Chapter 181 Armed Mission
February 14, 1869.
A team of more than 50 people set off for the capital of the Yeke Kingdom, led by Merk who threatened to start war against the Yeke Kingdom at the Mbeya expansion meeting half a month ago.
Marching on the prairie is still somewhat difficult, and it is on foot. Sitte provided them with a carriage, but a group of people can only rest in the carriage in turn. This is not because Sitte is stingy, but that carriages are strategic resources in East Africa. The quantity is relatively small.
These more than 50 people looked like regular East African troops in terms of weapons and equipment. They had uniform Dreiser rifles, which were clean and tidy, and there were no poor Prussian military uniforms.
"It's really sweltering today!" Merk wiped the sweat off his face with a towel and said to the entourage.
"What's this? You don't know your blessings while you're in the blessing. It's the eastern seaboard that really gets hot and kills you. The inland plateau is where the sun is stronger, and the heat of the sun is far worse than the eastern seaboard." Becker Said to Merk.
Becker was the sixth child who interrupted Merke's spellcasting at the expansion meeting. His proposal was very appreciated by Wei Te.
So Becker was authorized to carry out the important mission of the Yeke Kingdom, and Merkel was responsible for the safety of the journey.
"Mr. Becker, do you think Msiri will accept our kindness?" Merkel said to Msiri.
"Hehe, Msiri is now in a desperate situation. If you don't rely on us, the country will be in danger of subjugation. Msiri is a smart man, and he will make his own choice." Becker said confidently.
"It's not that I don't understand the current situation of the Yeke Kingdom, but that Musiri, like many indigenous people, cannot be judged on a human level. Our spies said that Musiri is now crazy. There is a massacre in the country, and I don't know the specifics, but the spies say that his character is not as good as that of animals." Merkel still cautiously said to Becker.
East Africa deployed a large number of spies around the East African colonies, some dressed as expeditions, some dressed as businessmen, and the Arabs and Portuguese were the key imitation objects in East Africa.
Now East Africa is mostly disguised as Portuguese in Central and South Africa to carry out various activities to inquire about local intelligence and geography.
The East African colony has now become a black and evil force in the eyes of many indigenous forces in the west, leaving no place for people, making East Africa notorious among the northern and southern indigenous forces bounded by the Congo rainforest.
The tribes and kingdoms expelled from East Africa spread the name of the East African colony to both sides of the Congo Rainforest, Central South Africa and Central West Africa.
So, the spies of the East African colonies in these areas can only pretend to be people from various countries, but they cannot use the banner of East Africa.
Take Central South Africa for example. Although this place is deeply inland, some Portuguese businessmen still do business here for business.
Even many Portuguese businessmen settled in Central and South Africa, so spies in the East African colonies often dressed as Portuguese merchants to operate in Central and South Africa.
Becker smiled slightly, and said to Merkel: "Although Msiri is cruel, he is practical. He is very clear about who can bring him real benefits, especially the vast country he rules. Advanced firearms suppress local forces and indigenous peoples.
The Yeke Kingdom he established was only a few decades old, and the land was basically robbed. Naturally, many natives did not accept him.
And his family used to work for the Arabs, so he is one of the few natives in Africa who have seen the world, so he dare not act rashly against us. "
"Mr. Baker, this is just speculation in an ideal state! Msiri has been the king of Yeke Kingdom for more than ten years, and his character has become more and more violent. Now I doubt whether his sanity is clear. What if He's really crazy, then we're afraid..." Merke was about to say something, but was interrupted by Becker.
"Don't be discouraged. Our armed force of more than 50 people is not vegetarian. Msiri's firearms team is now only a hundred or ten people, and its equipment is backward. Its ammunition is also provided by us in East Africa. If he doesn't use all In the case of strength, it's really hard to say who will win the battle."
On this point, Merk agrees very much. Although Becker is a civil servant, he is not a person who does not know soldiers.
Most of the officials in East Africa were drawn from the army, or from the Hexingen Military Academy. Becker also fought many tough battles in East Africa.
Moreover, Becker's qualifications in Mbeya were earlier than that of Merk. Merk was transferred to Mbeya from the east, and Becker was a soldier in Mbeya before entering the civil service. System, a few months longer than Merkel's stay in Mbeya.
"However, it's better to be cautious. According to me, it's better to directly decide to send troops before. You have to talk to these natives about the 'hard truth'. I'm afraid they may not cooperate with them in the civilized world. Moreover, our team Compared with the Yeke Kingdom, the number of people is too small after all, and I am afraid that they will come to fight with us..." Although the mission to the Yeke Kingdom has already taken place, Merke still insists on his original idea of going to war directly.
"Although our mission this time may be dangerous, things need to be considered in many ways. Now East Africa is developing rapidly, and every war means breaking the development process in East Africa.
For example, in the Northwest Campaign, the resources of the entire East Africa were tilted towards the Northwest. At that time, East Africa basically stagnated in development.
Fortunately, the benefits of the Northwest Campaign are large enough for us to take action. If we also directly send troops to Yeke Kingdom, there will be no problem.
But it would be better if we could win the Yeke Kingdom at a lower cost. Although there are certain risks in doing so, it is worth trying in East Africa.
After all, this is the first time we have dealt with these natives in the form of diplomacy. Even if it fails, we can accumulate some experience for East Africa.
And it succeeded, and our contribution will definitely be no less than that of a large-scale war. Is this the truth, Mr. Merk! said Becker.
Actually, the last sentence is the main reason. Compared with a war, if this envoy to Yeke Kingdom succeeds, Merkel and Becker's contribution will definitely be indispensable.
Moreover, the military merits of the war have to be apportioned, and Becker, as a civil servant, can get little credit. Although Merke is the military chief of the Mbeya region, if there is a real fight, maybe the East African colony will send other regions Troops go to war, or famous names like Felix airborne to command the battle.
The Kingdom of Yeke is a piece of cake. The more people there are, the less each person gets. As a civil servant, Becker is naturally unwilling to accept this.
That's why I proposed the strategy of sending an envoy to the Yeke Kingdom. If it succeeds, as the person who proposed the strategy and the executor, Becker's contribution will definitely not be lower than the second. With the commissioner present, it is not easy for other officials to rob Becker of his achievements. As for Commissioner Schmidt, Becker still understands this, but Becker is using the heart of a villain to save a gentleman.
As one of the most outstanding graduates of Hechingen Military Academy, Wei Te was appreciated by Ernst at the beginning, and he basically took him with him to teach by example.
At that time, there were only four or five of the most outstanding graduates of the Hechingen Military Academy. According to the formal process, Schott should enter the military academy in Berlin to continue his studies.
However, Ernst sent him to East Africa alone to supervise the military work of the East African colonies, and eventually became a member of the highest decision-making level in East Africa.
Ernst's trust in him can be seen in general, and Sitte is also grateful for Ernst's cultivation, and he is one of Ernst's confidantes.
Wei Te is like Ernst's clone in the East African colony. He strictly follows every order of Ernst. Wei Te's position in East Africa is already at the ceiling. He only needs to be attached to Ernst's banner for the rest of his life, and he doesn't need anything. Credit bonus, so Wei Te will not be greedy for Becker's credit.
Merkel's purpose is similar to that of Becker. Although he is the main combat faction, Becker's proposal is more attractive.
Becker and Merkel were both early German mercenaries. After the contract expires, they still have to return to Europe.
And every achievement in East Africa is a lot of money, which is related to the life of Becker and Merkel in their later years. That's why this mission to the Yeke Kingdom took place.
(end of this chapter)