African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1582 Dalmatian Independence

The so-called four-year plan was more accurately described as Adolf's four-year military expansion plan. However, Germany's first four-year plan still included many livelihood projects, which were Adolf's promises to the German people before he came to power.

Adolf came to power against the backdrop of the Great Depression of 1929, so at the beginning of his term, many decisions revolved around resolving the economic crisis.

……

1934 12 Month 9 Day.

The Kingdom of Dalmatia.

With the fall of Budapest, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian central government, and the disappearance of Emperor Rudolf, the Kingdom of Dalmatia lost its allegiance, which brought the question of whether Dalmatia should become independent into the discussion of the Kingdom's Parliament.

At the Kingdom Council, Karen, a councilor from Ploche, was the first to speak: "Now, we have reached a critical moment concerning the future of the Kingdom of Dalmatia. We must make a decision: whether to remain within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, an empire that no longer exists, or to declare independence like Yugoslavia."

“It would be absolutely not a good thing for Dalmatia to remain in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, especially since Germany has not made it clear that it will continue to guarantee the independence of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.”

"The current German leader, Mr. Adolf, is an extreme bloodline sympathizer, and his attitude toward our Dalmatian mixed-race kingdom is full of uncertainty."

"If we remain in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which is controlled by Germany, it is very likely to have bad consequences. Therefore, for the sake of the future of more than one million Dalmatian citizens, I support Dalmatian independence."

Representative Karen's words prompted everyone present to think seriously. For Dalmatia at this point, remaining in the Austro-Hungarian Empire would indeed be risky, especially since such risks might come from within the empire itself.

At this point, Zadar city councilor Wells raised an objection: "Continuing to remain within the Empire may be the best option for Dalmatia, because only by relying on the Empire can Dalmatia's security be guaranteed."

“If Dalmatia becomes independent, we will lose our protection, and Yugoslavia and Italy could pose a threat to the security of the kingdom.”

"For Italy, which seeks hegemony over the Adriatic Sea, Dalmatia became an important area of ​​conquest, while the newly formed Yugoslavia may also covet Dalmatia's coastline and access to the sea."

"And facing these two potential enemies, our situation is clearly very dangerous."

Wells wasn't worried that the Austro-Hungarian Empire, controlled by Germany, would pose a threat to Dalmatia. After all, he was a pure-blooded German, and even if Adolf did impose political oppression on Dalmatia, he wouldn't be the one to suffer.

People like Wells were not uncommon in Dalmatia, after all, there were hundreds of thousands of Germans in Dalmatia, not the mixed-race type.

However, it is clear that their voices do not represent the mainstream in Dalmatia.

Karen countered, "Admittedly, Yugoslavia and Italy could indeed be potential enemies of Dalmatia, but Dalmatia is not weak either, and seeking independence is entirely feasible."

“The Italians are separated from us by the Adriatic Sea. Even if they were to cross the sea and rule Dalmatia, we could still make things difficult for them by using the terrain of Dalmatia to our advantage.”

"The so-called Yugoslavia, although they border Dalmatia, we have the Dinara Mountains as a natural barrier to prevent Yugoslavia from attacking Dalmatia."

"While staying within the empire allows us to avoid these external threats, the unpredictable risks within the empire are absolutely unbearable for us, just like the Armenians in the former Ottoman Empire."

“We might become Armenians in the Austro-Hungarian Empire if we stay inside the empire. Of course, if the Habsburgs continue to rule, we might be able to trust the imperial government, but now the Habsburgs have fled and His Majesty the Emperor has temporarily disappeared.”

"Whether the empire will continue to exist independently or become a puppet of Germany is something we cannot predict now. Therefore, breaking away from the Austro-Hungarian Empire may be the safest option for Dalmatia."

"And after breaking away from the Empire, we can also resolve the issue of Dalmatia's security through diplomatic means."

"For example, we can seek help from East Africa, Britain and France, and at the same time sign peace treaties with neighboring countries."

Karen's words were supported by the vast majority of councilors; remaining in the Empire was too dangerous for Dalmatia at present.

Therefore, most people voiced their opinions, and independence became the only voice in parliament. After all, only independence could ensure that the mixed-race German ethnic group in Dalmatia would take their destiny into their own hands, instead of waiting for the final judgment of Adolf, this dangerous figure.

The Speaker of the Kingdom's Parliament, Kolath, ultimately initiated a vote to decide whether Dalmatia should become independent.

The final voting results were obvious: more than 130 votes were in favor of independence, more than 20 abstentions were made, and only three votes were against independence.

All the mixed-race German members of parliament voted in favor, a small number of pure-blooded Germans abstained, and the last three votes against were also cast by pure-blooded Germans.

Kolat then announced: "The bill for Dalmatia's independence has been formally passed. Now we will begin to discuss issues after independence, including the framework of government, the name of the country, and the flag."

"First of all, there is the government framework. Since Dalmatia wants independence, what kind of political system should it choose? Should it maintain the monarchy or directly choose a democratic system?"

Whether to maintain the monarchy is a highly controversial topic in Dalmatia. After all, it is now the 20th century, and most people would prefer to support a democratic system if possible.

However, Dalmatia's situation was unique. Although it had been ruled by the Habsburgs for a long time, Dalmatia did not resent the Habsburgs. Within the empire, the Habsburgs could be considered Dalmatia's protectors.

Šibenik city councilor Taher stated clearly: "Dalmatia needs a monarch, and a monarch widely recognized in Europe, to guarantee the independence of the Kingdom of Dalmatia after independence."

"Because Dalmatia wanted independence, it lacked legal support. If there were a monarch, this problem could be solved perfectly."

"This monarch must choose from within the Habsburg royal family, since Dalmatia itself is a Habsburg territory."

"Therefore, with a member of the Habsburg royal family serving as the monarch of Dalmatia, Dalmatia's independence became legitimate."

"At the same time, this is also beneficial for Dalmatia's participation in European political affairs after independence. We must have a spokesperson to make our voice heard in European affairs."

If the Habsburg dynasty had continued to rule Dalmatia, even if the Austro-Hungarian Empire had not disintegrated, Dalmatia's independence would not have been legally restricted. After all, Dalmatia's loyalty lay with the Habsburg dynasty, or rather, with the emperor himself, not with the Austro-Hungarian Empire as a whole. Now that Emperor Rudolf has disappeared, Dalmatia's independence can only be sought from other members of the Habsburg dynasty.

This is essentially an admission that Emperor Rudolf has been murdered. After all, it was the Labour Party that conquered Budapest, and many European countries believed that Rudolf might have been murdered like Nicholas of Tsarist Russia.

Taher's words garnered support from the majority, who believed that after independence, Dalmatia would gain recognition from other countries, and that electing a new Habsburg monarch was the optimal solution.

This would silence other countries. If Dalmatia unilaterally declared independence without electing a monarch, other countries might use the illegitimacy of Dalmatia's independence as a pretext to declare war on Dalmatia.

Austria, in particular, would become the country that Dalmatia is most wary of if it were to gain independence.

With members of the Habsburg royal family stationed in Dalmatia, the situation could be quite different. After all, Austria probably doesn't want to return to a monarchy and give the Habsburg royal family an excuse to return to Austria.

If Austria then declares Dalmatian independence illegitimate, will it also have to welcome back the Dalmatian Habsburg monarch...?

Therefore, choosing a Habsburg monarch is the best solution for Dalmatia at present, but the question is where to find a member of the Habsburg royal family?
After Vienna fell, the Habsburg dynasty seemed to disappear. Most of its core members fled to East Africa, with only a small number remaining in the empire. Now, with the situation in chaos, most of those who remained are also missing, including the Emperor Rudolf.

Therefore, finding members of the Habsburg royal family instantly became a major point of focus in Parliament.

At this moment, Taher provided a clue: "Gentlemen, I have an idea that might solve this problem."

"Because we now know the whereabouts of a Habsburg royal family member, and a core member at that: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of East Africa, Emperor Franz's brother, and Emperor Rudolf's uncle."

"Although this old man has lived in East Africa for a long time, no one can deny his pure bloodline as a member of the royal family, and Archduke Ferdinand is very likely to have maintained contact with the Habsburg royal family."

"Therefore, we can contact the East African authorities directly and inquire about the whereabouts of the Habsburg royal family. Perhaps some members of the Habsburg royal family are taking refuge in East Africa, after all, East Africa was also an ally of Austria."

"It is highly likely that the Habsburg royal family fled. After all, we have not heard any definite news about the murder of any royal family members, and we do not even know their whereabouts."

Taher's words instantly awakened many people. As he said, the future of the Habsburg dynasty is now uncertain, which precisely illustrates that the Habsburg dynasty is very likely to go into exile.

After all, there were still some clues to be found about Nicholas II of Russia before he completely disappeared, but the Habsburg dynasty seemed to vanish into thin air, which is very unusual.

Previously, there had been no reports that the Greater Austrian coalition government had executed or arrested any members of the Habsburg royal family.

Taher continued, "Even if the Habsburg royal family is unfortunately killed, we can seek help from East Africa. The East African royal family has a marriage alliance with the Habsburgs, so perhaps we can choose an heir to the throne from East Africa."

This is not impossible. If all the main members of the Habsburg royal family were killed, the Rhine royal family in East Africa would indeed be able to inherit their legacy, such as the children of Ernst and Empress Karina, who have Habsburg blood in their veins.

Of course, most members of the Rhine royal family had no interest in taking over Dalmatia, given the numerous colonies in East Africa and the danger posed by Dalmatia.

Regardless of whether the Rhine royal family is interested or not, Dalmatia has now placed its hopes on East Africa, which would be ideal if there were still direct descendants of the Habsburg royal family in East Africa.

Therefore, as the Austro-Hungarian War was drawing to a close, the government of the Kingdom of Dalmatia had already begun to contact East Africa in advance to seek assistance.

……

Bangui, East Africa.

Bangui is the capital of Ubangui Province in East Africa and an important central city in Northwest East Africa. Of course, Northwest East Africa itself does not have a high profile in East Africa, after all, it is located in the north of East Africa and is still in the western inland region.

Now, this small East African city has welcomed two important figures, or rather, two emperors: Emperor Ernst of East Africa and Emperor Rudolf of Austria-Hungary, who disappeared in Europe.

That's right, Emperor Rudolf was secretly sent to East Africa by East African intelligence and arranged to recover in Bangui, a city in northwestern East Africa with relatively good medical conditions.

East African intelligence first flew Rudolf to Benghazi in Italian Libya, then transited through Jawf and Wanja (East African border towns) before flying directly to Bangui.

Rudolf is now lying in the First People's Hospital of Bangui, where he has regained consciousness.

"Rudolf, how are you feeling?" Ernst asked, sitting by the hospital bed.

Rudolf's face was obviously not good. He said, "I was originally prepared to die for my country, but now I'm lying in an East African hospital. I won't thank you for your kindness."

Ernst smiled and said, "This was instructed by my father-in-law himself, and your son and wife also support us in doing this, so don't blame us for rescuing you from Budapest without your consent."

Rudolf remained silent, lying listlessly on the hospital bed, staring at the ceiling. After a long while, he slowly asked, "How is the Austro-Hungarian Empire now?"

Ernst said, "The Germans have gained a complete advantage. Budapest and Vienna have fallen into German hands, and the Labour Party's coalition government is powerless to reverse the situation."

"However, the Italians are also about to break through Venice, and Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia will gain independence, forming a country called Yugoslavia with Serbia."

"After that, it will basically be a game between these three forces and the international community. However, it will be difficult for the Austro-Hungarian Empire to continue to exist. It depends on what Germany plans to do."

"Germany likely wants to annex Austria and other places, but it's uncertain how they will treat Italy and Yugoslavia. These three powers might even fight each other."

Ernst explained the general situation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Rudolf. After listening quietly, Rudolf said helplessly, "Even if the empire continues to exist, it will only be a puppet in the hands of Germany. It will not be the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I have really failed as emperor."

(End of this chapter)