this position is a bit low. Without the title of Minister of State Council, it would be a humiliation for Baryatinsky.

Even with this title, Alexander II still felt a little sorry for Duke Baryatinsky. After thinking about it, he said: "In order to commend the Duke for his achievements, I plan to promote him to field marshal. What do you think?" "

Does Prince Baryatinsky deserve the title of field marshal for his merits?

To be honest, he is a bit weak, at least compared to other meritorious veterans such as Vorontsov who worked hard and were not favored by the Tsar. It is a bit unjustifiable to let him become a field marshal.

But who made the Tsar like him? What's more, in this extraordinary period, it is indeed necessary to promote Baryatinsky's military rank to let people know who the general the Tsar really likes.

Naturally, Count Rostovtsev will not object, and he can also use this to promote a group of his own people...