African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1558 The "White Lotus" of the Americas

As the saying goes, "One cannot tolerate another snoring beside one's bed." This was the case for South Africa and East Africa. However, during the South African War at the end of the 19th century, East Africa did not have the conditions to swallow up the whole of South Africa.

Britain was a major factor. Cape Town's importance to Britain was self-evident. The Royal Navy had long been stationed there, and in the 19th century, East Africa's naval power was weak, making it impossible to bypass the Cape of Good Hope and attack there.

At that time, although the East African Navy had completed its initial construction, it only operated in the eastern coastal area and the western Indian Ocean region. As for the west coast of East Africa, it had not yet annexed the entire territory of Angola and mainly focused on the harsh conditions of Namibia.

It wasn't until the late 20th century that the Atlantic Fleet in East Africa began to develop rapidly and eventually became the main maritime force in East Africa.

Even if it were a risky attack on Cape Town, it would have been a losing proposition for East Africa at the time, and could have triggered a strong reaction from Britain.

The British occupation of Transvaal and Orange in East Africa was still within their acceptable range, since these areas were not valued by the British and belonged to the Boers.

But the situation was different in other parts of South Africa. In the 19th century, if East Africa continued to advance southward, it would be almost no different from declaring war on Britain.

In the 19th century, or rather before World War I, Britain's strength was undeniable. If Britain were to divert some of its resources to deal with East Africa, it would be a burden that East Africa could not afford at the time.

Besides this reason, the reason why East Africa could not annex South Africa at that time was that the main population of South Africa was already white. White people are not native to Africa. Taking action against them would be condemned by the entire international community, or even result in a blockade.

This can be seen from the period when East Africa occupied the Transvaal and Orange Rivers. Even the Boers could not be subjected to genocide in East Africa. Instead, they were driven south of the Orange River.

This is not because white people are superior to African natives, but because the mainstream international society in the 19th century was completely controlled by white people. At that time, Japan was not yet a great power, and although East Africa called itself a "German country," it was mainly composed of mixed races and was not recognized by European society.

It wasn't until the 20th century, when East Africa's national strength accumulated at an astonishing rate and it became one of the most powerful countries, that Europe "reluctantly" recognized East Africa as a "German" or even a "white" country.

Their willingness to "accept" East Africa is not entirely voluntary, but rather because East Africa is too powerful. If they do not acknowledge this mixed-race nation of East Africa as "white," then Eurocentrism and white supremacy would be severely flawed!

Russians are most acutely aware of this European mentality of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. When Napoleon was swaggering around Europe, they hailed Russia, which they originally considered barbaric and of Mongol descent, as the "savior of Europe" and the "gendarme of Europe." At that time, Russians were indeed Europeans.

After the Crimean War, Russians once again became the target of discrimination in Europe, as an uncivilized, backward, and barbaric nation.

In the previous life, after the outbreak of World War II, when the whole of Europe was being treated like dogs by Adolf, Western society once again "tolerantly" accepted the "Soviets". After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union was rehabilitated by Europe and became a synonym for all evil. Even World War II was said to have been launched by the Soviet Union and Adolf together.

I imagine Adolf would laugh at Joseph to death if he heard this news in hell.

Of course, the Soviets, or rather the Russians, were entirely tormented by Europe in this way. To some extent, the Russians were Europe's "lapdogs," far inferior to the Americans in this respect, who treated Europe like dogs.

As for East Africa, since its emergence, Ernst has guided the country to focus on "German identity" rather than promoting European civilization. Therefore, East Africa's relationship with Europe has always been one of equality, and it has even joined the United States in belittling the "Old World" in some areas.

However, in the 19th century, East Africa did not have the hard power to belittle Europe in this way, making it difficult for them to make the decision to resolve the South African problem once and for all.

……

Regarding the South African issue, East Africa intended to proactively seek reconciliation between the two countries in order to stabilize its own backyard. However, after the Roosevelt administration came to power, the real trouble for East Africa came from South America.

The Roosevelt administration pursued a so-called "good neighbor policy" in the Americas.

The so-called good neighbor policy includes three principles: non-interference in internal affairs, equal cooperation, and cultural exchange.

The Roosevelt administration is now seeking to sign the Montevideo Treaty, a remnant of the previous regime, to implement its good neighbor policy in South America.

Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, is where the Montevideo Convention was signed and from which it derives its name.

Crown Prince Frederick said, "The shift in American foreign policy in the Americas at this time can be said to be a very bad start. If the Empire does not handle it properly, it may trigger anti-East Africa sentiment throughout the Americas. Therefore, we cannot allow the United States to completely dominate the outcome of the conference."

Ernst's expression turned serious at this point. He said, "This is the difference between Roosevelt and other American presidents. The Good Neighbourhood Policy was very likely to reverse the attitude of Latin American countries toward the United States. Most importantly, it made our situation and that of some European countries very awkward."

“If we don’t follow suit, then the United States, relying on its good neighbor policy, will become the ‘pure lotus,’ while other countries that practice hegemony in Latin America will become the villains.”

The countries that pursue hegemonic policies in Latin America are mainly the United States and East Africa, but other countries have not completely given up in Latin America, such as the United Kingdom, France, and Germany.

In his previous life, one of the important purposes of Roosevelt's Good Neighbor Policy was to prevent German infiltration into Latin America, such as the military and economic cooperation between Germany and Latin American countries like Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile.

In this timeline, the scope of the US Good Neighbor Policy has become broader, especially in East Africa. Due to East Africa's expansion in South America, East Africa has replaced Germany as the main victim of the Good Neighbor Policy.

In other words, the good neighbor policy is essentially an indiscriminate attack, and since East Africa has the greatest interests in Latin America, it has suffered the main damage.

Therefore, Ernst said, "We absolutely cannot allow the United States' good neighbor policy to proceed smoothly in South America, even though this policy is objectively beneficial to the Latin American region."

"However, if the United States tries to humiliate us and win over Latin America, we should teach them a lesson."

Friedrich naturally shared this view, but he frowned and asked, "That's true, but America's good neighbor policy is an open strategy. If we oppose it, it will inevitably provoke resentment from Latin American countries."

"Americans are certainly happy to see this happen, but they have also become quite shameless. They can't compete with us head-on, so they've resorted to underhanded tactics!"

This is not Crown Prince Frederick boasting about East Africa, but an objective fact: East Africa has indeed been in an advantageous position in the competition between the Americas and the United States over the past two decades.

Before East Africa, the United States regarded almost the entire Americas as its backyard, and taking advantage of the decline of Europe, it achieved considerable success in the Americas, most notably in defeating Spain and occupying colonies such as Cuba. However, after World War I, this situation changed because Britain was tied down by Germany, and the collapse of the British-established order in South America occurred faster than the United States had imagined.

Ernst, who was well aware of this situation in advance, had already made preparations. At that time, East Africa's national strength was developing unprecedentedly, and coupled with its geographical advantages, East Africa launched a major invasion of the South American market.

At this stage, the United States is not really worried, after all, the United States' layout in South America started much earlier than in East Africa, and the two countries are basically evenly matched.

What truly caused the United States to completely lose power in South America was the Great Depression of 1929, which directly led to instability, social disorder, and fiscal imbalance in the United States.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, East Africa successfully instigated the Chaco War, opened up access to Bolivia, and extended its influence into the heart of South America, reaching the Pacific coast. From Colombia southward, East Africa's influence and reach almost covered the entire South American market and threatened US interests in the Caribbean.

Therefore, it is an objective fact that the United States cannot compete head-on with East Africa. Before the Roosevelt administration came to power, the United States, like East Africa, was a master of hegemony.

Now that Roosevelt's Good Neighbourhood Policy has been put forward, it's like someone who lost at a gambling table calling the police; East African and European countries are about to hurl insults at the Americans.

Believe it or not, if the "founding father" of the United States was French, then the "mother" of the United States was indeed British; both are of the same ilk, known for their "misdeeds."

Ernst said, "Now that the die is cast, there's no point in saying more. The United States has even withdrawn some colonial troops from the Caribbean, which shows the South American countries Roosevelt's sincerity."

"Regardless of Roosevelt's motives, his good neighbor policy has harmed East African interests, and we must immediately change our foreign policy in South America."

"The first priority is to expedite the selection of representatives for the Empire's interests in South America. We still have an advantage in South America, so we need to quickly provoke those pro-East Africa forces and make them our henchmen in South America."

"At the same time, cancel some less important military base projects, reduce troop strength in South America, and retain only key military bases, especially in the north, to prevent US infiltration."

"Finally, the United States wants to convene the Montevideo Conference, and we must participate and make the Empire's stance clear."

Since the Americans have already thrown the table, East Africa certainly won't follow suit and "throw a tantrum."

Ernst continued, "Most importantly, East Africa should do everything in its power to prevent the so-called American consensus, especially to distinguish between South America and North America and emphasize the independence of the two continents."

One of the most frequently cited arguments by the United States when interfering in South America is that "the Americas belong to the Americans," therefore, American countries should exclude countries outside the Americas, or unite against external forces.

This is very disadvantageous for East Africa, since East Africa is not an American country, so East Africa must refute this claim by the United States.

Crown Prince Frederick added, "We can also promote South Atlantic economic cooperation, since the economies of major South American countries are themselves closely linked to the South Atlantic."

Of course, the above countermeasures are essentially at a disadvantage for East Africa, since East Africa already holds an advantage in South America.

The aforementioned solutions not only fail to bring benefits to East Africa, but also require the relinquishment of some benefits in order to win over South American countries.

East Africa certainly won't let the US have its way with such a frustrating situation.

Ernst said, "Now it's time to cause some trouble for the Americans. They shouldn't think we'll just sit here and suffer this loss."

"Since the United States is pursuing a so-called good neighbor policy, we can also take advantage of this to expand our influence towards the Caribbean, including Mexico, which can become a partner in East Africa."

“In accordance with the Good Neighbor Policy, the United States will reduce its troop presence in the Caribbean, and may even withdraw its troops completely from some countries. Then we will immediately cooperate with these countries and regions to seize the American market.”

"Take Cuba, Haiti, and other places as examples. The United States' good neighbor policy threatens our interests in South America, so we should also extend our influence to its Caribbean backyard."

"If the United States goes back on its word at this point, let's see how they handle the situation."

In terms of how South American countries treat East Africa, East Africa's reputation is clearly much better than that of the United States in the Caribbean.

After all, the United States’ persecution of Caribbean countries and regions began in the last century, while the large-scale entry of East Africa into South America is a recent phenomenon, dating back only twenty years.

In other words, East Africa simply didn't have time to do much bad in South America. Moreover, East Africa's invasion of the South American market didn't happen until after the 20s, when international thinking had made great progress. East Africa couldn't possibly go against this general trend and act recklessly.

Apart from the Bolivian War, other East African and South American countries all got what they wanted. Of course, East Africa certainly used many underhanded methods in the process.

However, these methods are far more "kind" than those of the United States. In the Caribbean, the United States' victims all have something to say, such as Mexico, which has had most of its territory occupied by the United States, Cuba, which has been severely exploited, and Guatemala, Honduras, and other countries and regions that have been bullied by American companies such as United Fruit.

Even if Roosevelt were to pursue his so-called good neighbor policy in the Americas, these countries that have long been exploited, enslaved, or bullied by the United States would not be able to completely let down their guard against the United States. After all, colonizers have always been "fickle and capricious."

At this point, if the East African government were to step forward and propose cooperation, the Caribbean countries would certainly be more willing to trust East Africa than the United States.

After all, they could only have heard of East Africa's notorious reputation, but they had personally experienced the terrible things the United States had done.

Crown Prince Frederick chuckled and said, "Father's idea is excellent. Since the United States wants to play the innocent victim in the Americas, let them play it. They think they have us cornered now, but they won't be laughing when we extend our reach to the Caribbean, or even Cuba and Mexico, regions that are extremely important to the United States!"

“In the past, we respected the interests of the United States in the Caribbean because of them. Now that they have torn off the mask first, they should not blame East Africa for wanting to take advantage of the Caribbean.”

In summary, the United States wants to overturn the chessboard in South America and replace it with a new one. East Africa readily agreed, but East Africa demands that the chessboard be made larger and extend to the Caribbean, a core area of ​​US interests. With a larger chessboard, East Africa can make up for its losses in South America through the Caribbean.

(End of this chapter)