Chapter 103 Solving the imbalance between men and women
On May 16, 1868, the leading troops led by Li Mingyuan arrived at Porto Casado, and the troops temporarily repaired for a day.
The Paraguay River runs through the entire territory of Paraguay. It is an important water transportation channel connecting the coastal and inland areas of South America. It is also a busy commercial river. At this time in the past, the Paraná River was densely populated with merchant ships and merchants from Brazil, Argentina and European countries.
Cartons of goods are transported to river ports, where local traders take over and resell the goods to inland residents.
However, since the outbreak of the war, the Paraguay River has lost its previous prosperity. The lower reaches of the Paraguay River have been blocked by Brazil and Argentina, and commercial ships are prohibited from providing commodities and supplies to Paraguay.
Blocking the river trade route will not cause much harm to Brazil and Argentina. At most, merchants from the two countries will lose a trade channel and suffer damage to their commodity interests. However, Uruguay is different.
Uruguay is a landlocked country sandwiched between Brazil and Argentina, two large South American countries. The domestic terrain is rugged, crisscrossed by mountains, and transportation is difficult. Therefore, the Paraguay River and the Parana River in the southern border area are very important to Paraguay's economic development.
The Paraguay and Paraná rivers are blocked by hostile countries, putting Paraguay at great risk of material shortages.
The two rivers are related to Paraguay's national destiny. Both Lopez and the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian coalition are very clear about this. Soon after the war broke out, the warring parties launched a series of attacks around the control of the rivers.
Paraguay's attack on Mato Grosso was to control the source of the upper reaches of the Paraguay River, while the Brazilian coalition's move upstream along the Paraná River was to compress the Paraguayans' living space.
Paraguay is landlocked, and its national size and comprehensive national strength are no match for the Brazilian coalition. Therefore, facing the full attack of the Brazilian coalition, the Paraguayan army retreated step by step, first retreating from Mato Grosso, and then giving up. Well
A series of strongholds along the river, such as Canacion and Formosa, finally formed a stalemate with the Brazilian coalition forces at the Fortress of Humeita.
The Humeta Fortress is less than 100 kilometers away from the capital Asuncion and is Paraguay's most important military stronghold. Once the Humeta Fortress is lost, Paraguay will face the fate of complete defeat.
In order to defend the fortress of Humeita, little Lopez was involved in everything. From fifty-year-old men to twelve-year-old children, as long as they could carry a gun, all men were recruited into the army.
Paraguay is located inland. Except for the riverside areas that are exposed to the outside world, most other areas are closed. In such a closed country, Lopez Jr.'s prestige is unmatched. After the war broke out, Lopez Jr. promoted Brazil.
The coalition forces are murderous demons. They started the war and invaded Paraguay just to kill all the Paraguayans and then seize their land.
Lopez Jr.'s words may seem full of loopholes today, but they are very convincing in Paraguay, which has only been independent for a few decades.
Most of the people in Paraguay are the mixed descendants of white people and Indians, and the other part are naturalized Indians.
Whether they are mixed-race or naturalized Indians, they are all uncivilized barbarians in the eyes of Brazilians and Argentines. In the past exchanges between the two countries, Paraguayans were able to personally experience the contemptuous mentality of Brazilians and Argentines.
Therefore, most Paraguayans believe in what Lopez said.
In order to arouse the morale of the domestic people to fight against the enemy, little Lopez made a desperate move and mobilized 50,000 domestic men to defend the Humeita Fortress and coastal defense positions. He used the family fortune left by the old Lopez to continue to bleed the Brazilian coalition forces, and at the same time also
The blood of Paraguay continues to flow.
The Fortress of Humeita was like a meat grinder constantly devouring the lives of soldiers on both sides. For three years of fighting, Paraguayan soldiers continued to suffer casualties. Due to lack of food, starvation and dysentery, and cholera deaths far exceeded the casualties caused by the war.
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Until the Chinese troops arrived in Puerto Casado, Paraguay had a domestic population of approximately 270,000, of which approximately 200,000 were women and children, and the remaining 70,000 were mostly Paraguayan men who joined the army.
The war has progressed to this extent, and Paraguay has reached the edge of national subjugation and annihilation. However, little Lopez, who single-handedly brought Paraguay into a dangerous situation, is unaware of it and is still directing defensive operations at the Fortress of Humeta.
If you forget to fight, you will be in danger, and if you are warlike, you will die. Lopez's lesson had a great impact on Li Mingyuan, who felt the cruelty of war firsthand. The situation of the Chinese in South America is similar to that of Paraguay. Both sides are all soldiers, which is slightly different.
What is clear is that little Lopez is a war maniac, actively provoking wars with other countries, and trying to swallow up the big with the small, but the Chinese in South America organized the uprising because they had to take up arms and fight in order to survive.
The reasons were different, but the results were very similar. Under the command of Li Mingyuan, the Chinese Independence Army defeated powerful enemies all the way and traveled thousands of miles to reach Paraguay.
All the people are in the army, which is a last resort choice in the desperate situation. Once the Chinese settle down in Rio Grande do Sul, Li Mingyuan will start to restore the normal order of the Chinese, and then concentrate on farming and improve his own strength.
On the bank of the Puerto Casado River, Li Mingyuan walked along the river for a while and then returned to the military camp.
Puerto Casado has a good environment, with mountains along the river, green trees and mountains, and beautiful scenery. However, the smelly corpses and ragged Paraguayan civilians with hungry faces in the riverside villages are completely inconsistent with the beautiful scenery.
Everyone has his own destiny. The miserable appearance of the Paraguayan civilians did not win Li Mingyuan's sympathy. The vanguard troops did not bring much food beforehand. If the food was distributed to the Paraguayans, the Chinese soldiers would not have enough food to eat.
Li Mingyuan does not have the sentiments of a Holy Mother who sacrifices himself for others. When his own people are not full, he uses the little food left to help others. Is this noble or stupid?
The camp of the Chinese troops was located next to the river bank. A simple wooden fence was arranged around the camp. The wooden fence was not to prevent the Paraguayan army and the Brazilian army, but to prevent the hungry Paraguayan people who gathered here.
A strong sense of hunger will prompt the people to take dangerous actions, and this is especially true for the hungry people of Paraguay who have a tradition of bravery. Not long after the Chinese Independence Army set up camp by the river, a group of more than 200 hungry people rushed to the camp, trying to capture the Chinese.
Food in the hands of soldiers,
The hungry Paraguayan people were crazy, but the muskets in the hands of the Chinese soldiers were not fire sticks. After a burst of musket fire, the hungry Paraguayan people left hundreds of corpses. The remaining people turned around and retreated under the threat of muskets. However, after being taught a lesson by muskets,
The hungry people in Paraguay did not go far, but gathered not far from the camp, watching the Chinese camp from time to time.
The tents and fences in the camp have been installed, the large iron pots carried by the army have also been moved down, and a fire is being lit for cooking.
Li Mingyuan walked into the camp, found a random place to sit down, chatted with the soldiers around him for a while, and then, at the reminder of the guard, walked into a tent.
"Mr. Sun, please sit down." Li Mingyuan walked into the tent and asked Sun Bin to sit down.
"Your Majesty, I saw many local residents gathered outside. I wonder what happened?"
"The war in Paraguay has been going on for years, and those people outside are hungry people without food. When they see us carrying a lot of food, they stick to us. Maybe they think we are Indians from other places and hope to steal their lives from us.
of food.”
Li Mingyuan just explained the situation and felt something was wrong. Sun Bin should be aware of the situation outside, and it was unlikely that he would ask questions to himself knowingly.
"Isn't Mr. Sun here just to ask about this matter today?"
"Your Majesty, it is clear that I am here for this very reason."
Sun Bin bowed his hands and saluted, and said seriously, "Since our army entered Paraguay, most of the places it passed through were in dilapidated condition, and the people were hungry and cold. Moreover, all the local people were women, children, old and young, and it was almost impossible to see adult men. I carefully observed and asked the local people in my humble position, and found out
It is known that Paraguay has been experiencing war for many years, and more than half of the young and strong men have been killed or injured. The people left behind in the villages are mainly women and children, among whom there are a large number of young women, accounting for more than half of the left-behind population. Therefore, I suggested using food and property to absorb some local women of working age and use them to interact with the Chinese.
Soldiers get married.”
"Recruiting Paraguayan women is a good way to balance the Chinese gender ratio."
After thinking for a moment, Li Mingyuan confirmed Sun Bin's suggestion.
Once you enter Paraguay, as long as you defeat the Brazilian army, it will be very convenient to reach Rio Grande do Sul along the river. At this time, you should really consider finding wives for the Chinese soldiers.
The total number of Chinese people traveling by land and water is 150,000. Even if a part of the population is reduced due to unexpected factors, the number of people will be hundreds of thousands when they arrive at the destination. So many Chinese are all male, and they can still manage it for a while, but
If you can't solve the marriage problem after settling down, sooner or later it will be a huge hidden danger.
Therefore, balancing the gender ratio of Chinese is the first issue that must be solved when entering Rio Grande do Sul.
Immigrating young women from the mainland is the safest way, but this matter cannot be implemented until everything is stable. The imbalance in the Chinese gender ratio will still be difficult to solve in the short term.
Sun Bin's suggestion provided Li Mingyuan with a good way to solve the problem. The ratio of men to women in Paraguay is imbalanced, and a large number of women lack suitable marriage partners. The Chinese Independence Army can just use Paraguay's scarce food, medicine and other materials in exchange for Paraguayan women to join the Chinese army group.
, and then get married after settling down.
The Han people regard whiteness as beauty, and most Paraguayan women are of mixed-race and white descent, which conforms to the aesthetic values of ordinary soldiers. Treating them as marriage partners for Chinese soldiers will not cause opposition from the soldiers.
As for Lopez's reaction after recruiting Paraguayan women, Li Mingyuan is not worried at all.
Little Lopez is now unable to protect himself. The Chinese Independence Army came all the way to help you fight the Brazilians and help you solve the problem of gender imbalance. Isn't this great? There is nothing to be dissatisfied about.
Besides, there is no way to stop the Chinese army from slowly recruiting the Paraguayan female Lopez. When the war is over, will Lopez be able to fall out with the Chinese army?
Recruiting Paraguayan women would be of no harm to the Chinese troops. Li Mingyuan made a quick decision. The field troops were repaired and continued on their way. The task of recruiting women was left to Sun Bin and the rear troops.
Of course, everything cannot go as planned in the process of recruiting Paraguayan women. Some necessary means, such as forced relocation, will still be used. Li Mingyuan does not need to worry about these specific tasks. Sun Bin, as the executor, will take care of it.