Holy Roman Empire

Vienna Palace

Metternich said worriedly: "Your Majesty, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea is becoming more and more complicated, with forces from various countries gathering, and armed conflicts may break out at any time.

Two months ago, a Portuguese infantry battalion went out to determine the gold mine property rights. There were more than [-] people including civilian armed forces, but all of them disappeared. There is no result so far.

There are different opinions now, some people say that they discovered a super gold mine and were killed; others say that they encountered a devil and were all killed..."

The situation in the Gulf of Guinea was created by Franz alone. If it weren't for the hype of the Vienna government, there would not be so many gold diggers pouring in.

The order on the African continent has not yet been established. In the colonial strongholds of various countries, order can barely be seen, and once they leave the strongholds, they completely lose control.

It doesn't matter if no gold mine is found, even if it's a fight, everyone won't go too far.After discovering a gold mine, it's time to fight.

When a small colonial armed team discovered a gold mine, it kept it secret at the first time, and then sold it to the colonial government. Free mining did not exist.

Without enough strength, he was slaughtered outside, and he didn't know who the murderer was.

At the beginning, to determine the property rights of gold mines, the colonial government sent a few people to conduct on-the-spot exploration.Now without the accompanying army, no one dares to go.

This is the first time that the government army has been attacked.Usually, no one would do this. If they couldn't keep their mouths shut, even the slightest leak would lead to catastrophe.

Franz asked: "Could it be the black hand of a certain country's army?"

The combat effectiveness of the Portuguese army is not very good. It is easy to defeat a Portuguese infantry battalion, but it is not easy to kill them all.

Franz dismissed the devil's theory even more. Austria has colonized Africa for so long, but has not found these extraordinary creatures. How could they be born all of a sudden?

Metternich replied: "I don't know, but it is certain that there are traitors in the Portuguese team. If there is no cooperation from inside and outside, it is impossible for them to be wiped out.

Now that so many people are not alive and dead, there are obviously serious problems, and some people are covering up the truth. "

Franz doesn't care what the truth is, the problem is that Austria is now most suspected.There are not many armed forces that can do this in the Gulf of Guinea, and Austria's colonial forces there have this strength.

Among the armed teams registered in the Austrian colonial stronghold, there are twelve teams with more than 500 people. These are all states in the German region, or several nobles jointly formed.

These people have the strength to do this. With so many suspects under their command, suspicion is naturally inevitable.

Franz was not worried about this suspicion, and the Portuguese could do nothing without proof.

What's more, if the troops are missing, it doesn't necessarily mean that the whole army is wiped out. It may also be that they got lost and became savages in the jungle.

Although the probability of this is very small, there are precedents.Certain colony teams suffered heavy losses in the jungle just because they got lost.

"The truth is not important to us. The place where the Portuguese disappeared is not in our control area. We have no obligation to investigate for them.

The problem now is that we must stabilize the situation in West Africa as soon as possible, otherwise the countries will continue to conflict, which is likely to cause even greater conflicts.

In the unlikely event that there is a big fight in the local area and the situation gets out of control, many people who originally wanted to immigrate to the Gulf of Guinea will give up and emigrate to various countries in the Americas instead.

Without enough population, it is very difficult for us to control West Africa.In order to stabilize the local situation as soon as possible, we must cooperate with the governments of various countries to establish the most basic order locally. "

It's not that he doesn't want to find out the real culprit, but that he doesn't dare to continue the investigation.Franz can only be sure that the Austrian government forces did not attack the Portuguese. As for whether the civilian armed forces did it, it is hard to say.

Franz would not be surprised at all if they killed someone because of a conflict in a certain giant gold mine.In the face of interests, everyone's moral integrity is often not online.

If they found out about their own people, it would be a big trouble.If something goes wrong, a bigger political crisis will erupt, and Franz is not interested in doing this kind of self-inflicted trouble.

Except for the Portuguese themselves, it is estimated that the governments of all countries have the same attitude. After careful investigation, everyone is worried about getting burned, so it is better to pretend to be confused.

Metternich replied: "Your Majesty, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea is very complicated, and the forces of various countries are criss-crossed. It is very difficult to divide the territory at the negotiating table.

The best way is international co-management. Everyone will jointly form a colonial government. As for the gold mines, let the civilian armed forces compete freely, and everyone will use their own methods. "

Whether this is the best choice, Franz is still not sure, the only certainty is that this is the best choice for Austria's interests.

In free competition, the more people will definitely have the upper hand.And this kind of order only exists in the area controlled by the colonial government. Once it goes to the wild, who can control it?

Franz smiled and said, "Yes, no matter what kind of order it is, it is better to have order than to have no order."

……

Chapter 18 Lack of people

Guinea

It was discovered in the early stage that the gold mine had already started operation, and the chaotic situation directly dispelled Baron Fickney's idea of ​​continuing to search for the gold mine.

There are too many competitors, and there are too many examples of cheating for profit.

The Guinea region is still relatively good. It is completely controlled by the Austrian colonial government, and a basic order has been established.

As long as the gold mine property rights are registered with the colonial government, even if an accident happens to the mine owner, the government will take back the property rights, and it is absolutely impossible for them to fall into the hands of others.

The act of seizing gold mines was severely suppressed by the colonial government, and if caught, they would be sent to the gallows, which prevented large-scale fighting.

Failure to capture the gold mine does not mean peace.After the gold is mined, it must be sold, and the most dangerous time is on the way of transportation.

In order to crack down on the gold robbers, the colonial garrison has been dispatched several times, even at the expense of fishing and law enforcement, but with little effect.

There is no way, everyone can only strengthen their defenses, increase the number of escorts, and do not hesitate to run a few more times to reduce the amount of gold delivered each time, which curbs this situation.

……

"Your Excellency, the output of our gold mine has increased to [-] pounds per month, and the current delivery speed of [-] pounds is really too slow.

It is not safe for large quantities of gold to be stranded in mines, and if information leaks out, we are in danger. ’ Father Battigue warned

It would be a joke to say that he was troubled by the high production of gold mines, but now he was really troubled by it.

His gold mine is more than 200 kilometers away from New Brook, and the forest along the way is too easy to be ambushed.

Every time they transport gold, they dare not determine the route in advance, for fear of leaking the wind.

There is no way, his colonial team is not large in number, and he has to stay at the gold mine. He can dispatch no more than 70 escorts each time.

Baron Fickney said with a painful face: "Wait a minute, I have already communicated with the New Brook colonial government, and they will send people over to collect the gold and deliver logistics supplies to us."

For safety reasons, Baron Fickney had to sell gold to the colonial government at a low price, and the colonial government sent troops to collect the gold.

It's not that he hasn't thought about using mercenaries, but the commission for mercenary regiments is not cheap, and the security is not so guaranteed.

Father Battigue said happily: "This is the best way, money is endless, and safety comes first.

However, you have to consider another problem, that is, the number of gold miners is insufficient.The workers we hired didn't last long, basically they left after making a fortune. "

Lack of workers is a common problem faced by all gold mines.It's not that Fickney didn't think about hiring local labor, but unfortunately, these people are really not suitable for work.

Free and undisciplined, ignoring the rules of the gold mine, uneasy about the operation of rules and regulations.It's okay to be inefficient, the key is that accidents still happen frequently.

After persisting for a month, he despaired of these people.Obediently pay high prices and hire gold diggers in colonial strongholds.

Baron Fickney said uncertainly: "I have already written a letter to a friend in China about this issue, and asked him to help hire a group of workers. Our salary here is three times that of the local people, and we should be able to recruit people."

This is the African continent. Although the salary is higher than that of the mainland, the death rate is also high!One-tenth of the people who came out with him at the beginning have fallen down, and some died of illness, battle, and various accidental deaths.

Those who dare to fight and dare to break through, ran over without recruiting themselves.The remaining ordinary people, as long as they are not in the mainland, they really can't survive. Who wants to come and take risks?

And the workers that Baron Fickney needs are just ordinary people, and only ordinary people who are well-behaved can do this job for a long time.

The gold diggers just come to work when they have no money, and after they earn money, they go out to find gold again.Finding gold mines for yourself is better than working for others.

These run-off gangs are different from them. After finding the gold mine, they sell it directly to the colonial government and leave with the money.

Father Battigue nodded and said, "This is the best. If possible, I hope to have the church built before the end of the year."

He worked for Baron Fickney, and his main purpose was for a church of his own, not to dawdle under the hands of others.

There has long been a Catholic church in the New Brook area, which was established with funding from the colonial government. This is a tradition of European culture, and the church has become an inseparable part of people's lives.

Baron Fickney promised: "Don't worry, Father. You know my reputation. As long as the gold mine is on the right track, I will fund the construction of the church for you. But, have you decided on the location of the church?"

After pondering for a while, Father Battigue said: "Originally, I planned to build in New Brook, but there is already a church there. As a latecomer, it is not easy for me to develop believers there.

Now I'm at a loss as to where to build a church.Your Excellency, what advice do you have? "

Baron Fickney analyzed: "Father, the main reason you build a church is to preach, so it must be in a densely populated area.

The best choice is naturally New Brook, followed by new colonial strongholds, but there are churches in these areas.

Everyone is here to spread the gospel of the Lord, there is no need to be next to each other.You might as well build the church near the gold mine. If all the workers are in place here, there will be no less than 5000 people.

It is surrounded by flat terrain, fertile land and abundant water, which is very suitable for agricultural production.I have already applied to the colonial government to establish a small town, and I will develop a farm here after the gold mine is on the right track.

There are also people under me. I have communicated with them. They also intend to establish a farm here, and then take over their families. Don’t worry about the future development potential. "

They can't do it unless they move here. The gold mines can't be moved here, and they can't leave without digging up all the gold.Who is willing to give up their own gold mine and leave?

Baron Fickney is a traditional aristocrat, not interested in investing in industry and commerce, but only interested in building farms.

Not only him, but many Germans have a soft spot for farms. Most of the American farmers in later generations are Germans, which can explain the problem.

Since they will stay here for a long time in the future, it is also a good choice to open up a farm and be self-sufficient in food.

It is very difficult to obtain land in China, but it is different in the African continent. Now the colonial government encourages everyone to develop farms and plantations.Whoever develops the land will belong to him. Such opportunities are rare.

Baron Fickney is very aware of the country's determination to develop the Guinea region, and the current chaos cannot last for a long time.Once the situation has stabilized, investing in agriculture is also a good choice.

Even if it is only to solve the food problem of the gold miners, instead of purchasing from the base of more than 200 kilometers, this investment is worthwhile.

After hesitating for a while, Father Battigue said in disbelief, "Your Excellency the Baron, are you planning to transfer the domestic fiefs here?"

Baron Fickney denied: "No, I will not give up the family business! It's just that I have a lot of children. If I don't leave some more property, it won't be enough."

According to the practice in the German region, the eldest son inherits the family business, and the second son can only get a small part of the property. This is still based on the situation of rich wealth.

If the economic situation is not good, then the eldest son inherits the family business, and the second son can only go out to make a fortune alone.

Breaking through is not so easy, unless you can rise up in one day after making military exploits on the battlefield, you can only slowly climb up in other industries, and slowly you will disappear from everyone.

That is to say, Austria has started colonization, otherwise Baron Fickney himself would have to worry about economic problems, let alone his next generation?Given his ability, he is certainly willing to lay a better foundation for the next generation.

……

In order to resolve the international political crisis triggered by the Gulf of Guinea, Metternich sent a diplomatic note to Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands and the United States.

London

Frankly speaking, Prime Minister Granville does not want an international political crisis to break out at this time.The London government has been very busy lately and is still very busy.

The Near East War failed to bring down the Russians, and now the tsarist government is not peaceful at all, and recently it is still supporting the Persian government in doing things.

In the Far East, the British had just turned Burma into a colony and were still suppressing the rebellion; Australia and New Zealand were not at peace, and the local aborigines were still rebelling against their rule; even the situation in India was becoming unstable.

Compared with these colonies, the interests of the Gulf of Guinea are not worth mentioning at all. Although gold mines have been discovered, are the gold mines not in their hands?

The interests of the seven countries have converged, and it is impossible for the London government to seize the interests of a certain country at this time.

Prime Minister Granville asked: "Is the situation in West Africa out of control?"

Colonial Secretary William replied solemnly: "Yes, Your Excellency.

The Gulf of Guinea is a traditional gold producing area. We thought that after so many years of mining, the local gold had been mined, but we did not expect to find so many gold mines.

Let the new Holy Roman Empire pick up a bargain, and now more than 80.00% of the local gold mines have fallen into their hands, and we have no way to compete with them. "

Prime Minister Granville asked suspiciously: "Why did the Austrians, who had just begun to colonize, establish an advantage in the local area so quickly?"

As the world's largest naval power, they are in an advantageous position in most overseas colonial competitions, and now they are suddenly at a disadvantage. Prime Minister Granville is very puzzled.

William explained: "They have too many immigrants, not only immigrants from the new Holy Roman Empire, including immigrants from the Federal Empire of Germany, the Kingdom of Prussia, and even some immigrants from Italy and Russia.

Now the new Holy Roman Empire has more than 20 immigrants in the Gulf of Guinea, but ours is less than [-]. Even with the naval advantage, we still have no way to compete with them on land. "

Chancellor of the Exchequer John Russell asked: "How can there be so many immigrants?"

Wilhelm explained: "Nearly half of them were refugees from the Balkans who had been dumped on the African continent by the Vienna government.

The rest are the gold diggers attracted by the gold mine this time. We have too many colonies, and there are too many places for domestic immigrants to go.

However, the Austrians had only a few colonies, and the people didn't have many choices. With the temptation of gold mines, more people went there. "

John Russell explained: "No, Earl William. I am not asking why there are so many immigrants in Austria. I mean why are the Italians, Russians, and Germans all running to the Austrian colonies?"

Colonial Secretary William explained: "Mr. Russell, I think you have misunderstood. The Italians went to the Austrian colonies because they still occupied Lombardy and Venetia. Most of these immigrants came from their rule.

It is easier for Russian immigrants to run there. We just had a war with the Russians not long ago. Considering the national sentiment, it is not surprising that they chose this way.

The people in the German region have a high degree of recognition of the Habsburg dynasty, and the Austrians are considered by them to be their own people.

Of course, the Austrians had the most colonial strongholds in the Gulf of Guinea, which is also an important factor. Many people entered their territory when they arrived there.

These gold diggers have been incorporated into the reserve by the Austrian colonial government. Once a war breaks out in the Gulf of Guinea, they can mobilize [-] troops. "

The number of "[-] troops" surprised everyone. Prime Minister Granville said seriously: "It seems that we must limit the Austrians, otherwise no one can compete with them in overseas colonization by relying on the advantages of immigration."

Colonial Secretary William thought for a while and said: "This problem is actually very simple, as long as these immigrants are divided. For example: the German Federal Empire, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Italian regional states also participate in overseas colonial activities.