Australian Storm 1876

   Chapter 492

  Hekou Town Gendarmerie

  Batez appeared emotional and did not cooperate with the military's interrogation. He repeatedly clamored that he was a businessman with French state-owned status, and made a lot of trouble.

  This incident alarmed Li Shuanzhu, the head of the lieutenant colonel who had just returned. After personally interrogating him, he severely criticized the ensign officer Wu Guodong, ordered his men to release the French, and offered comfort.

  Looking at Batz and his companion George leaving triumphantly, Lieutenant Wu Guodong’s young face was full of unwillingness, but under the strict orders of his superiors, he could only obey.

   "What's the matter...Is it still hard to pass this hurdle in my heart?" Li Shuanzhu came out of the military police and asked thoughtfully in the direction that Batz was leaving.

  Ensign Wu Guodong was taken aback, and he turned around and stood up and saluted at the head of the group; “It’s humble and rude, but I think these two Frenchmen must have ulterior conspiracies, so it’s too cheap to let them go.”

   "Is this questioning Shangguan?"

   "Don't dare to be in a humble position."

"Let me see... you are still not convinced in your heart. Am I right?" Li Shuanzhu pointed to his chest. From the energetic young face of the ensign officer, he saw the shadow of himself. In a blink of an eye, 6 years have passed, so how can he not let him be deeply moved.

  "The humble post dare not hide the chief, uh...it's a little bit." Lieutenant Wu Guodong couldn't keep words in his young heart, so he only hesitated and said straightforwardly.

"Hahahaha..." Lieutenant Colonel Li Shuanzhu laughed indifferently. He admired this young second lieutenant officer for his sharp thinking, meticulous observation and strong vigilance. He is a good seed. So don't mind calling one or two.

  "Then tell me, what did these two malicious Frenchmen come to Hekou Town to spy on?"

   "Reporting to the group, the humble servant thinks that they want to spy on our military situation. They must have a sinister scheme that is not conducive to our side. Maybe they are instigated by a certain department in France. Anyway, it is not as simple as it seems on the surface."

   "Do you have evidence?"

   "Report the group seat, no."

  "Can they be tortured to extract a confession?"

   "Uh...it seems inappropriate."

  "The other party did not admit it to death. Will there be any effect if I continue to interrogate?"

  "This...not very effective."

"Isn't this over? Interrogation alone is useless. We don't have evidence in our hands. We can't treat these two Frenchmen just by suspicion. If it attracts the attention of the French and African colonies, it will cause us In a very passive position, these two Frenchmen are not without backgrounds. We must be cautious."

  "Report to the group seat, the humble duty understands."

“You also understand on the surface that it’s not enough for young people to do things with enthusiasm and impulse. As an army officer, you must think twice before doing things, especially for businessmen and officials from European countries traveling to and from Mozambique, in line with the spirit of the Berlin Conference. , Be especially cautious."

  Li Zhuzhu looked at Lieutenant Wu Guodong at this point. Seeing that he was listening carefully and respectfully, he obviously listened to his own words, and he was very pleased; he can teach him too!

  Since this is the case, he doesn’t mind saying more;

  "From an early age, we must be cautious in taking measures against citizens of sovereign European countries. Think about it... Who are the people who can come to Africa from Europe in this era?

  Scientific expeditions with government backgrounds, adventurers, colonial officials, smugglers, and some spies who come in under various names. There are almost no innocent people, and it’s not that simple to think about it with your toes.

The Berlin Conference formed a consensus to colonize Africa. We have the Mozambique region. We have the responsibility and obligation to facilitate business and investment for citizens of all countries. This is a two-way trade facilitation. In other regions of Africa, countries participating in the Berlin Conference also provide protection for Queensland citizens. And trade facilitation.

  This is an international rule, and it cannot be easily broken. It is easy to cause unnecessary trouble to the Lord Earl. By then, I will wait for nothing. "

  Wu Guodong has not yet heard the words, but is horrified; "Sir, did I get into trouble?"

   "It's okay, these two Frenchmen are holding two bombs in their hands, and throwing them out is the right way." Li Shuanzhu patted his shoulder gently, and said earnestly;

  "You did a very good job. You can carefully observe the unusualness of these two Frenchmen, that is, they are a little frizzy in their handling. Just think more about everything in the future.

   Take this case as an example;

  I found the abnormality of these two Frenchmen, so I don’t need to disturb them, so I just need to arrange manpower to monitor them all. Are you afraid of them flying into the sky in Hekou Town?

  You don’t have to make a decision in a hurry even if you get definitive evidence. If you want to report to a higher level, you will inevitably give a proper treatment method. This is the correct procedure.

  Now we are fighting in the Mozambique region and harvesting the vast and rich land of the Zambezi River. It will inevitably lead to the secret coveting and greed of other European colonists. It can be foreseen that Africa will set off a wave of colonization and completely carve up this vast continent.

  You can think of these European and American countries as a bunch of greedy and careful neighbors. When you smell the smell of our meat, you can’t help but peep out. This is human nature.

  Don’t the upper ranks of the Expeditionary Army know the existence of these people?

  The answer is no. This is the international default unspoken rule. Can you keep people from prying eyes if you eat meat at home?

  That's too domineering, it's easy to have no friends.

  Now that we jump into the muddy waters of Africa, we have to play the game according to the rules.

  The so-called international rules are the consensus formed by the Berlin Conference. Whoever occupies first is whoever gets it first. Whoever gets it first is whoever owns the means.

  This world follows the law of the forest where the weak eat the strong, and will never sympathize with the weak. The weak can only get mockery and disdain.

We in Queensland soldiers shoulder the ardent hope of Lord Earl to bring the country's prestige beyond the waves of thousands of miles. We should bear in mind the important task, fulfill the mission, compose the hymn of life with blood and loyalty, cast military honor, and surrender to the seat of Lord Earl with humility, but there is Whatever you ask for, I dare not give up even though I die!

  Keep this in mind at all times, and you will not make mistakes when you do things. "

Li Shuanzhu’s teachings of Dundun poured into his heart like a warm current, and Lieutenant Wu Guodong’s eyes were covered with a touch of fog, and he stood up and saluted and said in a solemn voice; “Thank you, Master Tuanzuo for your painstaking efforts. Even if the body is broken and bones are hard to repay, in the future, I will definitely take the command of the group seat as the motto, always keep it in my heart, and will never change in this life."

"You are a young officer with firm convictions, very good..." Li Shuanzhu nodded with relief. This young officer was very spiritual, and he didn't say what he said in vain. He changed his words and said; "Guodong, I know. Is there a skull and bones in the army?"

   "Uh... Report to the group. I have heard about the humble position. It is said that entering the Skull and Bones must be recommended by an elderly person. The humble position is only inexperienced and has never been able to get in. It has been difficult to let go..."

   "Ha ha ha... I can be your referee."

   "Master Tuanzuo, Guodong is sincere and fearful..."

   "Ha ha ha... a trivial matter."

  Li Shuanzhu waved his hand disapprovingly. It would be Xiujo if he didn't win over a group of henchmen in the army. Senior officers did this, and he did the same.

He thought for a while and said; "Although these two French people are let go, it does not mean that they are allowed to do anything arbitrary. You will be responsible for this matter, and you will arrange for comprehensive monitoring by manpower. If we can get definitive evidence, I will report to you. The expeditionary army headquarters report, I will give you a big credit."

   "According to orders, the humble duty must not humiliate the mission." Lieutenant Wu Guodong stood up and saluted, expressing his resolute attitude.

   "Okay, then I'll wait to see the transcript you handed in." Li Shuanzhu nodded lightly and watched Lieutenant Wu Guodong leave in a hurry, a flash of thought flashed in his eyes.

  Since studying at the Huangpu Infantry Academy, Li Shuanzhu began to look at military operations from a holistic perspective, analyze the pros and cons, temper his own capabilities, and benefit a lot from it.

  This is a necessary quality for a senior military officer, not only from the military perspective, but also from the perspective of international influence, social reaction, and the impact on politics, economy, people’s livelihood, and geographic relations.

  Many of the words he said to Lieutenant Wu Guodong today were the essence of his recent in-depth thinking, which could not be said before.

  Queensland competed with the Portuguese for the Mozambique region, as if a stone was thrown into the calm water, which caused widespread international repercussions.

  As far as Li Shuanzhu knows;

  Not only the colonial power of France, but also the emerging European army power of the German Empire, the United States on the other side of the Pacific, and even China’s home country, Qing Dynasty, are concerned about this, and the impact is very far-reaching.

   France and Germany are very close at hand. If you observe carefully, you will find that they are constantly moving. They have begun to take active actions. Sending two spies to spy on intelligence is normal. Li Shuanzhu can almost guess what they want to know.

  The French colony of Reunion Island is only 650 kilometers away from the Kingdom of Madagascar, while the Mozambique region faces the Kingdom of Madagascar across the Mozambique Strait. The African Expeditionary Forces here are all things that French people care about.

The British colonization of Africa has a 2C plan, and the colonial power France also has its own ambitious ambitions. Mozambique and the Kingdom of Madagascar are both French dishes. Now Mozambique has changed hands. The African expeditionary army is looking at the Kingdom of Madagascar with great interest. How can France be? Reconciled?

  Last year, France’s attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Madagascar failed completely. It does not mean that it has given up its colonial attempt. It may soon come back. The so-called dog can’t change the shit. It is impossible to expect France to abandon its colonial policy and think about it with its toes.

The German Empire is also not idle. It has sent a number of expeditions to the Northern Province of Tanzania to conduct a detailed survey of the local human geography. The armed squads sent by the African Expeditionary Force have met with him many times and ordered the other party to withdraw from the area to maintain The Mozambique region is complete.

  The reason is very sufficient;

  The Mozambique region is an overseas colony that I only occupied. What is it for your Germans to come to my house for inspection?

Besides

Li Shuanzhu also knew that the ships from Dar es Salaam, the capital of German East Africa, to Mozambique Island were endless. The Germans were the strong backing of the Portuguese resistance. They provided double encouragement from materials and information, and antagonized the African Expeditionary Forces everywhere. .

  The German Empire is a European land power similar in size to the United Kingdom. It has the ability to create an upset to the United Kingdom. Queensland has nothing to do with the other side. After all, the gap between the two sides is too large, and they can only verbally protest.

  The Germans have two colonies in Africa. Among them, German East Africa is just north of Mozambique, covering an area of ​​about one million square kilometers, close to the border of the Northern Province.

  This is an unfriendly northern neighbor. Not only he likes to intervene but also has a bad mouth. In the international community, he always babbles and cheers on the Portuguese and encourages them to fight to the end with the African Expeditionary Forces of Queensland.

   Speaking of the two colonies of German East Africa and German West Africa, it is also a matter of the past two years.

  Since the reunification of the German Empire was completed in 1871, after more than ten years of focusing on internal development, many Germans have looked overseas and eagerly hope to expand overseas and obtain raw materials and commodity markets.

  Prime Minister Bismarck believed that Germany should focus on Europe and prevent France from revenge. However, the colonial expenses were huge and the benefits were small, so he opposed colonial expansion.

  1884

  The German colonialist Karl Peters and others established the German East Africa Company to colonize East Africa in order to plunder African resources.

  Karl Peters arrived on the African continent opposite Zanzibar Island, forced the local tribal leaders to accept German protection, and began German colonization in East Africa. When Bismarck learned about it, he objected and ordered the German consul in Zanzibar not to give Karl Peters any support.

The Berlin Conference was a turning point. After the Berlin Conference, Prime Minister Bismarck's attitude changed. He no longer forced the diplomatic missions in Africa to ban support, which was tantamount to acquiescing to the existence of German East Africa. German East Africa ushered in a period of rapid development. , And plans to start building the railway.

  As for German West Africa, it is located in Namibia, covering an area of ​​about 800,000 square kilometers.

  In 1883, Germany tried its best to buy the Lüderitz region on the southwest coast of Namibia. The seller was the local chief.

  As for how did Germany buy such a large area of ​​land?

  The internal information is not enough for outsiders. Anyway, it is bought, just like Queenslanders buying Somalia, the legitimacy is generally recognized by the international community.

  Germany began to work hard to manage Namibia, step by step, preparing to formally annex Namibia in a few years and become German Southwest Africa.

   Therefore, the development of German power in Africa has been the past two years, and their appetite is also not small.

The upper echelons of the African Expeditionary Force are very wary of the Germans and the French. Both of these are powerful European powers with strong armies. Once they make up their minds to intervene in Mozambique, the African Expeditionary Force is not a small one. The gap is too big.

  Fortunately, Queensland is not a vegetarian. Backed by big trees, Australia is a member of the British Empire’s colonial circle of friends. If you want to bully Queensland publicly, you have to ask whether the British Empire agrees?

  The majesty of the British Empire cannot be provoked. This hard statement is not just to say, it is really deadly.

  (End of this chapter)