African Entrepreneurship Record

”Marshal, news from Rome has arrived. Admiral Karl has defeated the Kingdom of Italy’s army attacking the Pope Country, and they are preparing to counterattack Florence!” The intelligence officer rushed to Archduke Albert’s headquarters with a telegram. Albert took the telegram and confirmed it.

”Very good, pass down my order, cross the river, and launch a full-scale attack,” Archduke Albert exclaimed excitedly. ”Now let’s see what Emmanuel II chooses to do. If he withdraws his army, the front line will be in turmoil. If not, the expeditionary force can thrust directly into Florence, hahaha,” Albert laughed heartily.

As for the Kingdom of Italy urgently calling up more personnel to defend Florence, that is naturally feasible, but the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s expeditionary force is the most elite, the best of the best, how could it be resisted by such a ragtag group, hastily organized from men who just laid down their plows?

Moreover, how many farmers the Kingdom of Italy can mobilize is still an unknown, and if the number is too small, they will not play any significant role.

Albert has refrained from taking action in recent days, waiting for news from Rome. The Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Kingdom of Italy have three battlefronts, besides the eastern front and Rome, there is also the naval theater.

The easiest breakthrough was in Rome, so after receiving the telegram from Rome, Albert no longer hesitated.

As the order was given, the eager Austro-Hungarian Empire troops crossed the forefront positions on the west bank of the Isonzo River, heading towards the Italian defensive line along the Isonzo River, long turned into ruins by artillery, and soon the first Italian defensive line was completely destroyed.

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On the same day as the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s full-scale attack on the Kingdom of Italy, the Battle of Sedan also broke out. Prussia deployed 248 infantry battalions, 189 cavalry battalions, and over 800 artillery pieces, totaling over 200,000 men, to attack the 120,000-strong French army, placing Napoleon III in a situation even more dangerous than historically.

”Your Majesty, the Prussian artillery is too fierce, our artillery isn’t effective against them at all!”

”Your Majesty, just now, Marshal McMahon was wounded by shrapnel from the shell explosion. Marshal McMahon’s condition is very bad.”

”Our troops have suffered heavy casualties...”

Bad news continually flowed into the bunker where Napoleon III was located, and despair spread among the French army.

Meanwhile, William I and Bismarck stood on a distant hill, watching with satisfaction as the troops attacked the French positions.

”That’s the Bavarian army. Although their numbers aren’t small, their organizational capability is too weak. They need more training in the future.”

”The Heixinggen Brigade performed quite well, young and vibrant, but unfortunately too small in number.”

”Baden and Württemberg are of poor standard, indeed too long without experiencing war has left them incompetent, though the officers’ command level is still intact, but the ordinary soldiers are not up to par.”

”Overall, our army is qualified, but the French are still quite tenacious, and their techniques aren’t flawed. Unfortunately, there can only be one victor.”

William I commented on the troops in the distance.

”Your Majesty, if nothing unexpected happens, this time the kingdom’s victory is assured, clearing the last obstacle to German unification,” Bismarck stated from behind William I.

”Hmm, by the way, I heard the Heixinggen Brigade will withdraw from the war afterwards?”

”Yes, the Heixinggen Brigade is after all an army composed of students. Other troops can be reinforced, but Heixinggen Brigade cannot, so His Highness Ernst decided to have the Heixinggen Brigade return for rest after the Battle of Sedan,” Mochi explained.

”That’s fine, but it’s unfortunate that as France’s defeat is almost sure, other states intend to go to Paris to claim their share, and Bavaria’s follow-up troops have already set off. It’s a pity for Heixinggen to withdraw at this time,” William I said.

Given the character of most armies of this era, it’s almost certain that a disaster will soon come to French territory. Even the French army isn’t immune to this; a portion of French deserters have already started on the ’rapid path to wealth’ within their own country, with military discipline thoroughly ruined, while their emperor remains besieged in Sedan, unable to proceed.

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The European battlefield was ablaze on all fronts, yet the earliest to sound the war horn, East Africa, progressed extremely slowly, mainly due to the long supply lines and poor transportation hindering their expansion.

The first to complete the mission was the Southwest Army of only a thousand men, whose destination was the Okavango Delta in what was previously Botswana, close to Zambia, so the distance wasn’t very far, just over a hundred kilometers southwest across the Zambezi River.

Botswana, located within the Kalahari Basin, has its territory mostly in a tropical desert climate, with deserts accounting for seventy percent, especially in the west, more barren than Somali.

The Kalahari Desert is an anomaly among deserts for its plant coverage, mostly succulents and shrubs, with some trees in the east and north.

During the rainy season, some rainfall does occur here, but it’s extremely arid otherwise. Given the Kalahari Desert’s vast area, about six hundred thousand square kilometers, it’s evident from the population of post-world Botswana and Namibia how tough survival here is. The two countries combined cover over one million three hundred thousand square kilometers but have only five million people, whereas Burundi, with an area of less than thirty thousand square kilometers, has over ten million people, so East Africa decided to forgo exploration of the desert interior.

In the east, closer to Zimbabwe, there is some ecological value, but it is left to the Southern Road Army to conquer, and further south would be South Africa.

”The mosquitoes here are really numerous!” an East African soldier complained.

Even after spending such a long time in Africa, such a mosquito-infested place like the Okavango Delta, where mosquitoes could almost carry a person away, is rarely seen.

”Mainly because it’s all swamps here, and the aquatic environment isn’t great. The Great Lakes Region nearby also has many mosquitoes, but this is too exaggerated,” Karl said while using his hat to drive away mosquitoes around him.

”Stop complaining, setting up the house quickly is the top priority, so let’s hurry up and fell some trees! Otherwise, if we keep camping, it feels like all our blood will be sucked dry.”

”Not that exaggerated! But the marching tents indeed can’t keep out those mosquitoes. Yesterday, they bit me through the rain cover. Fortunately, it’s not too hot yet (it’s winter-spring transition in the Southern Hemisphere, though the latitude here is low, so there are still mosquitoes), otherwise it would be really terrible.”