Chapter 493: Packaging is Important
Chapter 482 Packaging is Important
The war continued, and Franz had already made a program for the development of Africa after the war. By this point, the Anglo-Boer War had evolved into a confrontation between Britain and Austria.
The South African battlefield was only one part of the whole change in the international situation. By now the world was divided up and it was very difficult for everyone to continue to exercise restraint.
It is conceivable that colonial conflicts will continue to be staged in the future. This South African war is just a warm-up game, which is considered to be exploring a new path for the resolution of international conflicts.
The weak and the strong will be the theme of this world, and the competition between the powers is getting hotter and hotter. The strong get more cake and become more powerful; the weak are squeezed and their living space is further compressed.
South Africa, West Victoria.
Endless supply wagons, raising rolling balls of ash, as if enveloping everything. The vehicles creak forward, snaking for dozens of miles on improvised roads.
Bathed in the morning light, thrown on the wagons quilted clothes, shining red; rakes, shovels, small wooden barrels are erected, as if the guard post ……
In the distance there were busy crowds clearing obstacles from the road. South Africa in this era is sparsely populated, and there are just a few indigenous tribes along the hundreds of miles, and road transportation is almost equal to nothing.
Now they walk the road, or when the British in order to attack the Boer Republic repair, along the way many places have been destroyed.
Infantry marching, these difficulties can be overcome, supply wagons can not, must first repair the road.
The original cannon fodder troops, now transformed into laborers, were struggling hard. From time to time there were overseers wielding whips, urging, wanting to speed up.
Viscount Fikeni, who was following the large force, looked at the time and asked, “How long before the supply caravan can arrive?”
As in most wars, the “Boer Republican Army” was waiting for provisions. There is no other way, deep into the enemy’s territory to fight, is bound to be a large force to open the road, supply convoys follow closely behind.
Because the front is advancing too fast, the logistics gradually cannot keep up.
The original plan was to transport the supplies by river, but unfortunately, it was the summer flood season, and the British had destroyed the rivers on their way out, making water transportation a dream.
In this war, the greatest enemy was time. Viscount Fikeni with his troops have already arrived in Worcester, not far from Cape Town, at most two days will be able to soldiers under the city.
The war has been carried out to the present, the British have given up the defense line along the way, concentrate on the defense of Cape Town.
Cape Town was now heavily fortified, and British reinforcements were still coming in. Failure to end the war within the year would mean the bankruptcy of this battle plan.
The advantage of sea power is such a cow, John Bull relies on the sea to transport supplies, supplies are not a problem at all.
Austria, on the other hand, had to rely on horse-drawn carts and oxcarts to transport supplies, and the troops that could be put into this offensive and defensive war were extremely limited.
If you can not play a time difference, in the British army before the main force assembly completed the end of the war, the back of the offensive and defensive situation will change places.
“The first batch of supplies, will arrive tomorrow night; the second batch of supplies, is expected to arrive a week later.”
The one who answered the question was a young officer, about twenty or so years old, with a powerful voice, matched with a uniform that looked extraordinarily spirited, as if it was tailor-made for him.
After calculating it in his mind, Viscount Fikeni ordered, “Urge the logistics department once more to bring the supplies over as soon as possible at all costs.
Order the 2nd Regiment of Engineers to dredge the rivers along the way as soon as possible. Allow them to recruit indigenous laborers on the spot, don’t care about losses, I just want speed!”
Viscount Fikeni was no longer a middle-aged teenager, the credit for capturing Cape Town was certainly tempting, but this war was not a good one.
If the previous war hadn’t knocked out the British’s military morale, this summer offensive, he wouldn’t even have launched it.
Now the British are concentrating their forces around the city of Cape Town, bringing together a full 85,000 or so troops in this area of more than 1,000 square kilometers.
Most of them were white troops, and the cannon fodder troops were basically exhausted in the previous battles, and it was too late to replenish them.
In this respect, Governor Delphi was qualified. Although he lost the city and ground, he preserved the main force.
To Viscount Fikeni, this would not be good. The enemy on the other side was slippery and old, and would not engage him in a main force duel at all.
The first to win in a war is not considered the winner, the final victor is the real winner. In order not to be turned over by the British, Viscount Fikeni was also preparing aftermath measures.
Dredging the river is one of them, as long as the logistic transportation is guaranteed. Even if the British won the defense of Cape Town, at most, they would only be able to keep this corner of the Cape of Good Hope.
Want to counterattack back, first the British Army to expand two or three times it! Otherwise, that pocket-sized army is not enough to fill the hole.
“Yes, His Excellency the Commander.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, a young officer got up, walked dozens of meters away, and picked up the phone to convey the order.
That’s right, telephones had appeared in the military. Like many countries, the most advanced technology was usually utilized in the military before appearing in the civilian world.
Because of the war, the telephone was also brought into the army of the “Boer Republic”. Only for a short period of time, it was only used as a short-distance information transmission tool, and the telegraph was still used for long distances.
The telephone has now taken over the communication within the command. What used to require a messenger to make a trip is now communicated directly by telephone.
After the sound of “drip drip drip ……”, the phone of the logistics department was connected, the young officer quickly conveyed the order, and then connected to the engineer command ……
After a moment’s pause, an army staff officer said, “Commander, this Cape Town offensive and defense is not a good fight. In order to minimize losses, I suggest that we enlist as many cannon fodder units as possible.
If the attack is blocked, just fill it up with human lives. The experience of the Russians in attacking Constantinople back then is something we can also learn from.”
It was not the best way, but the most effective. The heavy artillery had long been prepared by the Viennese government and was already on its way to be transported.
While using heavy artillery to attack the city, naturally, it is also necessary to fill it with human lives. Don’t look at everyone wearing the “Boer Republican” army vest, but in fact is still Austria’s troops.
It is definitely impossible to use these troops to fill up the city. Moreover, their numbers are not large enough. Even now, there are only about 40,000 of them.
It was good to see that the British army on the opposite side was not much better, appearing to have a large number of people, but in reality the number of regular troops was only 20,000 to 30,000 people.
The rest were either temporary recruits or colonial troops from all over the world, and the situation of indiscriminate recruitment was very serious.
In addition to the early all the way to eat defeat, continuous defeat to make the military spirit of morale is completely lost, only by the Austrian pressure to fight.
Without any hesitation, Viscount Fikeni gave the order: “Order the third division to go out and conscript all the young and strong men from all the tribes that appear within their sight, and kill anyone who violates the order. Remember to levy another portion of food, to reduce the logistical pressure as much as possible.”
Callousness was a must for a colonizer. Viscount Fikeni didn’t care what consequences this order would cause, as long as it was enough to win the war.
……
The city of Cape Town, is now on edge. Governor Telford made several speeches to boost morale, however, with the past record of the war, his words were not convincing.
“Two hundred thousand” Boer Republican troops are about to descend on the city, how can the people in the city not panic, the rich have already left by boat.
Those without money were also ready to drag their families to the Cape of Good Hope region to avoid trouble. Although the two places are not far from each other, the Cape of Good Hope will be difficult to protect even if Cape Town is lost.
But it is always better to be far away from the enemy, at least for a while.
The Pringle family was also among the evacuees, and because their family could not afford to buy a carriage, they had to rely on manpower to push their unicycle forward.
There were many other such families on the road. With their few belongings, they fled Cape Town for the Cape of Good Hope.
“Pringle, you’ve been drafted, hurry up and head over to report with our troops!”
A familiar voice rang out and Pringle was in hell. It was this voice that made his three sons go to war, and now their lives and deaths were unknown.
Pringle hurriedly explained, “Honorable Sergeant Amber, I am already 48 years old, long past the age of service, and not within the scope of conscription.”
His sons had all entered the army to serve, and now he couldn’t go any further; if the backbone of his family was gone, what would happen to his three young grandchildren?
In this day and age, women’s salaries could be much lower than men’s, and it would be difficult to rely on them to support the children.
Police Chief Amber sighed, pushed down the trace of conscience in his heart, and sternly scolded, “Two hundred thousand enemy troops are pressing in, and Cape Town is in crisis.
In order to defend Cape Town, the Governor’s Office has just issued a new decree that extends the length of service to 55 years.
If you don’t want to go into service, you pay the 50 pounds immunization money. If you don’t have the money, there’s no point in talking to me.”
This was obviously not an order from the Governor of Delphi, who, as a competent politician, could not have given such a heartless order.
People age fast in this era, and it’s hard to be effective when you’re old enough to be on the battlefield. The enlistment order from the Governor’s Office was only for young men between the ages of 18 and 40, with no interest in the old and weak.
It was only that the officials below had changed the regulations to enrich themselves, and as rich people paid to escape military service, this shortage needed to be filled.
Pringle, who couldn’t afford to pay, was forced to enlist. It was also his bad luck, if he ran fast enough, he might have dodged a bullet.
This era of military chaos, there is no Pringle there are other unlucky people on top, in any case, enough people on the line, the specific service is who, this is not important at all.
“Two hundred thousand” this is Viscount Fikeni called himself, the population is less than two hundred thousand Boer Republic, why can put together two hundred thousand troops, this is not known.
Anyway, Governor Telford swore that the enemy was two hundred thousand. Yes, it was by sheer numbers that the Boers defeated them, and there can be absolutely no doubt about that.
The telegrams to the Government in London said so, and naturally there could be no exception in the Cape Colony. So long as he did not want to be made a scapegoat for the failure of this war, he had to make the figure true.
It was not as if the British public could not tolerate defeat, and in a situation where the enemy was strong and we were weak, an occasional defeat could be forgiven.
It came down to propaganda, and Governor Delphi was obviously good at self-packaging. The blame for the failure of the war had already been shifted.
Otherwise, the London government would have replaced him a long time ago, no one can tolerate a governor who constantly fails. Especially a governor who is restless and takes the initiative to start a war.
The middle-aged officer reported, “His Excellency the Governor, the new round of conscription has been completed, this time totaling 8,000 men.”
Governor Delphi nodded and said compassionately, “Very well, you guys did a very good job. It’s just that the people of Cape Town have suffered, this time they will be required to make sacrifices for the empire.”
At this moment, Governor Delphi did not look like a treacherous politician, but instead wanted to be more of a compassionate Madonna.
An official immediately cooperated, “It can’t be helped, the enemy is raging, once Cape Town is lost, no one can hide.
The people are now enlisting in the army, also to protect their families from the pain of war.
His Excellency the Governor, there is no need to be too sad, the sacrifices of the populace are all worth it, I believe everyone will understand your pain.”
The Governor of Delphi, who seemed to be possessed by a movie emperor, shook his head and said, “It doesn’t matter what the populace thinks of me, it’s all for the sake of the empire.
As long as I can keep Cape Town, even if I were to be told to die immediately now, I wouldn’t even frown.
I have already decided, vowing to live and die with Cape Town. This is my written testament, if I am unfortunate enough to die in battle, I would be grateful if you would help me give it to my family.”
The scene was melodramatic, and the crowd was moved. But this was only on the surface, everyone knew clearly that once Cape Town was lost, the Governor of Delphi who started this war was finished.
Returning to London alive, there would be no less than a court martial. He would spend the rest of his life in prison, and along with his family, he would not be able to raise his head.
The best option was to die on the battlefield, then the situation changed instantly. Even for the sake of political propaganda, the London government would turn him into a “tragic hero”.
The Governor of Telford was well aware of these circumstances, and even knew that even if he saved Cape Town, he would not be able to get away with it.
In order to alleviate his responsibility, he now had to play this bitter drama to make himself a “hero”.
(End of chapter)