Chapter 376 Combat Meeting
On the second day after Ernst arrived in the first town, there was nothing special to do. The main thing was to preside over the war against the Boers. The Boers must be fought. There is no other reason than strategic considerations in East Africa.
If we don’t swallow up the Boer land at this time, the people we will face in the future will not just be the Boers, but the British.
Secondly, East Africa also had to use force against the Boers. The two sides had nothing to talk about. The Boers could surrender to the British, but they would never surrender to East Africa, unless East Africa gave the Boers great privileges. The East African government will not agree to this.
At the Palace of the Army Generals, Ernst discussed the problems of the war against the Boers.
Ernst: "This war is different from the past. In addition to the opponent changing from black to white, we also have to face a very prominent problem, that is, the Transvaal Republic is too far away from the current core area of East Africa. Last time Ndebe The Lebanese rebellion can also mobilize troops from South Salzburg Province Suppression, but there is no such advantage in this battle against the Boers.
So the war against the Boers must be quick and thunderous. We must directly take over the land of the Transvaal Republic in one go. , and may even face forces outside the Transvaal Republic. Forces such as Orange, Zulu, and even the British colony of Natal
So the Southern Route Army faced not only the Boers, but also potential enemies. If this war happened. If there is a slight delay, it is very likely that the Zulus and British on the side will take advantage. , This is not what I want to see. "
The actual situation is also the same. As long as there is a slight delay in the battle against the Boers in East Africa, the Zulu Kingdom and the British Natal Colony will never give up. This is a great opportunity to expand into the territory of the Transvaal Republic.
On the sand table, Sweet pointed to the area in the lower right corner of the Kingdom of Swaziland and said: "Your Highness, according to the news sent back by our intelligence personnel a few days ago, the main force of the Transvaal Republic is still in Germany. The eastern Transvaal Republic is in conflict with the Zulu Kingdom. Although the Zulu Kingdom Although the territory is small and the population is not large, it is extremely warlike, with almost all the people being soldiers. Although they were defeated by the Boers, since the arrival of the British, their king Mpanda chose to improve relations with the British. together to exclude the Boers”
Previously, the Zulu Kingdom actually had a good relationship with the Boers, but it was only a good relationship on the surface. The Zulu Kingdom's hatred of the Boers could be said to have reached its extreme, so when the British came, the Zulu people were like the British Come closer.
Sweite continued: "At present, the Boers have almost no troops on the south bank of the Limpopo River. This is our opportunity. As long as we take a multi-pronged approach, we can quickly sweep most of the Transvaal Republic. It is not difficult to say that the main resistance to the war must be in the later stage. On the one hand, it is the main force of the Boers returning to aid, and on the other hand, it is the relationship between the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic. They will never sit idly by and do nothing, even The Boers in the British colony of Natal will also support the Transvaal Republic, and will most likely attract the attention of the British. "
The Boer countries and regions except the Transvaal Republic and Orange. In addition to the Free State, there is actually New Grigualand, as well as the Natal Colony and West Grigualand under the British rule. Most of the residents under their rule are still Boers, and there are also a large number of Boers in Cape Town. exist.
Ernst nodded and said: "So we must be prepared for a multi-faceted war. This war is not just against the Boers. In my opinion, there is no need for the existence of the Zulu Kingdom. We have provoked the British." I'm sorry, but I'm not afraid of the British forces in South Africa. If they want to interfere with this territorial expansion in East Africa, then fight them back!"
Ernst said the last word almost through gritted teeth! In a word, if there were no British in this Africa, East Africa would not have to be afraid to restrain its ambitions. Even if the size of the East African kingdom is not afraid of any challenges in Africa, it still lives in the shadow of the British. Ernst does not think highly of Britain, but Britain's strength is just like this. Britain in this era is to East Africa just like the Far East faced the United States in the previous life. This kind of pressure can be imagined for the East African kingdom.
The United Kingdom in this era is even more difficult to deal with than the United States in the previous life, because there is no so-called morality and justice in this era. The British can really do whatever they want outside of areas controlled by other powers, even if they engage in genocide. Will anyone make irresponsible remarks.
If East Africa does not rely on its own strength and wants to survive in this era, it can only cling to the thighs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany. But East Africa must not do this unless it is absolutely necessary. It is said that it is easy to ask the gods but difficult to send them away. If you want to rely on the help of other countries to resolve the crisis, you must pay a price, and both Franz and William I were extremely realistic monarchs. , not a fool like Peter III.
Ernst’s words also brought a psychological haze to the army generals, Britain! After all, there is an unavoidable mountain in front of East Africa. If Ernst was only worried about the stagnation of East Africa's development caused by the British blockade, then the generals were simply afraid of Britain.
That is the world's hegemon. The land powers in Europe can laugh at the British lobster soldiers. Countries outside Europe do not have this qualification. Back then, the United States wanted to test whether the old father could still survive, but he was burned out. White House.
The British have also achieved impressive results in the world in recent years, especially after their expedition to the Far East. Apart from Europe and the United States, there is basically no single enemy in the world.
However, in order not to affect morale in the future, Ernst said: "Of course, we don't have to worry too much about the possible intervention of the British. In the land of Africa, our strength in East Africa is one of the best. The British are not as scary as public opinion claims. The British were defeated in Afghanistan more than ten years ago. This was when the British were backed by Indian colonies, and the British The Cape Colony is far worse than India.”
Ernst’s words still have some effect. They have won successive victories in Africa over the years. In fact, the generals in East Africa are not only immodest, but even a little arrogant. Whether it is to suppress their vigor or not, the East African generals will only be more cautious about Britain as a potential opponent. This is not only respect for the enemy, but also responsibility for themselves.
This Boer War must be fought. Even if the enemy is really strong, East Africa must give it a try. In Ernst’s preliminary plan, East Africa should at least master the Northern Branch of the Orange River. All the land on the north bank of the Er River, so that East Africa can control most of South Africa's coal mines, iron ore and other minerals essential for industrial development, and the gold mines are gifts in Ernst's eyes.
The Fal River is the dividing line between the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State. Crossing the Fal River, the minerals in Orange are mainly diamonds. Diamonds are also high-value minerals, but There is no shortage within East Africa either.
There are a large number of coal mines distributed in the Zulu Kingdom, which is why Ernst included the Zulu Kingdom in this battle plan.
(End of this chapter)