As the absolute protagonist in this war, Abdul Hamid II only felt immense pressure; the situation was extremely unfriendly.
Looking back through history, there had never been a Sultan of the Ottoman Empire as helpless as himself. In the glorious days of his ancestors, they were invincible and unstoppable.
The Habsburg dynasty was beaten to the point of questioning life itself, the Russians trembled under their military might, and the shadow of the Ottoman cavalry loomed over the European Continent.
But as the saying goes, "What goes around comes around." The tables had turned, and it was a harsh reality akin to "Do not bully the poor just because they are old."
From being the one who beats to the one who is beaten, Abdul Hamid II couldn't help but internally criticize his forefathers whenever he thought about this astonishing reversal.