Holy Roman Empire

The Principality of Montenegro is clinking poorly. They are still fighting the coalition forces. As long as the refugees are not fools, they will not run over.If it was a fool who ran over, then don't expect a good end.

At this moment, Franz began to envy the bad reputation of the Russians. Because of the atrocities committed by the Russian army, the refugees had no time to hide from them, so how could they come to him?

Thanks to this, even the two duchies of the Danube River controlled by Austria were not affected by the wave of refugees from the Balkan Peninsula this time because the Russians blocked them in front.

The typical bully is afraid of the tough, the reputation is not bad enough, and the methods are not cruel enough, but Austria, which seems to be relatively wealthy, has become unlucky.

Let Franz not have a reputation for massacring refugees?it's out of the question!If it was replaced by the tsarist government, it is estimated that this order may still be issued.

Franz said cruelly: "If the Bosnia-Herzegovina area cannot be defended, then there is no need to defend it at all. Tell the refugees to go to the seaside. Only at the seaside can we mobilize enough food for rescue."

It is true that transportation in inland areas is too difficult.Even if it is the Danube, the transport capacity of the river is not unlimited, and priority must be given to ensuring the consumption of supplies by the garrison and the Russians.

From Serbia to the port, there are still hundreds of kilometers to go, and there are mountains and mountains along the way, and not many people can survive.

Not to mention cruelty, hope is better than no hope.Most of the Bosnia region is mountainous, and Austria has just taken control of it. The local assimilation work is not going well, and I don’t feel bad about abandoning Franz.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Field Marshal Radesky replied in a low voice.

He knew that the emperor was very dissatisfied with this incident, but he had no choice. The General Staff did not react beforehand, and lost the best time to deal with it.

With so many people gathered together, the local bark and grass roots were probably eaten up.It is inevitable for people to be extremely hungry and attack the blockade. Marshal Radesky can only let Franz deal with it if he can't cruelly massacre the refugees.

Prime Minister Felix frowned and said: "Your Majesty, now that these refugees have been relieved, how to resettle them in the future is also a problem. If they continue to stay in the Balkan Peninsula, it may also be a hidden danger."

He was opposed to this kind of relief. Apart from consuming a lot of financial and material resources, he couldn't get a word of gratitude in the end.

Those who can survive in this situation are mostly morally corrupt, and those who are not ruthless will not survive to the end.

Franz thought for a while and said: "Of course, all of them will be repatriated to the Ottoman Empire. When these people arrive, they will be shipped away immediately, and the people in Bosnia will also be packed away.

If the Ottoman Empire refuses to accept them, they will all be sent to the African continent as the first batch of immigrants to develop the African continent.

The navy immediately chose a suitable place to land, and occupied several strongholds on the African continent, and Austria's colonial era began ahead of schedule.

Organize the ship as soon as possible. It will definitely not be so easy to transport so many people this time. Everyone must be prepared in advance. "

If it is just a simple refugee, then staying in the Balkan Peninsula for resettlement is not a problem, the big deal is slowly assimilating.It's a pity that a large number of rout soldiers were mixed in here, and it became a disaster in an instant.

In this case, we can only give them another place to live.People left their hometowns and were scattered and resettled, and Franz was not afraid that these people would dare to make trouble when they arrived on the African continent.

It happens that the hidden dangers in Bosnia and Herzegovina can be solved together. The Austrian government has spent so much effort, and it is impossible to spend money and efforts in vain.

The labor force used to develop the African continent happens to be waste utilization.Slowly reform overseas for a few years, time can dilute everything, and then send more priests to educate them.

Let them regret their sins, slowly return to normal life, and finally integrate into the Austrian system.Thinking of it this way, Franz had a clear idea.

Chapter 128 Colonial Road

The refugee crisis in the Balkans has not attracted the attention of the outside world. Although many media have reported it, it is just a brushstroke.

It's none of your business, hang on high.It is common in any world, and the Ottomans did not have a good impression on Europeans in this era.

It can almost be regarded as the endorsement of barbarism, plus a heretic, it belongs to the kind without human rights.

Of course, everyone can't pay attention to it, and the stomachs of their own people are still not full. Who has the mood to care about the life and death of the Ottomans?

The outside world doesn't pay attention, and Franz is happy to do so.The kind of white left who stands and talks without back pain in later generations is still in its infancy and has no right to speak.

Everyone's eyes are focused on Constantinople and the Crimea peninsula. The Near East War has now been fought, and the two warring parties have begun to compete with each other.

If the Russians capture Constantinople first, they will gain a strategic advantage and can cut off the Bosphorus. Apart from compromise, Britain and France can only fight with them in the Balkans.

On the contrary, Britain and France conquered the Crimea Peninsula first, so they had a strategic advantage, and they could take advantage of the situation to destroy the Russian shipbuilding industry in the Black Sea, and there was no need to continue the Battle of Constantinople.

Don't look at the end of the Black Sea Fleet, the Russians are not ready to fight back.The construction of sailing warships in this era is not difficult, and the Russian shipyards in the Sea of ​​Azov have not stopped working.

After suffering a loss, the Russian shore artillery along the Black Sea has been overhauled. No matter how incompetent the bureaucrats of the tsarist government are, they know that they cannot continue to be passively beaten.

In important military ports, coastal artillery has been redeployed.The British and French navies are not stupid, so naturally they would not confront each other with warships and shore artillery.

According to St. Petersburg's plan, as long as Constantinople is conquered, the British and French fleets entering the Black Sea will become rootless, and slow grinding can also grind the enemy to death.

The fortress of Sevastopol began to crumble, and most of Constantinople fell. The time has come to decide the fate of both sides.

History has changed, and the Russians with the support of Austria broke out with stronger fighting power.Under the personal intervention of Nicholas I, after a few logistics officials clicked, the Russian army in the Crimea peninsula finally successfully changed their outfits.

However, logistical supplies have also become more difficult. The more advanced the modern weapons, the greater the logistical pressure. It is also a big challenge for the Russians who rely on ox carts for transportation.

Vienna

Franz is looking at a map of Africa, and colonies cannot be opened up indiscriminately.The owner's land cannot be touched, and the current Austria is not suitable for launching a major conflict with the old colonial empire.

Secondly, Franz is not going to touch areas that are poor, have no resources, and have no potential for development.Colonization also depends on cost, and a business that will always lose money is destined to not last long.

Finally, the powerful natives should not be provoked. If the teacher fails to win, it will be embarrassing.

After eliminating these three factors, there are not many options left.

Of course the closest is to attack the Ottoman Empire, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt are all recent choices.After thinking about it, Franz ticked off these three options without hesitation.

The timing was wrong. Now that the Ottomans and Britain and France are still allies, they took the liberty to cause Britain and France to intervene. Austria made their wedding dresses for them.

The most valuable South Africa and the coastal areas have fallen into the hands of the British, Algeria has become the meat in the French bowl, and Morocco has been peeped by Britain, France and Spain at the same time.

Franz found helplessly that the good places belonged to other people.Morocco has not been divided up yet, so it's okay to step in and get a share of the pie, but of course you must choose a good entry point.

There is almost no land that has not been targeted by the great powers in this era.It doesn't matter if they are targeted, as long as they are not eaten, everyone can use their own methods.

The candidate list came out at once: Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Gabon, Congo, Namibia, Kenya, Tasania, Somalia, Zanzibar, Madagascar...

The inland area is not within the scope of consideration, and areas farther beyond Africa are not planned. Franz is very suspicious of the ocean-going capabilities of the Austrian Navy.

Franz asked: "The plan can't keep up with the rapid changes. The refugee wave that broke out in the Balkans is a trouble, but also an opportunity. Once it happens, it can't be wasted.

It is very difficult to immigrate from China to the African continent. Just look at the countries of Britain and France. People would rather go to the American continent on the Oceanic side than to go to the African continent that is close at hand.

The quality of the refugees in the Balkan Peninsula is not very good, but no matter how poor they are, they are better than the natives. If there is a population in the early stage of developing the colony, then our colonization plan will start ahead of schedule.

This is a map of the African continent. These unmarked areas are unclaimed lands. Think about it, where is the best place for us to start? "

Mineral resources are unknown in this era, and European colonists have not yet been able to complete exploration, so everyone's judgment methods are very primitive now.

It directly depends on the degree of development, whether the local area is rich enough, and whether the colonization can make a profit.The Austrian government has to consider one more thing, whether it is suitable for the development of agriculture and whether it can feed these immigrants.

Prime Minister Felix analyzed: "Your Majesty, Guinea can be considered, the coastal plain area is easy to control, the local water source is sufficient, suitable for the development of agriculture, and the establishment of the initial colonial stronghold is very good.

In terms of distance, it is also the closest.At present, there are not many competitors here, that is, the French tricked several chiefs into signing a treaty, and their influence in the local area is not great.

Nigeria is also good, with superior natural conditions and relatively high economic value.However, the local aboriginal strength is relatively strong, and the influence of the British has also penetrated.

Then there is the Congo area, where there are water channels that go deep into the inland, so it is easier to control.The products inside are also good, colonizing here should not lose money.

At this stage, these three places are more suitable.There is no guarantee how much benefit will be obtained. At least within five years, the three places can achieve a balance of income and expenditure.

In addition to the immigrants I sent from the Balkan Peninsula, after ten years of operation, a small market can also be formed in the local area, which is also a small supplement to the domestic industry. "

Naturally, other areas are postponed for the time being, and the cost of colonization must also be considered. Of course, the area with the most suitable interests must be selected.

Strategic location, future development, these are not within the scope of everyone's consideration.A colony that can make money now is a good colony.

Future issues, we will talk about them at that time.Everyone is a realist, and the colonies are not native, so don't expect everyone to think too far.

Colonial activities are also a long-term investment. It is the pursuit of the colonists to recover the cost as soon as possible and realize profits.

Of course, there are also colonies that do not make money. For a country, it is not possible to simply calculate the profit and loss of administrative costs.

If the colonial market can promote the development of domestic industry and commerce, or make up for some resources that are lacking in the country, it is also acceptable to bear a certain loss.

In this regard, the Germans in history are a negative teaching material. The occupied colonies are not small, but unfortunately the development is limited. As of 1914, there were only more than 2 German immigrants on the African continent.

The German colonial operations have always been at a loss. The vast colonies have not contributed much to the development of domestic industry and commerce. In foreign trade, the colonial market only contributed 0.5%.

Franz naturally had to learn a lesson. First of all, he had to control the cost of colonization. The domestic management model was obviously unusable.

Metternich suggested: "Your Majesty, we have just started overseas colonization, we can only succeed but not fail, and it is not appropriate to take risks now.

Let's do it first in Guinea and Congo. The competitors in these two places are not strong. As long as our speed is fast enough, it will be enough to create established facts. "

The colonies are different from the mainland, and the targets that Austria is targeting now seem to belong to areas with some value, but not high value.

Now that the Near East War is at a critical moment, everyone's attention has been attracted, and it is a good opportunity to take action.

The development of African colonies in this era is a coexistence of risks and opportunities. Britain and France will not go to war for two tasteless colonies.

That's right, it is a tasteless colony. There are too many areas suitable for agricultural production in the hands of Britain and France. There is nothing special about Austria's goal yet.

What's more important is that in these two places, there is no unified power in the local area. The former Kingdom of Congo has long since fallen, and there is no strength to stop Austria.

In contrast, Nigeria is not a soft persimmon, at least it seems to have some strength.It can be seen that the Fulani Empire that ruled here still has the strength to launch a holy war.

Of course, it doesn't mean that Austria can't take it here. It's mainly a matter of effort and income.No matter what the Fulani Empire is, it can't change that they are just an agricultural country with a population of several million.

The most populous country in Africa in later generations does not even have a shadow.The entire African continent has a total population of more than 2000 million people, distributed over an area of ​​more than 3000 million square kilometers. The vast land is so sparsely populated that it is hopeless.

This is also the reason why Metternich opposed taking action rashly. Religious beliefs are also very crazy. Once it is mobilized, it will be enough for Austria.

Coupled with the vast land and sparse population, it would be a headache if these religious fanatics wreak havoc.Although the human bomb has not yet been born, suicide attacks have already appeared.

Can't Austria send hundreds of thousands of troops to exterminate these miscellaneous fish in order to maintain the colonial rule?Cost is the core of the establishment of a colonial empire. If the cost cannot be controlled, the colonial empire will not be far from collapse.

Without hesitating for a long time, Franz made a decision: "Take these two places as the first step in our overseas colonization!

The General Staff immediately began military deployment. This time the army and the navy are going to take joint action. Don't make any jokes. Then everyone will lose face. "

Marshal Radesky replied: "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Apparently, Franz's words also meant knocking. The incident of the Balkan refugee wave has not passed, and the General Staff has not been held accountable. That is just for the stability of the government, and it does not mean that it will not be held accountable.

If things are done well this time, then the atonement will be over; if something goes wrong, even Marshal Radesky will inevitably be disgraced.

Chapter 129 Nobility

Austria's colonial strategy has not just begun. The Vienna government has been funding expeditions to explore the African continent as early as a few years ago.

Leaving aside the inland areas, at least the basic situation in the coastal areas is still quite clear, and now that we have to do something, we won't be blinded.

Not only on the African continent, the Austrian government has collected intelligence on many regions of the world. Some of this information has been collected by its own people, and some have been bought from second-hand dealers.

Expeditions in this era are also a business. Many private expeditions sell the information they collect to the colonial government in exchange for high rewards.

Selling once is selling, selling twice is naturally selling.As long as the price is right, everything is negotiable.Risking your life to explore, naturally you will get enough rewards.

To be on the safe side, Franz prepared three infantry divisions this time, only to take down the coastal areas without going deep into the interior. These troops are enough.

It’s okay that Guinea is not big, and it will be eaten by Austria in a short time, but the Congo region is not necessarily the case. The Congo in this era also includes the Congo Dinosaur + Congo Brasil.

The area is not so large, it is several times the size of the Austrian mainland, obviously it is impossible to occupy it with such a small number of people.

Like all colonial countries, priority is given to coastal areas, and the interior of Africa has not yet reached the point of development.

Let’s send these refugees there first. With immigrants, port cities can be established, and then these lands can be slowly developed.

How to colonize and rule these areas should be done first. Franz decided to give the bureaucrats the greatest autonomy, and rule as much as possible with high profits.

In the evening, in a tavern in Trieste, a group of drinkers were chatting. Occasionally, some people whistled to a few beautiful women in front of the counter, and then they were greeted with a roll of eyes.

Most of these people were living at sea, and their behavior was unavoidably a little indulgent, and everyone was no stranger to it.

The women who appear here are naturally not serious people, they are all veterans of the show, and they have a lot of social experience.

In short, as long as you have enough money, you can take it home and spend the night.They can't be frightened by flamboyance, ruthless whores, and ruthless actors. These people were their benefactors yesterday, but today they have become passers-by.

The teasing stayed on the tongue, which meant that they had no money in their pockets, otherwise they would have taken action long ago.

Anyway, people who are begging for life at sea are used to going straight and forth, so women in this business naturally don't mind. If you have money, you are a master, and it is not uncommon to encounter someone who directly rectifies the Fa on the spot.

……

Alcohol is the courage of a hero, if you drink too much, you will come out with words.It also happens from time to time that there is a fight after a disagreement.

The owner of the tavern is well-informed, and when encountering this situation, he just watched quietly, and went up to ask for compensation after the fight was over.

Usually it has to be doubled. As a local snake, it is not a problem to subdue a few sailors. Of course, if you encounter a ruthless character, you can only consider yourself unlucky.

A drunken middle-aged man said casually: "Varen, so many troops are gathering here, is this going to war?"

Varun, who was also in a daze, replied directly: "Nonsense, Tagore, when did you see our navy fight, who can they fight? No, the army and navy are fighting together?"

The voices of the two were already incomparable. Under normal circumstances, they would not dare to be so indulgent. If they encountered a few naval soldiers who were drinking, they might be beaten up.

Although the Austrian Navy is not valued and has no record, it is not something they can despise.

Geographical location and national policy have determined that the Austrian Navy has nothing to do, and it has always been able to serve as the background board of the army. It does not mean that the naval officers and soldiers have lost their temper.