African Entrepreneurship Records 2

Chapter 1734 Air Raid
It was a huge humiliation for France to be reduced to sitting at the same table negotiating with the Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of New Austria, these tiny countries that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

However, France is currently facing a life-or-death crisis, and can only endure this humiliation.

The world's attention was focused on Eurasia, and France's experience in West Africa did not cause much of a stir. Even Britain, France's "close" ally in West Africa, did not make any statement at this time.

After all, theoretically speaking, the expansion of the Habsburg monarchy and the new Austrian kingdom disrupted the long-standing stable order in West Africa.

Since the Berlin Conference of 1884, in which European powers established their spheres of influence and colonial system in West Africa, the colonial order in West Africa has remained largely unchanged for nearly half a century.

The only exception was the transfer of German colonies in West Africa before World War I to East Africa.

However, although East Africa gained its sphere of influence in West Africa from Germany, the means by which it did so were beyond reproach. The two countries completed the West African colonial transaction through fair negotiations.

This expansion of the Habsburg Monarchy and the New Austrian Kingdom was completely different.

The two Habsburg kingdoms, without even concocting a "reasonable" pretext, brazenly launched a war against the French colonies.

In a time of peace in Europe, France and Britain, with their two main interests in West Africa, would certainly have suppressed this matter at any cost. This set a bad precedent, not only threatening the colonial interests of both countries in West Africa, but also potentially having a ripple effect on their other colonies around the world.

After all, the Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of New Austria were "second-rate" countries that dared to challenge the authority of Britain and France. If they actually succeeded, what would the other powers and peoples in the two countries' colonies think?
Leaving France aside for now, if the Habsburg Monarchy and the New Austrian Kingdom can take action against French colonies, then are the neighboring British colonies also at risk?
The British government's inaction, and even its support for France, is a result of this.

Besides their fear of East Africa, what's more important is that their attention is now completely drawn to something else.

That was when Germany officially launched a war against the Low Countries.

……

1939 5 Month 9 Day.

The Hague, Netherlands.

The outbreak of war in Europe caused great panic among the Dutch, especially in the border region between the Netherlands and Germany. The fall of Denmark had previously instilled even greater fear in the Dutch.

However, in The Hague, the administrative center of the Netherlands, the local citizens did not experience excessive anxiety due to the potential threat of war, and order was maintained.

Aside from the various "anxious" voices in the news every day, their lives haven't changed much. In the early hours of May 9th, the citizens of The Hague were as usual, with the vast majority in a peaceful, hypnotic state.

The Dutchman Jodl was fast asleep, clutching his pillow. In his dream, he was watering his garden when suddenly the sun was blocked out, and the surroundings became dark. Jodl looked up and saw that the sun was being obscured by something black.

Yodl tried to open his eyes wide to see what was in front of the sun. The black thing grew larger and larger in his pupils, or rather, closer and closer.

It seemed to arrive in front of Yordle in an instant, crashing down almost blindingly. Yordle finally saw the thing clearly: a huge black bomb falling from the sky, its target right above his head.

The bomb also bore the symbol of the German National Party.

"what!"

Yodel screamed instinctively, and the bomb exploded, shattering the entire dream amidst a black mist.

When Yodl woke up, he was covered in a cold sweat, breathing heavily, and muttering to himself, "German bombs..."

"Yordle, what's wrong?"

At that moment, a voice suddenly came from behind Yodl and nudged his shoulder. The voice belonged to Yodl's wife.

She was awakened by Yodl's scream.

Hearing his wife's call, Yodl snapped out of his daze. He opened his eyes and looked around. It was pitch black, but with a vague sense of familiarity, he finally realized that this was his home.

Yodl reached out and wiped his face from top to bottom to clear his head, while also wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

His wife then asked, "Did you have a nightmare?"

Yodl sat up, finally calming down completely, but the lingering fear from the nightmare still lingered.

"Lola, I did have a nightmare just now, I'm so sorry to have woken you up."

The wife asked, "What nightmare? You were really scared just now; your body was shaking and you even screamed."

Yodl said, "I just dreamt that I was watering the garden when German bombs fell from the sky and hit us right on the ground. They were coming straight at me, and then there was a bang, and I woke up."

After listening to his description, his wife Lola yawned and said, "So that's what the dream was like. You must have been reading too many newspapers lately, which caused your anxiety and led you to dream about this kind of thing!"

Yodl nodded and said, "I think that's about right. After all, the newspapers are full of reports about the war every day, and we in the Netherlands aren't very safe right now, so we've been affected. That's why I had such a dream!"

Yodl agreed with his wife's idea that newspapers were an important form of entertainment in the early 20th century, especially for someone like Yodl who was interested in politics.

He reads the newspaper every day and enjoys sharing the news with those around him. Undoubtedly, the hottest topic in the Netherlands recently is the war between Germany and Britain and France.

As for the Netherlands itself, the vast majority of Dutch people currently believe that as a "neutral country," the Netherlands should not be directly affected by the war.

Of course, the Dutch also had considerable concerns. After all, the Netherlands was sandwiched between three major powers, and even if it could maintain a neutral position like it did in World War I, it would be impossible for it to be completely unaffected by the war.

At the same time, many unscrupulous Dutch newspapers like to exaggerate to grab readers' attention and thus gain better sales. Therefore, they actively create an atmosphere that the Netherlands is currently in great danger. In addition, the Dutch government's mobilization related to the war has also exacerbated the spread and influence of this atmosphere.

His wife, Laura, said, "The situation is unstable right now, but The Hague should be safe. After all, even if Germany really goes to war with the Netherlands, The Hague is in the rear."

The Hague, the administrative capital of the Netherlands, is located on the western side of the country, bordering the Atlantic Ocean. The border with Germany lies in the eastern part of the Netherlands. Therefore, it's not entirely wrong to say that The Hague is located in the rear of the Netherlands, although the Netherlands itself is not very large, and the distance from The Hague to the German-Dutch border is less than 200 kilometers. However, this does offer some psychological comfort to the ordinary citizens of The Hague.

Jodl said, "That's right. Even if Germany wants to attack The Hague, they have to take the towns in eastern Netherlands first. We should be safe here, and the Germans can't get through by sea."

The German Navy's desire to attack the Dutch coast was not tactically unfeasible, but rather involved enormous risks, given that the British Royal Navy was not to be underestimated.

As for the Netherlands, the former "maritime carrier," its former glory is long gone, and the current state of the Dutch navy is even more complicated.

The emphasis on the Dutch mainland navy is in contrast to the Dutch navy deployed in the East Indies colonies.

In fact, the navy currently stationed in the East Indies is the main force of the Dutch navy, and its size and strength are quite good. The main force of the Dutch East Indies navy consists of several light cruisers, eight destroyers, and more than twenty submarines with good performance.

This also shows the importance the Netherlands attached to its East Indies colonies, but this directly resulted in the Netherlands' mainland naval strength being extremely weak.

However, the Netherlands itself does not have a corresponding need. After all, the Netherlands is just a small country, especially compared to the three world powers of Britain, France and Germany. Even if the Netherlands does its best to maintain its own navy, it is obviously extremely powerless against Britain, France and Germany.

Even Germany and France, if they wanted to deal with the Netherlands, wouldn't need a navy at all; they could attack from land.

The Dutch government is well aware of this, and believes that maintaining its homeland's security relies more on diplomacy than military force.

The situation was different in the East Indies colonies. The Netherlands did need a naval force that appeared quite capable to deter some countries with ulterior motives, given that the South Pacific was a mixed bag with many powerful factions.

Of course, the security of the East Indies requires not only military deterrence but also diplomatic efforts.

The Dutch navy in the East Indies is indeed a military force that other countries in Southeast Asia should take seriously, especially when there are conflicts between other countries. If the Netherlands cooperates with a certain country, it can increase the competitive advantage of that country.

This mainly refers to the checks and balances among East Africa, Britain, France, the United States, and Japan in Southeast Asia. It was precisely because of the mutual suspicion and competition among these five countries that the "value" of winning over the Netherlands became apparent.

In short, the safety of the Dutch mainland waters almost entirely depended on the British keeping an eye on things.

His wife, Laura, told Jodl, "The situation is becoming increasingly unsafe. We don't know if Germany will take action against the Netherlands next. We live in constant fear."

Yodl said helplessly, "Who can guess what the Germans are thinking? But in my opinion, of the three countries, Britain, France and Germany, Germany is obviously the most dangerous."

“We in the Netherlands control the Rhine’s outlet to the sea, and the Rhine is also a region where Germany’s economy and industry are concentrated. If I were German, I would definitely want to control the entire Rhine.”

The Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands is known as the "Gateway to Europe" and is the de facto "Germany's outlet to the sea" in terms of economy. Although Germany also has ports such as Hamburg, Rotterdam has better water depth and is connected to the Rhine River, one of the most important waterways.

In other words, the Port of Rotterdam is the most important link in trade between Germany and the world.

Strategically, the Netherlands was also extremely important to Germany. Controlling the Netherlands would directly threaten Britain and France, and provide the German Navy with anchorage and support bases in the Atlantic.

Furthermore, the Netherlands shares some ethnic and cultural ties with Germany. For example, the Netherlands is a member of the German-speaking countries organization. Although Dutch and German are quite different, they are relatively closely related compared to other languages.

In terms of ethnicity, the Netherlands is certified by the Adolf government as having "pure Aryan blood," although most Dutch people certainly don't have a strong affinity for Germany.

Germany, in particular, is not well-liked by the Dutch in terms of ideology and social system.

Jodl said, "Those damned Germans, if they hadn't started the war, we wouldn't be living in constant fear. Europe had finally had a little peace for a short time, and they've ruined it all."

It has been less than twenty years since the end of World War I, and there is no doubt that Germany was the culprit of this war. World War I was relatively easy to explain, since the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Serbia were the first to be involved, and Germany was only marginally dragged into it.

As for Germany now, people all over Europe know that their Prime Minister Adolf is a warmonger who has never hidden his ambitions. This war was entirely started by Germany.

His wife, Lola, said, "Forget it, there's no point in thinking about it so much. We can't change anything anyway. Let's just take it one day at a time. It's not even four o'clock yet. Let's go back to sleep!"

Lola was clearly still very sleepy when Yodl suddenly woke her up. Yodl wasn't very sleepy either, but he had no choice but to do it, since it was pitch black outside and there was nothing he could do even if he didn't sleep.

Therefore, he said, "Well, I'll sleep a little longer. This time, the Germans shouldn't disturb my sweet dreams again!"

Just as Yodl finished speaking and was about to lie down again, a dazzling white light flashed through the window, followed by a loud "boom." His wife, Lola, sat up abruptly, clinging to Yodl in terror, somewhat bewildered and at a loss.

She even felt her own house shake as a result.

"What's going on? Yodl!"

Yodl was momentarily stunned, and before he could answer, the sound of gunfire suddenly rang out outside.

Yodl, without bothering to get dressed, got up and went to the window, drew back the curtains, and saw streaks of white light flashing from the city toward the east.

Anti-aircraft guns were driving away the enemy, while the sound of airplanes could be faintly heard from the east. At the same time, air raid sirens were sounded in the Netherlands.

War has broken out!
Jodl had only this thought in his mind. He turned to his wife and said, "The Germans are really here!"

At 3:00 AM on May 9, 1939, the German Luftwaffe crossed the border and launched air raids on important cities including The Hague and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

On the same day, German air force and airborne troops also landed in towns and fortresses in Belgium and Luxembourg, which meant that Germany's war against the Low Countries had officially begun.

The Hague, the administrative center of the Netherlands, was one of Germany's primary targets. The German Air Force occupied the airport on the outskirts of The Hague, but the Dutch government discovered this and retaliated, preventing the city from falling into German hands.

More than 10,000 German paratroopers clashed with Dutch troops deployed in The Hague around three airfields, but without timely ground support, the German army struggled to capture The Hague.

The Dutch government also persisted in resisting from the very beginning of the war, and did not surrender directly to Germany.

(End of this chapter)