Reborn as King of South America

Chapter 521 British Intervention
The Brazilian Empire had a standing field army of about 4.5 men. During the 10 years of the North-South split, the policy of liberating black slaves and distributing land to blacks, black mixed-race people, Indians and other ethnic groups during the Pedro II era was abolished. This led to strong resistance from blacks and mixed-race groups in the country. A large number of rebellions and riots broke out in Bahia, Pernambuco, Piauí and other regions.

As the main force for the Brazilian Empire to maintain its rule, the field army participated in the entire counterinsurgency war from beginning to end. After ten years of baptism and tempering in war, as well as economic incentives for the redistribution of land, real estate and property, the field army's combat effectiveness was greatly improved compared with the period of Pedro II. Even though it was at a disadvantage in terms of weapons and equipment, it still caused considerable losses to the landing American troops with its huge advantages in manpower and rich combat experience.

Of the more than 6000 U.S. Army landing troops who participated in the battle, about 400 were killed, more than 200 were seriously injured, and more than 800 were slightly injured, for a total of nearly 1500 casualties.

The combat effectiveness of the regular army of the Brazilian Empire, which imitated the Han Dynasty to carry out military system reform, was higher than the expectations of the United States. Taking the regular army of the Brazilian Empire as a reference, it possessed advanced rifles, heavy machine guns, various types of artillery and other light and heavy weapons, complete logistical supplies, and a higher social status. The actual combat effectiveness that the Han Dynasty's more than 20 standing field troops can demonstrate will far exceed imagination.

26 years have passed since the Civil War. Veterans with combat experience have retired from active service, and the number of standing army units has dropped sharply to tens of thousands. The unique geographical environment has made the United States the only superpower in North America. Looking around, there is no country that poses a threat. The long-term peaceful environment and lack of actual combat experience have greatly reduced the actual combat effectiveness of the U.S. Army compared to the Civil War period.

In an era when there was no generation gap in weapons, single-shot rifles were still the main standard equipment, rifles and artillery using black powder as ammunition dominated the mainstream, and smokeless gunpowder had just begun to emerge in South America, rich practical experience, tenacious fighting will, and advanced strategies and tactics were the decisive factors in determining the outcome of a war.

Compared with the United States, the history of the founding of the Han Kingdom in South America is also a history of war full of tests of war, including the Chinese Workers' Uprising in 1868, the Northern Argentine War in 1871, the Argentine Unification War in 1878, the British Intervention War in 1879, the Sino-French War (Annam) in 1882, and the Second Paraguayan War in 1889.

The rich practical experience and skilled combat skills gained from frequent wars are advantages that the US Army does not possess.

After the experience and lessons learned from the battle in the direction of Ilheus, the US Expeditionary Fleet and the US government behind it could not help but become cautious and began to re-examine the benefits and challenges of full intervention in the South American continent.

On January 1890, 1, according to the instructions conveyed by President Fonseca, 30 defenders in the direction of Ilhéus and 1 Brazilian Republic troops transferred from Tinare Island followed the main force of the US Expeditionary Fleet and headed for the southern waters of Brazil. About 4000 remaining troops and a US fleet of more than 2.3 ships stayed in the waters along Ilhéus and Tinare Island, posing a strategic threat to the troops in the direction of the Brazilian Empire.

On February 1890, 2, the main force of the US expeditionary fleet arrived at Macaé and immediately docked. The reinforcements, consisting of more than 1 Brazilian Republic troops and 1.4 US Army troops, took the railway and arrived in Rio de Janeiro the next day, then entered the city and joined the remaining troops. At this point, the first-line defense force in Rio de Janeiro increased to 4500, and the precarious situation of the central government of the Brazilian Empire was temporarily alleviated.

On February 2, the U.S. Expeditionary Fleet stopped at the Macae line and cooperated with the front-line troops north of Rio de Janeiro to carry out active mobilization and defense, but did not sail any further south.

On February 2, the Han naval fleet also stopped in the waters along the Rio de Janeiro front line. After completing the occupation of the eastern and southern regions of Rio de Janeiro and the control of industrial equipment, the army stopped the attack. The two sides tacitly agreed to use the Rio de Janeiro front line as a ceasefire line and each digest the results of victory in the Paraguayan and Brazilian wars.

With the South American continent still shrouded in the authority of the British Empire, neither China nor the United States were prepared for a full-scale war. At this point in the war, both sides had achieved their expected gains. The United States not only snatched a portion of market share from Britain and Germany, but also expanded its economic interests and market share in Venezuela and the Republic of Brazil. At the same time, it obtained its first overseas military base. If after the war, the Republic of Brazil provides coastal ports and bases as promised as bases for the US Army and Navy to station, then the actual military power of the United States will be expanded to South America for the first time, and to the core southern La Place region of South America. This will undoubtedly be a huge progress and breakthrough in all aspects of diplomacy, economy, and politics for the US government.

For the Han Kingdom, restoring Paraguay's territorial border to its pre-war line, actually occupying Paraná State, most of São Paulo State, the southern part of Rio de Janeiro, the capital of the Republic of Brazil, and completely destroying the navy of the Republic of Brazil, paralyzing the shipbuilding industry of the Republic of Brazil, and destroying major industrial equipment and industrial blood-making capabilities, also counted as exceeding the combat objectives.

Han and the United States have obtained the expected benefits, so they are naturally unwilling to take unknown risks and continue fighting. As for the control of the Panama Canal and the remaining territory of the Republic of Brazil, these are issues that need to be considered in the next war. War is no joke, and there is no such thing as getting fat and achieving all strategic goals in one war. Both countries have rationally divided their core strategic goals into several stages, and implemented and carried them out step by step in different time periods.

The war in Brazil once again came to a standstill. Both the Republic of Brazil and the Brazilian Empire were taking advantage of the lull in the war to lick their wounds and carry out intensive mobilization and deployment of reserve forces to restore the defense lines and fortifications destroyed by the war.

As another party involved in the war, the British Empire, which had a significant influence and interference in the direction and outcome of the war, was somewhat uneasy. The Brazilian Republic was desperate and expanded the scale of the war to the coastal areas of the Han Kingdom without authorization, giving the Han Kingdom an excuse to launch a strike and attack on the Brazilian Republic.

It is true that part of the reason why Britain indulged Han's attack on the Republic of Brazil was that Han found a reasonable excuse, but the main factor that prompted Britain to choose not to help either side and stay out of the matter was that the United States sent its main fleet and part of its army.

Out of the strategy of balance of power, the U.S. Navy fleet and the Han Navy fleet will engage in a main force decisive battle. No matter what the outcome of the battle is, the naval forces of both countries will suffer a heavy blow.

Naval warfare is different from land warfare. If the two fleets of the same level in terms of tonnage, performance and number of artillery guns want to win, they must pay a huge price in casualties. Therefore, Britain, with the goal of sitting back and watching the quarrels between cranes and clams, will benefit the fisherman. It plans to wait for the Han and American fleets to fight each other, and then intervene when the two fleets have decided the outcome and suffered heavy casualties. In this way, it can use the war in Brazil to achieve the goal of weakening the strength of Han and the United States at the same time, and force the parties with reduced bargaining chips to sit down at the negotiating table, redivide their respective spheres of influence in accordance with Britain's strategic planning and interests, and consolidate Britain's shaky dominance over South America.

The British plan was perfect. In the early and middle stages of the war, even though the performance and quantity of the Han field army's weapons and equipment exceeded expectations, the Brazilian navy was completely annihilated, and more than half of the main forces of the Brazilian army were lost, the war generally continued to develop in the direction deduced by the British. However, what the British had not expected was that the US government, which had always been high-profile and bold in American affairs, stopped its advance on the front line north of Rio de Janeiro after sending an expeditionary fleet and part of its army to actually participate in the Brazilian Civil War. Moreover, according to the analysis of the intelligence collected, the US expeditionary fleet was not prepared for a decisive battle with the Han fleet, but was busy exchanging and transferring interests with the central government of the Brazilian Republic in secret.

As for the Han State, they cooperated very well with the Americans. The two hostile countries, who talked about fighting to the death and refusing to give an inch, were completely silent on the battlefield. The huge contrast before and after the war made the British side surprised and angry, as well as helpless and regretful.

The Han and American countries had a fierce verbal battle, but when the time came to reap the rewards, they quietly scooped up all kinds of benefits into their own bowls.

The British Empire, which had the greatest influence in South America, became an outsider and the one whose interests suffered the most.

Not only did they fail to reap the expected benefits, but many small and medium-sized businessmen like Boris, who were not strong enough, paid the price of having their factories, houses, and plantations affected and damaged by the war, and suffering losses in their economic interests.

The development of the war in Paraguay and Brazil was beyond the control of Britain. The intervention of the Brazilian Empire and the United States also led to the expansion of the scale of the war and accelerated the collapse of the balance in South America.

The situation is not optimistic. Han and the United States have obtained the expected benefits and are busy digesting the fruits of victory in the war. They are not in a hurry to end the war, but Britain can't sit still and the war continues. Not only will the scale of damage to British interests be further expanded, but the balance of power in South America will also be completely broken. It is necessary to intervene in the South American war immediately to end this local scale war that is far away from the center of the world and is getting out of control.

ps, recommend a book.

Rebirth of the Rat King

Liu Yu is more practical about what it is like to be reborn as a mouse, such as developing family members and dominating a mountain step by step.

(The strange beast style, no transformation, but the protagonist has a lot of descendants)

(End of this chapter)