African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 389: Chapter 66 Battle Meeting

On the second day after Ernst arrived in First Town, there was nothing particularly special to do. His main focus was presiding over the preparations for war against the Boers. The Boers must be fought, and there was no other reason; it was purely a strategic consideration for East Africa.

If we don’t annex the Boer land now, we will face not just the Boers in the future, but also the British.

Secondly, East Africa must use force against the Boers. There is nothing to discuss between the two parties. The Boers may surrender to the British, but they will absolutely not surrender to East Africa unless East Africa grants the Boers significant privileges, which the East African government will never agree to.

At Sweet Palace, Ernst was discussing the war against the Boers with army generals.

Ernst: ”This war is different from the past. Besides our opponents turning from Black to White, we also face a serious issue: the Transvaal Republic is too far from East Africa’s current core areas. Last time the Ndebele rebellion could be suppressed by mobilizing troops from South Salzburg Province, but this time there is no such advantage in fighting the Boers.

Therefore, the war against the Boers must be quick and decisive. We must swiftly take over the Transvaal Republic’s land. We might even face forces beyond the Transvaal Republic, such as Orange, the Zulu, and even the British Natal Colony.

So the Southern Road Army is not only facing the Boers as a single enemy but also potential enemies. If this war is delayed even a bit, it could give the Zulu and the British an opportunity to take advantage, which is not something I want to see.”

The reality is indeed like this: if East Africa delays its action against the Boers even slightly, the Zulu Kingdom and the British Natal Colony will absolutely not miss the chance to expand into the Transvaal Republic.

On the sand table, Sivert pointed to the lower-right area of the Swaziland Kingdom and said: ”Your Highness, according to the information our agents sent back a few days ago, the main force of the Transvaal Republic is currently in the eastern part of the Transvaal Republic confronting the Zulu Kingdom. Although the Zulu Kingdom is small in territory and population, they are extremely aggressive, nearly reaching a level where the entire population is militarized. Although they were previously defeated by the Boers, their King Mupanda chose to improve relations with the British and jointly squeeze out the Boers after the arrival of the British.”

Before that, the Zulu Kingdom actually had a pretty good relationship with the Boers, but that was just on the surface. The Zulu Kingdom’s hatred of the Boers reached its peak, so when the British arrived, the Zulu turned to them.

Sivert continued: ”Currently, the Boers have hardly any troops south of the Limpopo River, which gives us an opportunity. As long as we attack on multiple fronts, swiftly sweeping across most of the Transvaal Republic is not difficult for us. The main resistance in the war will come later, with the Boer main forces returning for assistance. The Orange Free State’s relationship with the Transvaal Republic also means they will absolutely not sit idly by, and even the Boers within the British Natal Colony will support the Transvaal Republic, likely drawing British attention.

Beyond the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State, the Boers also inhabit New Griqualand, along with the British-ruled Natal Colony and West Griqualand, where most residents are still Boers. There are also many Boers in Cape Town.

Ernst nodded and said: ”So we must prepare for fighting on multiple fronts. This war isn’t just against the Boers; I also see no reason for the Zulu Kingdom to continue existing. We can’t provoke the British, but we aren’t afraid of the British forces in South Africa. If they try to intervene in East Africa’s territorial expansion this time, then repel them for me!”

Ernst almost gritted his teeth when he said the last sentence. If it weren’t for the British, East Africa wouldn’t have to constantly restrain its ambitions in fear. Despite the size of the current East African Kingdom, it fears no challenge in Africa but still lives in the shadow of the British.

Ernst doesn’t overestimate the British; it’s simply that Britain’s power at this time is such that, to East Africa, Britain is like the Far East facing America in the previous life. This pressure on the East African Kingdom is understandable.

This era’s Britain is even harder to deal with than the United States of the previous life, because this era lacks the so-called mercy and morality, and the British, apart from in other great powers’ regions of control, can really do whatever they want, even committing genocide without any criticism.

If East Africa doesn’t rely on its own strength to survive in this era, it would have to cling tightly to the thighs of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Germany. However, unless absolutely necessary, East Africa must not do so. As the saying goes, it’s easy to invite gods but difficult to send them away. If East Africa seeks help from other countries to resolve a crisis, it must pay a price, and Franz and William I are extremely realistic monarchs, unlike that fool Peter III.

Ernst’s words cast a shadow over the army generals’ minds. Ah, Britain! Ultimately an insurmountable mountain for East Africa. If Ernst was worried about Britain’s blockade causing a halt in East Africa’s development, then the generals were just somewhat afraid of Britain.

That is the world’s overlord! European land powers might mock British Lobster Soldiers, but countries outside Europe have no such qualifications. Back in the day, America wanted to see if the old father was still strong, but ended up having its White House burned.

In recent years, the British have had quite impressive military achievements worldwide, especially after the Far Eastern expedition, so in most of the world outside Europe and America, there is no match.

But Ernst said, to prevent any negative impact on morale: ”Of course, regarding possible British intervention, we don’t need to worry too much. In Africa, our East African strength is among the top, and the British are not as terrifying as the media portrays. A decade ago, they suffered a defeat in Afghanistan, even while backed by the Indian colony, and their Cape Town colony is far inferior to India.”

Ernst’s words had some effect. In recent years, with consecutive victories in Africa, East African generals have become a bit arrogant, not just modest. Using Britain to temper their zeal can be good, making East African generals more cautious towards Britain as a potential adversary, which is both respectful to the enemy and responsible for themselves.

This Boer War has to be fought, even if the enemy is truly formidable. East Africa has to give it a try. In Ernst’s preliminary plan, East Africa should at least control all the land north of the northern tributary of the Fall River in the Orange territory. That way, East Africa could hold most of South Africa’s coal and iron mines, essential for industrial development. Gold mines, in Ernst’s view, are just a bonus.

The Fall River is the boundary between the Transvaal Republic and the Orange Free State. Across the Fall River, the minerals in the Orange territory mainly consist of diamonds, but diamonds are also high-value minerals that East Africa does not lack.

Within the Zulu Kingdom, however, there are large deposits of coal, which is also why Ernst included the Zulu Kingdom in this operation plan.