Chapter 693 Independent again!
The military gap is indeed the easiest to smooth over. After all, it is impossible to surpass East Africa in other directions. To put it bluntly, the Orange Free State is a palm-sized place in front of East Africa. Its population and land have already been greatly affected. limits.
However, if the Boers in the region are mobilized to the maximum extent, that is, like Paraguay in South America, with hundreds of thousands of troops, the Transvaal can also do it.
Of course, to do this is obviously not the intention of the Transvaal leaders here. If it is like Paraguay, the future of the Transvaal Republic will be ruined unless it also follows Paraguay's example and reintroduces a large number of people.
But now Paraguay is as if it has been replaced. Is it still the same Paraguay as before? Therefore, things must not develop in that direction. After all, we are not the war maniac imitating "Napoleon" like Little Pelos. We just want to obtain a small piece of land in South Africa and rebuild the homeland of the Boers.
Moreover, the Transvaal Republic may not be as brave as Paraguay. Although Lopez failed, he did manage to fight one against three, and behind the enemy was the support of Britain, the world hegemon.
At that time, Paraguay was significantly more modern than the current Orange Free State. After all, the Boers were regarded as a group of herders in South Africa in the eyes of East Africa.
At that time, Paraguay had already risen rapidly under the leadership of two generations of presidents, the Lopez family. They sent people to study and study in European powers and imitated the West to build their own country.
It not only attracted a large amount of foreign investment to activate the economy, but also introduced technology to build railways, steel plants, and lay telegraphs. It also attached great importance to public facilities, and institutions such as schools and hospitals emerged that were beneficial to people's livelihood.
The population of the Orange Free State is not as large as that of Paraguay, and the land is not as fertile as Paraguay. In the past, the Transvaal Republic was rich in mineral resources, but it has already made a wedding dress for East Africa.
In the past few years, we have experienced the civil war between the Transvaal and the Orange. It can be said that the economic development is in a mess. The only gain is the construction of a modern army with the support of the British, and it has certain practical experience.
This army is also the source of confidence for the Transvaal people, so the smallest gap between the Transvaal Republic and East Africa is the military.
"First communicate with the British. They are too procrastinating. Threate them appropriately. If they cannot send assistance to us, we will disband the army and no longer fight against East Africa. I think this is not what the British want to see. situation!" said the Minister of Defense.
It's a threat, but it's more like showing off. Just like the British workers going on strike to demand that the government and factory owners forcibly increase wages, if the British can't meet the demands of the Transvaal people, the Transvaal people can also fight against East Africa. Things are messed up.
"I have to say that this is a good idea. Every time we make reasonable demands, the British do not pay attention to them. On the contrary, this curve threat may be more effective!" Pretorius Jr. said.
This scene of the Transvaal Republic's top leaders uniting their opinions and preparing to put pressure on the British has to be said to be a kind of irony, because in the 21st century, the former Soviet Union countries also have a politician who stands up to beg for food from the European and American governments.
This kind of political correctness also exists in the small "international community" in South Africa. Boers, Portuguese, British, and even black people all agree that the East African Kingdom is an "evil" empire.
Therefore, the Transvaal people can stand on the moral high ground and ask for money from the British government. If there is a 21st century media in this era, I am afraid that Pretorius will also learn from Ozawa and criticize those who do not give money to the Transvaal. British politicians who withdrew aid were accused of "illegal" acts.
What's more, it is a coincidence that the current top leader of the Orange Free State is a Transvaal, while Ozawa is a Jew. Neither of them is "one of our own" in the eyes of the "original people" in the region.
…
Cape Town.
In fact, Britain was speechless about the "reasonable" demands of the Transvaal people.
"Can't these idiots solve this problem by themselves! We don't have the time or energy to take care of the so-called Transvaal people now, and an army of more than 10,000 people shouldn't be too much for the Transvaal people, even if Sell a few more cows and you should be able to make your money back!" Governor Battle Freer said.
"Your Majesty the Governor, in fact, the Boers do raise a lot of cattle and sheep, but their liquidity is very poor. In the past, they could export the goods directly from the east, but now they can only sell them through our territory and by local merchants, so the price There is a lot less flexibility, and the Boers attach great importance to the quality of life, and they are not willing to pay taxes or spend money on military expenditures, and except for lunatics like Prussia, few countries do that."
The subordinates' words are quite reasonable. The Orange Free State is surrounded by East Africa on three sides. Traditional trade routes have been cut off. Coupled with the impact of the war, the family has almost lost all its wealth. Moreover, British profiteers have raised prices, compressing the profit margins of the Boers, leaving the Orange Free State government revenue fell further.
In the past, the Orange Free State could collect taxes from local diamond mine owners or transit merchants. Now these are run by the British. The Orange Free State has also become a colony managed by Cape Town, so naturally it cannot collect taxes. This part of the tax.
Barthel Freer said helplessly: "If you ask us for money, you will definitely not be able to do it. However, we will not be merciful to those profiteers who are desperate for money. They should have contributed to the resistance in East Africa. After all, our ultimate goal in South Africa is Isn’t it to protect their interests? So let the Orange Free State government discuss re-establishing tariffs and levying taxes on local companies!”
"Will this cause dissatisfaction among the business people in this country?"
"There is no other way. For the benefit of the British Empire, there are always people who have to sacrifice their own private interests, and they have been eating so much fat these years, it is time to contribute to the country." Bartel Freer said nonchalantly.
"Your Majesty the Governor, I have an idea. I wonder if I can kill two birds with one stone without offending the local businessmen and appease the Boers."
"Huh? Let's talk about it."
Bartle Freer would naturally be more willing to do this if he could not directly offend his country's businessmen and mine owners in the Orange Free State.
"We might as well let the Orange Free State become independent again!"
Barthel Freer asked in shock: "Do you know what you are talking about?"
"Your Majesty the Governor, this is the best way. In fact, the Orange Free State is a burden to us. Our colonial government cannot directly obtain many benefits from the Orange Free State. Most of the benefits have been The local businessmen took it away, and the Orange Free State is still a powder keg that can explode at any time for Cape Town. Sooner or later, they will have a conflict with East Africa. If a war breaks out, we will be involved and unable to Get away.”
Barthel Freer: "You mean strategic initiative?"
"Yes, if the Orange Free State regains its independence, they will not be able to morally kidnap Cape Town, and all they can rely on is us in the UK. Even if they become independent again, they will still obey our orders in the face of threats from East Africa."
It’s not that the British are opposed to the Transvaal’s war in East Africa, but that the time to start the war must be in their own hands. They cannot be dragged down by the Transvaal and passively start the war. Therefore, it is enough to let the Orange Free State regain its independence. Solve this problem.
