Holy Roman Empire

William is now in a dilemma. It is too late to jump back and change his political stance. Obviously, the enemy will not give him this time.

The Austrians want to kill people to establish their prestige, and those who fall into Austria's arms need to use their heads as votes.At a critical juncture, William had to think about the way forward.

At this time, he thought of the British. Not long ago, the British contacted him, but the situation at that time was far from as bad as it is now, and William was unwilling to take risks.

After hesitating for a while, William decided to try again: "Raul, immediately inform old friends Schoman, Field, Lankers, and Tyron that we will have a banquet tonight."

The Transvaal Republic is not big, and it is a new country. The upper circle is even smaller, and the power struggle is far less intense than outsiders imagined.

Despite their differences in politics, Wilhelm and these pro-Austrian leaders had something to say.Now that he wants to escape unscathed, he needs the help of these people.

If he can escape unscathed, William doesn't mind giving up some of his benefits as the price of standing on the wrong team.

The servant Raul replied: "Yes, Mr. William!"

While probing, William was also preparing for the worst. After Raul left, he sent someone to secretly contact the British.

As a major country in the world, the Vienna government has to face. Even if it wants to kill people to gain power, it is impossible to do it directly.

A high-sounding charge is indispensable, and the anti-Austrian faction headed by William is not without strength. Even if there are high-level government officials who have defected to Austria, it will take time to collect evidence.

This creates an opportunity for the anti-Austrians. In the face of life and death crises, people are often the ones with the most explosive potential.

Fickney watched the infighting between the Transvaal and the Orange Free State with a cold eye. He didn't care whether the anti-Austrians would take risks.

As the earliest colonizer of Austria, Viscount Fickney was not afraid of war. Even if the anti-Austrians colluded with the British to overthrow the rule of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, he would not be afraid.

The African continent is not peaceful these days, and it is not unprepared for Fickney to serve as the representative of Austria.

Recently, a large number of Austrian caravans have entered the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, but not all of them are here to do business.

If you pay attention, you will find that the members of the caravan are full of murderous looks, and the goods they escort are not ordinary goods. Some of the sealed boxes are full of cannons.

Some of these people are troops stationed in the Austrian Central South African region, and more are noble private troops.If a mine owner like Viscount Fickney started his business, if he didn't have hundreds of private troops, would he be ashamed to go out to meet people?

Everyone is a well-informed generation, and the nobles who are far away are out of reach, but the nobles nearby are different. How can such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity not come to join in the fun?

If it is resolved peacefully, it should be regarded as an armed training.In case the situation gets out of control and needs to be resolved by force, that is the military merit that comes to your door.

Many people are looking forward to the British being able to call over and give them a record.This is not their arrogance, but their real strength.

Most of Austria's African colonies were fought by these noble private troops.In the African jungle, the combat effectiveness of these armies is definitely the top of this era.

If you rely on the government army alone, even if you send all the Austrian troops, there is no way to control half of the African continent.

In the sparsely populated African continent, Austria has no way to set up administrative agencies everywhere, and enfeoffing nobles is the cheapest way to rule.

Anyway, as long as the big nobles are suppressed, there is no need to be afraid of such small and medium nobles with hundreds of private troops.

In addition to these troops, there are also a large number of German immigrants in the local area. Once the war breaks out, the nobles can recruit young and strong on the spot.

With a few thousand veterans as the backbone and a group of young adults, an army of tens of thousands of people can be quickly formed.At that time, who will fight who is not certain.

Franz's abandonment of his plan to occupy British South Africa does not mean that the colonial aristocrats have also given up. Many people covet Cape Town.

The emperor refused to let the war start, and everyone could not bear the responsibility of instigating the war. Naturally, they could not take the initiative to launch an attack, but this did not mean that they could not induce the British to attack.

If the British invaded on their own initiative, then the responsibility for the war is not theirs.Fighting in the interests of the empire, Franz will only reward them.

Viscount Fickney is one of the hawks, advocating the expulsion of all European countries and allowing Austria to dominate the entire African continent.

Not to mention whether it can be achieved, it is always good to have a goal.Austria's strength on the African continent gave them ambition.

Simply counting its military power on the African continent, Austria has already surpassed the sum of all countries.Of course, this does not mean that Austria has an absolute advantage over other countries, and Austria is also at a disadvantage in some areas.

For example, in South Africa, Austria is not afraid of any of the English and Portuguese.If the British and Portugal join forces, then the situation changes.

Many people feel the sadness of the rabbit and the fox. Once Austria launches an attack on the owned colony, the countries are likely to put aside their conflicts and unite.

The First World War in the original time and space is a classic case.After the rise of the Second German Empire, they did not do a good job in diplomatic work and their aggressive style turned Britain, France and Russia, which were full of conflicts, into allies.

Although Franz suppressed domestic expansionism, there was no way to prevent the people below from deliberately digging holes to lure the British to attack.

This can be regarded as a replica of fishing law enforcement. If the power is exposed in a fair manner, the British will definitely not dare to send it to their door.

It's different now, whether it's the Austrian nobles, Pretorius Jr., or the anti-Austrians, they all need the British to attack.

These people are deliberately covering up, and it is even more impossible for pro-Austrians to report to the British.What's more, many people just sensed that something was wrong, but they didn't know that it was a trap prepared for the British.

The idea of ​​"Britain and Austria going to war" is something that many people dare not even think about.Even Viscount Fickney was not prepared to provoke a full-scale war between the two countries. They still had self-knowledge and knew very well that their navy was really no match for the Royal Navy.

From the very beginning, they didn't hang the Austrian flag. The main force in the battle was the noble private army, wearing the vest of the Boer Republic and PK with the British.

Even if the matter is exposed, it is a war between the noble lord and the British, which does not mean that the country he belongs to will also go to war with the British, which is very godly.

Back then, when the emperor was at war with the French, the nobles of the Shenluo Empire could neutralize the government. Now that the noble lords are at war with the British, the imperial government can naturally be neutral too.

After winning the battle, the Boer Republic occupied British South Africa, and then created a reason for the empire to annex the Boer Republic and inherit this part of the inheritance.

Without tearing their skins, the British are protesting at most, or waiting for an opportunity to retaliate, and the situation is still under control.

It doesn't matter if the battle is lost. It was lost by the Transvaal and the Orange Free State. What does it have to do with Austria?

The big deal is that the Vienna government came forward to mediate the conflict, and the British accepted it. If they refused, a large group of private nobles brought their own dry food and ran over to continue fighting the British.

Of course, these military exploits must be recognized by Franz, and the rewards that should be given must not be less, and the losses of the nobles will eventually be made up by the Vienna government.

……

In Cape Town, the governor of Delphi is very depressed now. The London government just announced the cancellation of the operation, and the Boers came to cooperate.

As an ideal governor, Delphi doesn't want to be a salty fish, he also wants to make a brilliant achievement and enter the center of power in London.

"What do the Portuguese say, are they interested in the Transvaal?"

Governor Delphi asked with concern.Now Austria has not yet completed the annexation of the Boer Republic, and everyone still has their own means.

In order to ensure nothing goes wrong, he is also preparing to unite with the Portuguese to take the first step, to take the first step in the Republic of Guabur, and to create an established fact.

Marco, who is in charge of foreign affairs, waved his hand and said in a helpless tone: "I'm sorry, Your Excellency Governor.

The Portuguese clearly rejected us, which may be related to their recent domestic situation. The Portuguese government ordered the colonies not to provoke troubles without authorization. "

During this period, the domestic situation in Portugal has become unstable.The strength of the liberals and the republicans is growing constantly, and King Louis is almost unable to control the situation.

There was trouble internally, so naturally I didn't dare to make trouble out of it.If it fails, it will be another political storm.

The Boer Republic seemed to be easy to deal with, but just thinking about the Austrians behind the scenes, the Portuguese colonial government in Mozambique lost interest.

This answer made Governor Delphi very dissatisfied.Originally, he wanted to share the benefits of the Portuguese and win them over to curb the expansion of the Austrians.

No need now, since the Portuguese didn't dare to go up, he did it himself.The London government only canceled the action against Austria, but did not say that the Boer Republic could not fight either.

These two little bean dings were not on his mind at all.In the past two years, the Boers have leaned on Austria, and their armaments have been abandoned.

"Knives and guns are stored, horses are released to Nanshan" is not enough, but the national military training has indeed not been carried out much. The largest armed force in the Boer Republic is a bunch of police.

The standing army is not something that a small country with a population of more than 20 or [-] can afford to support. During the war, young and strong are temporarily recruited.

The Governor of Delphi frowned, and said dissatisfiedly: "Forget it, since the Portuguese don't know how to flatter, let them regret it in the future!

Now we can do it ourselves.Austria's garrison in Central and South Africa is no more than 1000 people, and even if it is temporarily recruited, it will be 5000 at most.

Even if the Austrians want to intervene, they have to wait for their reinforcements from the Congo region to arrive. At present, there is no sign of Austrian troops stationed in various places.

It would take at least two months before the Austrians were able to gather enough troops to intervene from the time we took action.

Two months is enough for us to defeat the Boers.If there is an accident, at worst, we will stop immediately and join the Austrians in Guabor Republic. "

It looks full of momentum, but Governor Delphi is still a little uneasy in his heart.The failed expedition a few years ago still lingered deep in his mind.

Major General Friedman of the colonial garrison immediately assured: "Your Excellency, please rest assured that we are [-]% sure that we can defeat this group of bereaved dogs."

The Boers were originally deported by the British from the Cape Town area to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, so they were naturally full of confidence in the defeated Major General Friedman.

……

Chapter 38 The Anglo-Boer War Begins

On May 1870, 5, the governor of Delphi led an army of 12 to invade the Orange Free State, and the South African War broke out.

After the news spread, the Boers fell into a panic instantly, and the manor where Viscount Fickney lived temporarily was full of guests.

The Transvaal and the Orange Free State are almost one. When facing the British, the two countries have always joined forces to fight against the enemy.

The strength gap between the two sides is too large, and no one has the confidence to defeat the British.When facing the British, the Boer Republic has always chosen to be patient.

But that was before, and now things have changed.Now that everyone is going to join Austria, naturally they will no longer be afraid of the British.

There are two main reasons for everyone to visit at this time: first, to express their position to Viscount Fickney, and to stand in public; second, to hope that Austria will intervene in this war.

Viscount Fickney said confidently: "You don't have to worry, the British army seems to be powerful, but in fact it is strong outside.

The British garrison in Cape Town will not exceed [-] troops, and the London government has not made any major troop mobilization recently.

Even if the colonial government of Cape Town recruited civilian armed forces, the number of combat-capable troops could not exceed [-].In addition, one can imagine what the rest of the British army is. "

Those who know themselves best will always be enemies. The competition between Britain and Austria in South Africa is no longer a day or two, and they are all collecting information about each other.

There is no way to monitor the civilian armed forces scattered in various places, but the mobilization of military forces is still closely watched.

Both Britain and Austria are colonial powers, and it is impossible to station a large number of regular troops in one area, otherwise even a million troops would not be enough.

The responsibility for maintaining local stability naturally falls to the colonial army and civilian armed forces.The British are more dependent on colonial companies, while Austria is mainly armed by nobles.

Of course, there is no difference between the two in essence. The main force of the British colonization is also the children of the nobles.The difference is that British capital is stronger, while Austrian capitalists are in a subordinate position.

There are advantages and disadvantages between the two, and they cannot be generalized. These are determined by their respective national conditions and cannot be changed by individual power.

The Austrian model has an advantage in maintaining imperial power. With the addition of new blood, the strength of the aristocratic class has been strengthened, and the status of the emperor will naturally be consolidated.

When expanding to the outside world, the explosive combat power is also stronger, and it is natural to work harder for yourself than for others.

This point can now be proved that if the British want to recruit civilian armed forces to the battlefield, they must negotiate good conditions in advance. If the interests are not enough, passive sabotage is indispensable.

However, the Austrian nobles are actively seeking war. This is a question of benefit distribution.A large part of the British colonial income fell into the pockets of capitalists, while Austria was taken away by the nobles.

It’s not that the capitalists didn’t participate in the Austrian colonization, it’s mainly because they have already completed the transition to aristocrats in the process of achieving results.

Classes have changed, and positions have naturally changed.People tend to be good and bad, and they will naturally choose the most beneficial side of themselves.

Now that the war broke out, although Viscount Fickney didn't show it on the surface, he was actually happy in his heart.

Even if the war is temporarily defeated, it doesn't matter, just take the opportunity to attack the local vested interests, so as not to let these upstarts become bigger.

Anyway, Austria will definitely win. This is the confidence brought by strength.

Viscount Fickney is not in a hurry, he has already discussed with the nobles who came to gain military exploits, and they will not make a move until they have obtained the local power.

Ma Keslin, a capitalist from the Orange Free State, said anxiously: "Your Excellency, the British army is nothing to your country. But to the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, it is nothing. The catastrophe.

If your country does not interfere, relying on our strength alone is no match for the British at all.We can't fight this war. "

It seems to be panicked, but it is actually expressing dissatisfaction.

But the words changed when Viscount Fickney heard them, and he had already labeled Marcoslin as unusable in his heart.

The phrase "your country" shows that Maxlin has not yet identified with Austria.The following "There is no way to fight" is a threat to Viscount Fickney.

If Ma Keslin knew what Fickney was thinking, it would probably be too late to cry.His industry is mainly in the Orange Free State, and once the war breaks out, he will suffer heavy losses.

He blurted it out out of desperation. He never thought that Viscount Fickney would think so much.

Although Makoslin is also playing politics, how can the politics of the Boer Republic compare with Austria?They don't think so much about the details of these expressions.

Seeing everyone's expressions, Viscount Fickney mistakenly thought that these people were forcing the palace.This wonderful misunderstanding caused many people present to pay a heavy price in the subsequent war.

These people are still useful now, Viscount Fickney will not turn against them, and immediately promised: "You don't have to worry, if the battle is unfavorable, Austria will not sit idly by.

Since the British dare to do something now, they just don't take Austria seriously. We must retaliate and teach them a bloody lesson.

However, Britain and Austria are both big countries. If there is a direct conflict, it is likely to detonate an all-out war in Europe, and everyone probably doesn't want to see it.

So next, we still have to fight the British in the name of the Transvaal and the Orange Free State.You don't have to worry about it, you can use whatever means you have.

No matter what the consequences are in the end, Austria will bear it, and you don't have to worry about the British retaliation.

The Vienna government has mandated to teach the British a lesson in South Africa.It won't be long before the reinforcements will arrive, and everyone just needs to hold on for a month or two. "

This guarantee has reassured many people. As long as Austria does not give up the Transvaal and the Orange Free State, then this war will have to be fought.

The Boers did not lack the courage to fight the first battle. In the past, they dared to fight the British. Now that they have Austria as their backing, they will not be afraid of fighting the British.

At this time, Skoman suddenly asked: "Your Excellency, if you don't turn against the British, what will you do with the reinforcements? If you use the African native troops, I'm afraid they will not be the opponents of the British."

Among the current [-] British troops, more than [-] are composed of local indigenous troops, otherwise the Cape Town area would not have [-] troops.