African Nationhood

Once Pandora's box is opened, you never know what will be released.

Lieutenant General Kitchener's concentration camp policy was very vicious. In just five months, more than 5 Boer women, children and elderly people were detained. A large number of farms and pastures in the Orange Free State were destroyed.

The output and livestock on these lands became the spoils of war for the British.

They set fire to the unharvested crops on the farm, killed all the livestock that could not be taken away, and even poisoned the Boer wells.

The British's front line was flat and advancing steadily, neither advancing nor retreating rashly.

The Boers conducted several ambushes but failed to gain any advantage, so they could only retreat step by step.

The British did not miss any hidden dangers along the way. They built bunkers to form a three-dimensional defense system and never let a Boer guerrilla slip through the net.

Since the bunker defense system was established along the railway line, once the bunker was attacked, the nearby British could quickly provide support through the railway line.

The Boers are good at guerrillas and lack heavy firepower, so there is nothing they can do against these bunkers.

In a battle, they are no match for the British.

The British tactics were very effective. Fortunately, the Boer high command had made plans earlier.

While they protested to the international community, they began to migrate inland.

While European countries called on the public to condemn the British government in the media, they also ordered their respective ministers to protest to the British government against the evil behavior and inhumane behavior of the British military.

The British government withstood the pressure from all parties and urged Kitchener to advance the strategy as soon as possible to pacify the Boer country.

Nanhua Company condemned the actions of the British Expeditionary Force. General Manager Shi Jintang believed that British soldiers' attacks on innocent civilians were beneath military honor.

The South China Company disdained to fight with such an army, and the South China Company immediately withdrew from the battle against the Boers.

Nanhua Company's statement was highly praised by Germany, the Netherlands and other countries. At the same time, Germany became more active in sending support to South Africa.

A large number of artillery pieces, artillery shells, and food grains continuously entered the territory of Nanhua Company.

……

Chamberlain, the minister who remained in the London cabinet, warned the South China Company not to play with fire, otherwise it would be a betrayal of the British Empire.

The British Empire punished traitors very severely!

Faced with this warning, Shi Jintang argued aggrievedly: "I just made a normal person's choice, if my choice is wrong.

Then please tell me, cabinet ministers, what is correct? "

Secretary Chamberlain told him directly, "At this time, the national interest should be the top priority, and you should show the consciousness of a British patriot."

Shi Jintang sneered at this answer, "If the British, who claim to be the most civilized and gentleman in the world, have such no morals and sense of honor, I would rather not be British!"

Minister Chamberlain was choked by Shi Jintang's words. He had a headache. How should he deal with this colonial general manager who was mainly Chinese.

Prime Minister Balfour in the Cabinet instructed Secretary Chamberlain to exercise the power of his Imperial Secretary of State for the Colonies.

So Secretary Chamberlain ordered the Admiralty to have the China Sea Fleet and the Pacific Fleet seize and confiscate the Nanhua Company's immigration ships.

After receiving information from various places, Shi Jintang instructed James Lister of the Transport Department to negotiate with the British cabinet.

Ouyang Geng, who had been waiting in Europe for a long time, went to meet with senior leaders of Germany and the Netherlands to seek support from each country.

At the same time, the three major overseas bases successively announced the launch of the "Wartime Management Regulations".

Two naval ships of the South China Company sailed to the Mariana Islands to take refuge. At the same time, ships of various shipping companies and freight companies avoided entering ports under the control of British forces as much as possible to avoid direct conflicts with the British.

……

Now that they have broken their relationship with each other, Nanhua Company no longer pretends to do so, and directly states in a high-profile manner: In view of the unfair treatment and discriminatory behavior of the current cabinet towards Nanhua Company, Nanhua Company refuses to accept the leadership and orders of the new cabinet.

At the same time, the South China Company will open the border and allow Boer civilians to enter to escape the humanitarian disaster.

Lieutenant General Kitchener did not stop the South China Company's approach. As long as the Boer civilians left, the Boer coalition lost its supply and soldier base.

Faced with the South China Company's accusation, General Buller immediately jumped out and accused the South China Company of massacre in Kimberley Town, which was also inhumane and inconsistent with military honor.

Nanhua Company directly stated that our officers involved have been suspended and are being dealt with.

The British war team that caused all this has not received any official censure, which is unfair.

If it hadn't been for the random actions of Lieutenant General Methuen who was supervising the team, the Nanhua Company's army would not have made such low-level mistakes. The British were still the culprits.

The two sides were quarreling back and forth, which was very lively.

……

Lieutenant General Kitchener couldn't stand it any longer. He stopped the conflict between General Buller and the South China Company and firmly continued to advance his "root eradication tactics."

As time went on, the war situation turned more and more towards the British.

On June 6, Bloemfontein, the capital of the Orange Free State, fell, and the Boer counterattack became increasingly weak.

The British army resumed their offensive in early July, and on July 7, Kitchener's army captured Kronstad, the new capital of the Orange Free State.

Due to successive defeats, the morale of the Boers plummeted, and the number of the Boer coalition forces continued to decrease due to lack of supplies and ammunition.

In mid-August, the entire Orange Free State fell. During this period, Piet Béjour, the commander-in-chief of the Boer coalition, was killed by British artillery during the battle, and Louis Botha took over as commander-in-chief of the Boer coalition.

……

Lieutenant General Kitchener announced that if the Boers surrendered, the British government would forget about it.

As soon as this order was issued, a large number of desperate Boers laid down their weapons and surrendered to the British army, leaving only more than 3 Boer resistance forces left.

On August 1901, 8, Governor Milner announced in Bloemfontein that Britain would annex the Orange Free State.

After the annexation of Orange, the British army stepped up its attack on the Transvaal.

……

The response from the international community became even more enthusiastic, and volunteer campaigns in European countries became bolder and rushed to southern Africa.

Governor Milner of the British colony of Cape Natal issued a public statement that entering the battlefield at this moment was a provocation to the British army.

The British and colonial governments will not be held responsible in the event of casualties.

As soon as the "disclaimer" came out, the media from various countries went even more crazy, and the accusations against the British government became more intense.

……

The British government ignored the pressure of media public opinion and directly sent envoys to negotiate PY transactions with other countries.

What the British minister was talking to the Germans was to use the Portuguese West African colonies as bargaining chips. Britain promised to help Germany acquire Portuguese colonies;

At the same time, Britain also promised to stay out of any future conflicts between Germany and France;

In addition, Britain also promised to help Germany suppress Russia's offensive in the Qing Dynasty in the Far East.

These three major conditions directly exchanged Germany's neutral position in the South African war.

The German government rarely fell silent. Ouyang Geng, who had been warmly received before, was told that the Chinese government had new ideas about the incident in South Africa.

It is not convenient to disclose it at the moment, please leave.

Ouyang Geng, who looked confused, was kicked out of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

……

Facing the small country of the Netherlands, the United Kingdom took direct practical action and placed warships at the door of the Netherlands, asking the Netherlands if they were afraid?

In response to the United States, Britain was forced to relax restrictions on Central America and allow the United States to build a canal in Panama.

……

In late September, the public opinion trend of the international community suddenly changed. Media from various countries suddenly stopped talking about the war situation in South Africa and stopped condemning the British government. This sudden change made many people feel disappointed.

On October 10, Colonel Douglas Haig commanded the Australian Cavalry and defeated the last defensive force of the Boer coalition at the Klip River on the southern outskirts of Randburg.

On October 10, President Paul Kruger left the capital Pretoria by train.

On October 10, Lieutenant General Kitchener entered Landfortress City and entered Pretoria in the early morning of October 3.

On October 1901, 10, Lieutenant General Kitchener announced that Britain would annex the Transvaal Republic.

On October 10, President Paul Kruger received authorization from the exiled Transvaal government and arrived at the Map Port of South China Company.

On October 10, President Paul Kruger went to Europe on the cruiser Gelderland sent by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands to seek help.

……

With the British army occupying the two major Boer countries, the Boer resistance war entered a new stage.

The remaining 2 Boers formed a guerrilla force, led by Louis Botha, Jan Smuts, Lucas Meyer, Herzog, Delray, De Wet and others, and began New acts of resistance.

Shi Jintang informed the Boers that he would continue to support the Boers' struggle.

With the continuous support of the Nanhua Company, the Boer guerrillas became more powerful in combat. They were unpredictable and unpredictable, and the British army's losses greatly increased.

By the end of 1901, the British military counted 4.8 casualties, while the Boer coalition suffered only 2.9 casualties during the same period.

The British troops scattered across various places have become living targets, and the cost of maintaining public security and stability for the British has increased sharply.

……

On January 1902, 1, a piece of breaking news suddenly broke out in the French media about the British mistreatment of the Boers in the concentration camp.

The content in this news is true and detailed and accompanied by a large number of internal photos, which directly exposes the ugly face of Britain.

Nanhua Company issued a statement in the media around the world: In view of all the cruel and inhumane behaviors of the British Expeditionary Force.

The South China Company decided to send troops to rescue the Boers who were imprisoned and abused by the British, and would bring the villains who had lost their military honor to justice and eventually hand them over to the court for trial.

The Boer guerrillas welcomed the South China Company's decision, and President Paul Kruger in Europe also firmly supported the South China Company's just move.

European countries are full of interest in the changes in the situation in southern Africa, and they are even more happy to see the Chinese Legion that suddenly jumped out.

Such forces that popped up one after another consumed Britain's strength, and the Germans were the first to express support.

So Ouyang Geng received hospitality from the Germans again and invited him to the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss assistance matters. (End of chapter)