Chapter 468: Tangled Louis

  Chapter 457 – Tangled Louis

The strongest fortress is always breached from the inside, this simple truth Delphi Governor naturally understand, from the beginning he was not prepared to do battle with the Austrians in Africa.

Perhaps the Royal Navy could suppress the Austrian Navy and even blockade most of the ports, they still had no chance of winning.

Do not look at the South African region’s total population of more than two and a half million, which is mostly black, the mid-19th century Cape Town area of white people more than 100,000 people, including the Boers.

Pressured by the Austrian emigration spree, the London government also accelerated the pace of immigration. Unfortunately Britain had a limited population and too many colonies.

They had to juggle too many places at the same time, firstly Australia and Canada where gold had already been discovered, followed by areas such as New Zealand and India, and by the time it was South Africa’s turn the number of immigrants was already low.

This was the reason for Governor Telford’s concern, whether he wanted it or not, the lack of immigration became the main factor limiting the development of the South African region.

In the original time and space the South African region developed, it was the late 19th century, the discovery of the world’s largest gold mine group, only to attract a large number of immigrants.

Now in this period, South Africa does not have much advantage over the rest of Africa, at least in the minds of the populace.

Delphi asked eagerly, “Blair, how are the plans coming along, are they willing to work with us?”

Facing the expectant Governor Delphi, Blair lowered his head and answered only after half a minute, “Unfortunately, Your Excellency the Governor, our plan has failed.

Austria has infiltrated the Transvaal and Orange even more than expected, and the news appeared in the newspapers just shortly after we made contact with them.

As you know, our feud with the Boers cannot be dissolved in a few words. After the news leaked, the few friends who contacted us did not dare to act rashly.”

Where there are people there is a jungle, and there are not a few among the Boers who oppose cooperation with Austria. But that did not mean that they were able to cooperate with the British.

Originally, these Boers were not willing to be British and were forced to move their way inland, and they naturally did not feel good about the British who had seized their homes.

Civilian anti-British sentiment was already strong, and with the intervention of Austria, anti-British had become politically correct in both the Transvaal and Orange.

After the news was leaked, those who were ready to cooperate with the British were caught in the maelstrom of public opinion and could not protect themselves, so naturally they did not dare to continue their actions.

As for the British threat, unfortunately Austria was the boss on the African continent. The Transvaal and Orange are both landlocked countries, and the Royal Navy, as powerful as it is, can’t get ashore.

The British in the Cape Town area alone, the question of who threatens who, all need to think hard.

This result was unexpected by Governor Delphi, who was originally prepared to buy the anti-Austrian faction among the Boers, stirring up conflicts between the two sides and forcing the Transvaal and Orange countries to fall to them.

With the Boers as a buffer, British rule in the South African region is solid. Austria also ate and held on, and was simply powerless to retaliate in a short time.

What lay ahead was a matter for the next term, and Governor Delphi did not feel that he needed to think so much about it. Stabilizing the situation at minimal cost was the priority.

Governor Delphi grumbled in retaliation, ”It seems like we’re in big trouble, and we won’t be able to sleep well until we’ve solved the two threats of the Transvaal and Orange.

Damn Boers, good as a buffer state is not good, have to fall to Austria, do you really think we are good to bully it!”

If the Boers knew what he was thinking, they would be very wronged, they have always been neutral ah!

Close to Austria that is normal, in addition to the feelings of the people, they also need trade.

As a small landlocked country surrounded by Britain, Austria and Portugal, they are not close to Austria, do not run to hug the Portuguese thighs?

Explanations are useless, by falling to Austria they threatened the British rule in Cape Town, a reality that was more convincing than any reason.

Blair proposed, “His Excellency the Governor, cutting the relationship between the Lebensraum and Austria from within has failed, and now the only thing to do is to activate the backup plan as soon as possible.

Action to interrupt cooperation between the Boers before Austria annexes them is now an opportunity.”

Indeed it was an opportunity, the continent was simply too big, and despite their efforts to build railroads, the Austrians still hadn’t been able to solve the transportation problem.

In the areas of Zimbabwe and Botswana, the Austrians were also very limited in the forces they could mobilize. It’s not that there are no large armies, the main bad transportation limits the number of troops that can be sent out.

This was the real cause of Austria’s expansion to the limit. Don’t look at Austria in the African continent has a lot of immigrants, once spread out, a region is not much.

To find these settlements, it was enough to set out along the rivers. Areas without rivers were largely undeveloped.

Pulling out the Transvaal and Orange nails before Austria solved the transportation problem was the British backup plan.

“Oy!”

Delphi sighed before saying, “Start preparing, the cabinet has already agreed to our plan, and the foreign ministry will cooperate with our actions.”

……

Portugal, King Louis is now panicking. People are sitting at home, but trouble is coming from the sky.

Britain and Austria are fighting over the South African region and now they need to take sides.

Do not look at Portugal is only a small country, in Europe’s influence is very limited. But to the African continent, especially the South African region Portuguese also have the right to speak.

They can keep Mozambique and Angola region, relying on more than just flexible diplomatic means, more or their own strength.

Perhaps this strength, to the European continent is not much, but in the African continent can not be underestimated. If they don’t have the strength, they will be robbed even if they do a good job in diplomacy.

The family knows its own business, now Portugal has been unable to compete with Britain, France and Austria for overseas colonies, these years Louis I has been in a state of guard.

By virtue of the relationship with the British and Austrians are good, the Portuguese colonies in the African continent, and has not been violated.

Now the British wanted them to take sides, and the government in London wanted to gain the support of the Portuguese African power to drive Austria out of the South African region.

Not to mention whether or not it could be done, just to be in direct confrontation with Austria, Louis I wimped out.

As for their pink map program, connecting Angola and Mozambique region, has long been abandoned by him. Now is no longer the era of Portugal, to be able to keep the existing base is good.

Sandwiched between two empires, this kind of day is not easy to live, otherwise Louis I strong inside, may not be directly collapsed.

The promise given by the British, Luis is not interested at all.

Perhaps the British and Portuguese countries join forces, in South Africa can suppress the Austrians, but what about the retaliation afterwards?

Counting on the protection of the British, that is not a sheep into the tiger’s mouth? The original time and space Portugal was forced to fall to the British, the result of colonization in a large amount of wealth was seized by the British.

Now the consequences are even more serious, once and the British and Angola region will be finished immediately. The Congo region, which has been run by Austria for many years, is now capable of supporting a big battle of 100,000 people.

The Mozambique region, likewise, would not fare well. Portugal and Austria border too many areas, once the conflict, Portugal will never have peace.

Louis I didn’t think that the British, who had promised to keep their colonies safe, would really go to war with Austria for their sake.

Even if the conflict of interest in South Africa is so serious, the two sides are maintaining restraint, not openly direct fighting, is enough to explain everything.

Moreover, Portugal and Austria also have friendship, when Austria took the step of colonization, gained the support of Portugal. Franz publicly made a promise: will not plot any Portuguese colonies.

This declaration, Louis I still believe in. After so many years, Austria did not reach out to their colonies.

To break this favorable situation for the sake of the English promise was, in Louis I’s opinion, a complete loss.

Moreover, even if Portugal did obtain the Zambian region, connecting Angola and Mozambique together might not be a good thing.

It is not good to be a buffer between the powers, especially if they have taken sides, they will have to be tied to the British and suffer Austrian retaliation.

This was not what Louis I wanted, but rejecting the British was equally not easy, and with John Bull’s style, how could he easily let go of them as a pawn?

……

Push the book “Sheng Tang Taishi”, the new work of the old author.

Note: Luis I full name: Luis Felipe Maria Fernando Pedro de Alcántara Antonio Miguel Rafael Gabriel Gonzaga Xavier Francisco de Assis John Augusto Julio Valfando

I’m afraid to write it out, I’m afraid you’ll get dizzy reading it.

(End of chapter)