Holy Roman Empire

The combat effectiveness of these indigenous troops is very limited. Perhaps these people are not lacking in blood and courage, but their overall quality is far behind.

The Boers also trained native troops, but no matter how hard they tried, the troops they trained were not very effective.

Now that he heard the reinforcements, Skoman's first reaction was the native army.After all, it is easiest to hide one's identity with the native army without losing face.

Even if they were captured by the British, the words of these people cannot be used as evidence on the table.

Viscount Fickney shook his head, and said very calmly: "The inability of the government troops to dispatch does not mean that we have no troops to use.

The total number of various civilian armed forces in the Austrian African region exceeds 30.You give them a new nationality, and then join the war as a regular army in the Transvaal. "

Viscount Fickney wanted to save face, and he never mentioned the private army of the nobles.Otherwise, everyone will know that this is to make military achievements.

Although the British army has a lot of moisture and there are a large number of indigenous troops, after all, it is under the banner of the British Empire. Defeating them can be regarded as defeating the regular army. This kind of military achievement is much higher than that of fighting the African natives.

There is no way to classify military merits. If there is no such distinction, Austria will have produced many famous generals and nobles all over the sky.

If you find a battle report, it says that you will fight dozens of battles with a small force of hundreds of people, wipe out thousands of enemy troops, and capture tens of thousands of enemies.

Don't feel surprised, this is a normal phenomenon on the African continent.A colonial team of hundreds of people broke through several indigenous tribes, and this kind of record was released.

This kind of "against the sky" has more records, and the gold content will naturally drop.Now if you don't have a record of defeating tens of thousands of enemy troops, you are ashamed to call yourself a colonial team.

Taking Viscount Fickney as an example, he has experienced hundreds of battles in his colonial career for so many years, and the total record of defeating the enemy is as many as hundreds of thousands.

If he had achieved such a record in continental Europe, he would have been regarded as a military god long ago.However, the enemy is a native of the colony, so this record is greatly reduced.

This is also the reason why everyone is keen to come to pick up cheap. Yes, these nobles who bring their own dry food regard the British as "cheap".

Whoever made the British navy too powerful, the army gave people the impression that it was not good.In recent wars, the performance of the British army has been very rubbish.

In the eyes of many people, the combat effectiveness of the British Army was not very good, and now there are still a bunch of indigenous troops making up the numbers. Many people regard them as soft persimmons and plan to step on them.

If [-] British regular troops came, the nobles who came to pick up their heads would have to think carefully about whether they could eat it.

……

In Vienna, the news of the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War surprised Franz. He couldn't understand why the British would do it now.

The nobles will not report to the emperor the secret little actions.Everyone wants to make military exploits from the British. If the emperor orders to stop them, their work will be in vain.

Aristocrats have many advantages, but they also have many restrictions. One of them is that they cannot refuse the emperor's naming, at least they dare not.

Today is different from the past, even the few kings in the country are not capable of contending with the emperor, let alone their vassals directly under the emperor.

Even if the title cannot be abolished casually, it is still possible to transfer the title, for example: to change to the desert to eat sand; or to transfer to the world of ice and snow, where there is a lot of romance every day.

Even if the emperor wants to save face and give them a rich fiefdom, they will have to start the business again, and the vitality will be severely damaged.

If you don't understand, you don't bother to think about it.Franz's mentality is still very good. There are so many people with convulsions in this world, and he has seen many farces that are ridiculous.

The bureaucrats of the colony will take care of such small things.So far, there has been no proposal to involve the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which means that the situation is still under control.

Maybe there was a colonial government involved, none of that matters.Franz is not the kind of nitpicker, as long as the result is good, the process is not important.

South Africa's gold has not been exposed yet, if the emperor cares too much, it will easily attract the attention of interested people.

In his current position, Franz's every move will be interpreted as a political signal.If he showed an extraordinary interest in South Africa, many people would probably think that he was targeting the British.

Instead of this, it's better to hint to the subordinates to do it well, so as not to cause complications.

The annexation of the Boer Republic was what Franz meant. After enfeoffing the African nobles two years ago, he casually mentioned at the banquet: "The Boers are part of the empire."

As a result, someone ran to implement it. This is the benefit of being the boss.Send out a signal, and the younger brother will complete it.

If you do a good job, the emperor's leadership is naturally indispensable; if you mess things up, it doesn't matter, it's all done by the subordinates, and has nothing to do with the great emperor.

Of course, Franz was a good leader.This kind of person who does things according to his will, even if he messes things up, the final outcome will not be too bad.

After hesitating for a moment, Franz ordered: "Send a message to Stephen and secretly teach the British a lesson so that they can remember it long."

This kind of shady order was naturally just verbal.What to do specifically, the people below will think more thoughtfully.

Chapter 39 The Fisherman Now

The political idea of ​​the three-nation alliance between Britain, France and Austria actually appeared a few years ago after the arms race between Britain, France and Austria.

In the arms race, the Royal Navy failed to meet the two-power standard. People of insight in the British government believe that continuing the confrontation is likely to lead to France and Austria joining forces, which is not in the interests of Britain.

Some people proposed an alliance of three countries, in an attempt to use the form of an alliance to restrain France and Austria from expanding their armaments, and at the same time establish Britain's world hegemony and establish an international order with Britain at its core.

This plan is obviously too idealistic. Because of the conflict of interests among the three countries, the idea is always an idea and cannot be turned into reality.

To this day, Fao does not recognize the British as the world hegemony.No one wants to bow their heads. The people of France and Austria are also full of arrogance, but everyone can't stand it just because of their face.

If you read European newspapers, you will know that it is internationally recognized that the three pillars of Britain, France and Austria stand together.The British have advantages in the navy and in the economy, but they are far behind in the army.

Originally, in the era of sea power, the overlord of the sea was the overlord of the world.But the center of the world in this era is the European continent, and France and Austria have greater influence on the continent.

In the era when the boss couldn't hold down the second and third children, his dominance became nominal.No, even this "name" has not been recognized by the world.

Not long ago, the London government suddenly decided to promote the three-nation alliance. In addition to dismantling the French-Austrian alliance, it also wanted to make the title of world hegemon worthy of its name.

Britain, France and Austria form an alliance, and the old man of the alliance is naturally the world's hegemon.This is not just a false name, but also a series of benefits.

With this name, the British can gain benefits more easily when expanding overseas, and France and Austria can also benefit, but they are not as big as the British.

One of the biggest benefits is currency hegemony. The title of world hegemony will undoubtedly greatly increase the status of the pound, which can overwhelm Aegis and the franc in one fell swoop to become the world currency.

The three-nation alliance involves a wide range of interests, and soon after the negotiations started, they reached a deadlock.The sudden outbreak of the Anglo-Boer war made this alliance even more out of reach.

Many people, especially Berlin and St. Petersburg, were relieved that once the three countries of Britain, France and Austria were allied, they would not have a chance.

Everyone knows that behind the Anglo-Boer war is the Anglo-Austrian game. Everyone's eyes are on Vienna and London, wanting to see the reaction of the two countries.

The result is very regrettable. The Vienna government acted as if nothing had happened, and the London government did not respond.

This is just the opinion of the outside world. In fact, the London government is not calm.The conflict with Austria at this time has already affected their prior plans.

Now that the war has broken out, it is too late to say anything.Britain also wants to save face, and it is impossible to shrink back just because it is afraid of Austria.

Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli had already given Governor Delphi a bad evaluation in his heart.Of course, if the battle is won, this evaluation will still change.

It has nothing to do with being right or wrong, the main thing is that the timing of doing it is wrong.If the Portuguese are won over and the two join forces to expel the Austrians from South Africa, then everything will be worth it.

In the absence of this, it seems a bit outweighed the gain to do it just for the sake of the two Boer republics.

The gold mines in the Transvaal and the Orange Free State have not yet been discovered, and the diamond mines are just beginning to emerge. However, the price of diamonds is not high now, and this benefit is not enough to tempt Prime Minister Benjamin.

These are secondary, the point is that the London government is not sure of winning.It is natural to face the Boers alone, but with the participation of Austria, the situation has changed.

Everyone is in the same circle, and basically knows how much the other party has.It's not like I haven't played the trick of changing into a military uniform and appearing on the battlefield.

It is not so much a Boer Republic as it is now a German Republic. Even if tens of thousands of Austrian troops are mixed in, it is not a show.

Fighting in inland areas, the logistical pressure on both sides is very high, and no one can talk about how much advantage they have.

The trouble is that Austria's advantage in the African continent is too great, and there is a steady stream of supplementary troops, which makes Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli feel uncertain.

Prime Minister Benjamin asked straight to the point: "Sir Lewis, what do you think of the Boer war?"

There is no doubt that the Colonial Department was involved in this war.Otherwise, Governor Delphi alone would not be able to organize an army of [-].

Colonial expansion means wealth, regardless of whether the government loses or earns, the individuals or companies involved in the following will always earn blood.

Behind this war, there are also interest groups that are promoting. The diamond mines of the Boer Republic are not enough to tempt the London government, but they are enough to tempt the colonists in South Africa.

A few years ago, the South African colonial company had a series of armed conflicts with the Austrian colonial team because it rushed too fast. In the end, it couldn't hold on, and the two governments intervened before the truce.

This time they are the main force in promoting the Anglo-Boer war, and it has nothing to do with hatred. Anyway, they are all low-level thugs who died, and there is no blood feud between high-level people.

The main reason is that the surrounding expansion roads are blocked. If they don't attack the Boer Republic, they can only go to Namibia to eat sand.

Namibia in this era did not sell minerals. European colonists came here as early as the 15th century and then left.

There is no way, the semi-desert climate, even if you want to farm, there is no output, and the investment and output of mining are not proportional.

Apart from being suitable for fishing, it seems that there is no income.The South African colonial company also has pursuits. If you want to fish and stay in the country as a fisherman, why go all the way to South Africa?

The bureaucrats in the colony knew very well that if they didn't do it, they would never have the chance to do it.They came to the colony to make a fortune, not to dawdle.

There are so many people who want to fight, and the governor of Delphi, who has ideals and aspirations, is naturally good at following others.

Naturally, the British Colonial Department will not dampen the enthusiasm of the subordinates. If they win the battle, they will share the credit.

Colonial Secretary Sir Louis is not a member of the cabinet this term, and he is not on the same path as Prime Minister Benjamin. His appointment was the result of a compromise between all parties, so it is not surprising to delay the reporting time.

Louis nonchalantly said: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, I just found out about this matter. Our telegraph line in South Africa is not very stable, and there are many loopholes in the last report.

Judging from the current situation, the progress on the front line is still very smooth. The telegram said that our army has advanced hundreds of miles, and the Boers will collapse at the first touch.

If the Austrians don't get involved, I don't think there's any problem winning the war, and now we can prepare a feast for our lads. "

Prime Minister Benjamin glared at him fiercely, he had already made a decision in his heart, if he wins the war, it's fine, if he loses, let this annoying guy in front of him get out.

As a trusted foreign secretary, Maclean immediately retorted: "Sir Louis, your speculations are all based on possible circumstances, and the reality may be the opposite.

Until now, we at the Foreign Office have had no protests from the Austrians.Presumably no one would think that the Vienna government dared not even protest? "

Nothing happens, which is the worst possible outcome.If the Austrians protest strongly, it means that this matter is still under control and can be resolved through diplomatic means.

Now that the Vienna government is silent, it must be making a big move. It will not be surprising that the Anglo-Boer war has evolved into a British-Austrian confrontation, or even a local war broke out.

Benjamin sarcastically said: "Since the Colonial Department has made preparations, you will be responsible for this war, and our cabinet will fully cooperate."

"The Cabinet cooperates with the Colonial Department", if this is said, it will definitely be on the front page of the London newspaper. Things that have the priority reversed rarely happen in the UK.

Louis' face changed, he couldn't hear the meaning behind the words.However, this war did not go through the approval of the cabinet, although this is a normal operation in colonial expansion and is a legal act.

But in this case, the cabinet does not need to be responsible for the war, but the Colonial Department and the Cape Town colonial government will bear full responsibility.

This is not what Louis wants. The credit can be claimed together, but the responsibility should be left to the officials of the colony. He doesn't want to tie himself with them.

This is a politician's survival instinct. If you can't shirk your responsibilities, then don't do things.Doing more and making more mistakes is an inevitable result.

Louis hurriedly evaded: "Your Excellency, this war was completely an accident, and our Colonial Department did not know about it beforehand. For the specific situation, let's wait for the detailed report from the Governor of Cape Town!"

Now that it has been determined that the Austrians will intervene, we must take more active measures. If the navy can block the enemy's coastline, the war will be stable. "

Seeing the fire burning on his own head, Secretary of the Navy Robert sneered: "Sir Louis, you don't know that the two Boer republics are landlocked countries. Which port do you want the Royal Navy to blockade?"

Although the Royal Navy is the most powerful navy in the world, they are not omnipotent.At least to blockade the Boer Republic, they couldn't do it.

Open the map and you will know that the Boers are already bordering the Austrian African colony.To block them, Austrian Africa must be blocked. This coastline is not too long, just a few thousand kilometers.

If the Austrian Navy did not exist, the Royal Navy would be dispatched en masse, which would almost do it.This requires the cooperation of the French and the Portuguese, otherwise the capitalists will not mind Lu Yuan.

For a continent, the so-called blockade is a joke.At least in the 19th century, except for Antarctica and Australia, which were born with insufficient resources, several other continents were not afraid of blockade.

Don't think that industry cannot be established just because there is no industry on the African continent.With people, resources, and technology, as long as the Vienna government is willing, a rudimentary industrial system can be born within two or three years.

Looking at the embarrassed Louis, the anger in Benjamin's heart has subsided a lot, and it is better to deal with the aftermath as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if they really lose the war, their cabinet will not have a good life.No matter how cleanly the blame is pushed, the hat of incompetence cannot be removed.

Many times ridiculous policies are released, not because politicians don't know, but because they have to do it for their own interests.

Benjamin said solemnly: "Okay, Sir Louis. Your colonial department should come up with a combat plan as soon as possible, and you must win this war."

They still have some confidence in fighting in South Africa. The Austrian forces have just penetrated into it not long ago, and they have been operating there for decades.

The troops that can be invested in the local area far exceed the troops that Austria can invest. As long as the speed is fast enough, the war may end before the arrival of Austrian reinforcements.

……

Two dogs fight, play off.Seeing that Britain and Austria are about to start fighting, Napoleon III is not willing to be lonely.While cheering for the Vienna government, it also accelerated the pace of expansion in Italy.

The game between Britain and Austria in South Africa has restrained most of the energies of the two countries, which created a golden opportunity for the French.

At this moment, no one has the strength to intervene in their annexation of the Italian region, and they will use force if they can't agree.

Since the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, the French have increased their garrisons in various Italian states, and the threat has been fully revealed.

If it weren't for the consideration of the influence of the international community, Napoleon III would have already sat on the Italian throne, and now he is short of the last step to be crowned.

Chapter 40 I want to be a fisherman but I can't

It's not just the French who want to be fishermen. After the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, Prussia is also ready to move.

It's just that William I was more cautious and didn't rush to take the lead.Although Britain and Austria have done it in South Africa, it is all secretly, and the two sides are "friendly countries" on the surface.

Not breaking the skin means that both parties can compromise at any time.William I did not think that the South African issue was the deadlock between the two countries.

However, his point of view is not the same as that of the Berlin government. The Junker nobles, who have long been impatient, have already begun to move.