Forming an expeditionary force is no easy task. As powerful as Britain, it was only three months after the outbreak of the Boer War that it mobilized troops from the mainland and various colonies to form an expeditionary force and go to southern Africa.
The troops mobilized by the British at that time were all ready-made. They could set off after giving an order to assemble. This would take three months.
Belgium was created from scratch, and the civilian soldiers could not be set off until they were trained. Even if Leopold II's funds were in place at once, if the expeditionary force could set off within half a year, it would be considered a high efficiency of the Belgian government.
As for the efficiency of the Belgian government, please refer to the performance of the Belgian government after the outbreak of the Congo Free State rebellion. It is estimated that the departure time of the expeditionary force will be more than doubled.
After the Congo Free State declared its independence, it immediately attacked Boma, which was also besieged by rebels. The outcome was determined by a battle. While rescuing Boma, the Congolese Party successfully controlled the seaport of the Congo Free State.
A large amount of military supplies, including weapons and ammunition, quickly arrived in Boma, as well as various living supplies urgently needed by the Congo Free State. The newly born Congolese Party immediately won the support of all white people in the Congo Free State.
Family, country, world?
It doesn't exist at all, group unconsciousness is the norm.
The unconsciousness here refers to the lack of rational thinking, advocating rights, and superstitious belief in authority figures. Translated into Mandarin, it means not to engage in feudal superstition.
For the current Congo Free State, Isaiah Chamberlain is the savior. After the rebellion broke out, all the dignitaries in the Congo Free State who could escape before were able to escape. Isaiah Chamberlain would definitely have a chance to escape, but Isaiah
· Chamberlain still stayed in the Congo Free State to fight back. At this time, if anyone questioned Isaiah Chamberlain’s motives, he would be beaten to death by the angry crowd. Without the efforts of Isaiah Chamberlain, Boma and Leopold
Sooner or later, Vail will be captured by the rebels, and then the fate of the white people in the city can be imagined.
For these people who are surviving the disaster, living is the greatest kindness.
Just three days after the occupation of Boma, the interim government of the Congo Free State was announced. Isaiah Chamberlain was elected president without any controversy, and Isaac Pansy was appointed prime minister by Isaiah Chamberlain. At this time, no one cared about the mood of Leopold II and the Belgian government. Britain, France, and Germany all stated in just a few days that if the interim government of the Congo Free State needed it, they could send troops to help the Congo Free State restore stability.
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These three countries have colonies bordering the Congo Free State, and Portugal, which has no sense of existence, dare not speak. Portugal has difficulty in protecting itself, and it really has no ability to provide help to the Congo Free State.
To go a little deeper, there may be another factor: Portuguese West Africa is surrounded by wolves, and no one in the surrounding countries is easy to mess with. If not, the city gate will be on fire and the fish in the pond will be affected.
Amid the competing statements from all parties, Southern Africa has been particularly silent. Although Southern Africa has no diplomatic rights and has no right to engage in political contact with the Congo Free State, it is the only country that has been deeply involved in the Congo Free State's rebellion so far.
, Southern Africa still occupies Bukavu and Lake Kivu in the Congo Free State, and has no intention of returning them.
Of course, the newly born Congo Free State had no intention of asking for it. Instead, it signed a lease contract with the Salisbury-based Ronigang Company. The content of the contract was the same as that between Leopold II and the Congo Free State.
The contract signed by several large companies is the same, leasing the copper mining area in the southeastern part of the Congo Free State to Ronigang Company for a period of 99 years.
The full name of Ronigang Company is Rhodesia-Nyasaland and Congo Free State Joint Mining Company. From the name, you can see how complex the structure of this company is.
In fact, the composition of shareholders is more complicated. Only two companies, South African Company and Adam Company, are publicly disclosed. I don’t know how many are not disclosed.
This contract was also strongly opposed by Leopold II and the Belgian government, but the opposition was invalid. As soon as Ronigang Company paid the first lease fee, the Provisional Government of the Congo Free State purchased aircraft and armored vehicles.
A large number of weapons and equipment.
These aircraft and armored vehicles were produced in Nyasaland, but the Congo Free State did not place the order directly with Nyasaland, but purchased them through a French trading company. The owner of this French trading company was actually a German.
People, this situation finally made Leopold II and the Belgian government feel troubled. Even if they wanted to object routinely, they didn’t know who to object to.
Nyasaland's performance at this time is very consistent with the true meaning of free trade. When the Ottoman Empire and Italy purchased aircraft from Nyasaland, they could not hire pilots. When they arrived in the Congo Free State, Nyasaland Military Industrial Group directly delivered the aircraft.
The aircraft and armored vehicles given to the Ministry of Defense in Southern Africa were resold to the Congo Free State. If you want to hire pilots, you can hire them casually. Now there are more and more flying clubs in Nyasaland, and pilots are no longer a resource that needs strict control.
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Of course, if the Ottoman Empire and Italy want to hire people, they will definitely not be able to hire them. Who makes North Africa too far from Nyasaland?
Another half month later, an airport was built outside Boma City. Strong wind fighter jets were successfully stationed. Pilots began training every day. Armored vehicles were also stationed outside the airport. In the eyes of ordinary people, these armored vehicles were ferocious armored monsters. However,
In the eyes of Boma residents, it has become the greatest guarantee of safety. There are many Boma residents surrounding the airport every day to watch the excitement, and every plane will draw loud cheers when it takes off and lands. p>
In early July, the interim government of the Congo Free State decided to build a hydropower station on the Congo River, leading the Congo Free State into the electric age. Isaiah Chamberlain's personal reputation instantly reached its peak.
Just as the Congolese people were cheering for an increasingly bright future, 2,500 kilometers away in Pretoria, Henry was worried.
"Locke, you have to be careful about raising tigers." Henry is worried that the Congo Free State will become the next southern Africa.
From the perspective of the natural environment, the Congo Free State does have the potential to become the next southern Africa. There are deserts in southern Africa. Almost all of the Congo Free State is tropical rainforest, and the proportion of usable land is larger than that in southern Africa. p>
In terms of mineral resources, the Congo Free State is no less than southern Africa, which is famous for its rich resources. The Congo Free State is known as the "World Raw Materials Warehouse", "Central African Gem" and "Geological Miracle". The copper reserves within the territory account for 10% of the total.
Fifteen percent of the world's total, one-half of the world's cobalt reserves, 80% of the world's niobium and tantalum reserves, and 23% of the world's diamond reserves.
Moreover, the Congo Free State also has oil. Although compared with the peninsula, the Congo Free State's oil reserves are not large, but the Congo Free State is right next to Nyasaland, and its geographical advantage is unparalleled.
More importantly, Southern Africa’s fatal shortcoming in population is actually an advantage in the Congo Free State. The Congo Free State covers an area of more than two million square kilometers and has 10 million Africans. Southern Africa, which covers an area of more than three million square kilometers, has less than 10 million Africans.
There are five million Africans. Africans represent cheap to almost free labor, so the former Congo Free State was really a gem under the management of Leopold II.
"Don't worry about this problem Henry, the Congo Free State will never become a threat to us." Rock is still sure that everything is under control. In the past, Leopold II made money from plantations, and there was no need to worry about it.
Knowing how much mineral resources there are in the Congo Free State, Rock is now rushing to establish Ronigang Company in order to control the resources of the Congo Free State. As long as the Congo Free State does not develop industry, no matter when, in the face of southern Africa, the Congo Free State will
Bangdu is a younger brother.
"I'm not referring to threats. You don't really want to support the Congo Free State, do you?" Henry didn't understand Roque's tactics. According to Henry's understanding of Roque, Roque should directly annex the Congo Free State at this time.
Like Portuguese East Africa before it.
Rock has always spent the minimum cost to obtain the maximum benefits. In Henry's view, now is the best time to annex the Congo Free State. Once the interim government of the Congo Free State has a firm foothold, then Southern Africa will want to annex the Congo Free State.
We will face greater resistance.
"We must support it, otherwise what should we do?" Roque doesn't want to go to great trouble, but it can't be done without support. Now is indeed the time when the Congo Free State is at its weakest, but it is not the best time to annex the Congo Free State.
After Southern Africa annexed Portuguese East Africa, its total land area has reached 3.4 million square kilometers, accounting for more than 11% of the total area of Africa. If it was still the poor and weak Southern Africa, then Southern Africa would not be larger no matter how big it is.
It will attract attention. Now as the strength of Southern Africa continues to increase, Southern Africa has received more and more attention. If it annexes the Congo Free State now, then Southern Africa will lose the opportunity to annex Southwest Africa and Tanganyika after the end of World War I.
Chances are, no matter how great Southern Africa's contribution was during World War I, neither France nor the United Kingdom would allow a country as large and powerful as Southern Africa to appear in Africa.
In another time and space, after the end of World War I, Southern Africa only annexed Southwest Africa, while Tanganyika was directly administered by the British, and Southern Africa achieved limited expansion.
In this time and space, Roque is determined to win Southwest Africa and Tanganyika. The Congo Free State can be left alone for now, since it won't be able to run on its own anyway.
The same is true for Portuguese West Africa. If Roque wants to subvert Portuguese West Africa now, it will be easy. The Portuguese's precautions are not worth mentioning to the Umbrella Company and Adan Company, but there is no need, reason and no annexation.
Like the Congo Free State, the annexation of Portuguese East Africa was just an attempt to prove that Roque's method was effective. What works now will be even more effective after the end of World War I.