Chapter 454: Chapter 27, The Tangled Louis
 

The most solid fortress is always breached from within, a simple truth that Governor Delf was naturally aware of; from the beginning, he had no intention of fighting a battle against the Austrians in Africa.

Perhaps the Royal Navy could suppress the Austrian Navy, and even blockade most of the ports, but they still had no chance of victory.

Though the population of the South African region exceeded two and a half million, the majority were black people; in the mid-19th century, the white population in the Cape Town area just surpassed one hundred thousand, including the Boer people.

Under the pressure of Austria’s large-scale immigration, the London Government also accelerated its own immigration pace. Regrettably, the British population was limited, and there were too many colonies.

They had too many places to manage simultaneously, with Australia and Canada, where gold had been discovered, being the priorities, followed by regions like New Zealand and India. By the time it came to South Africa, there weren’t many immigrants left.

This was also the cause of Governor Delf’s anxiety; whether he liked it or not, the lack of immigrants had become a major factor limiting the development of the South African region.

In the original timeline, the South African region developed in the late 19th century when the world’s largest goldmine cluster was discovered, attracting a large number of immigrants.

At this point in time, South Africa did not have many advantages over other regions in Africa, at least in the eyes of the public.

With earnest concern, Delf asked, “Blair, how is the plan going? Are they willing to cooperate with us?”

Faced with the hopeful Governor Delf, Blair lowered his head and after a long pause, replied, “I regret to inform you, Governor, that our plan has failed.

The Austrian penetration into Transvaal and Orange was much more severe than anticipated. Not long after we connected with them, the news appeared in the newspapers.

You know, the grudge between us and the Boer people cannot be resolved simply. After the leak, the few friends who were in contact with us dared not act rashly.”

Where there are people, there will be conflicts, and among the Boer people, there were quite a few who opposed cooperation with Austria. However, this did not mean they were willing to cooperate with the British.

Originally, these Boers were those who were unwilling to be British and were forced to trek inland. They naturally harbored no good feelings towards the British who had taken over their homelands.

Anti-British sentiment was already strong among the civilians; with Austria’s intervention, anti-British sentiment had become the political correctness in both Transvaal and Orange.

After the leak, those prepared to cooperate with the British were caught in a whirlpool of public opinion, and were thus unable to protect themselves or continue their plans.

As for the threat posed by the British, it’s unfortunate that on the African Continent, Austria was the dominant force. Both Transvaal and Orange were landlocked countries, and as powerful as the Royal Navy might be, they couldn’t come ashore.

Just considering the British in the Cape Town area, it was necessary to seriously consider who was threatening whom.

This outcome was beyond Governor Delf’s expectation; he had originally planned to buy off the anti-Austrian faction among the Boer people, incite conflict between the two parties, and force Transvaal and Orange to lean towards them.

With the Boer people as a buffer, the British rule in the South African region would be secure. Austria, having overextended itself, would be powerless to retaliate in the short term.

As for issues in the future, that was for the next term to worry about. Governor Delf didn’t think he needed to consider that much. Stabilising the situation at the smallest cost was the pressing matter.

Expressing his complaint, Governor Delf said, “It seems our trouble has grown; without removing the threat of Transvaal and Orange, we won’t be able to sleep peacefully.

Damned Boer people, isn’t it good to act as a buffer state? Yet they choose to lean towards Austria. Do they really think we are easy to bully!”

If the Boer people knew of his thoughts, they would feel very wronged; they had always been neutral!

Getting close to Austria was normal; apart from the sentiment of the populace, they also needed trade.

As small landlocked countries surrounded by England, Austria, and Portugal, if they didn’t get close to Austria, were they expected to cozy up to the Portuguese?

Explanations were futile, them leaning towards Austria was seen as a threat to British rule in Cape Town, a reality more convincing than any reason.

Blair proposed, “Governor, as our attempt to sever the Boers’ alliances with Austria from within has failed, we must now quickly initiate our backup plan.

We must act to disrupt their cooperation before Austria fully annexes the Boer people, and now is the opportunity.”

Indeed it was an opportunity; the African Continent was simply too large, and despite the Austrians’ efforts in building railways, they still hadn’t managed to solve the transportation issue.

In the Zimbabwe and Botswana regions, the Austrians could muster only very limited forces. It wasn’t that there were no large armies; the main issue was that the harsh transport conditions restricted the number of troops that could be deployed.

This is also the true reason why Austria had expanded to its limit. Although there are quite a number of immigrants in Africa, once they are dispersed, there aren’t many in any given region.

Just follow the rivers to find these settlements. Areas without rivers are, for the most part, undeveloped.

Before Austria resolves the transportation issue, removing the nails in Transvaal and Orange was the British backup plan.

“Oh!”

After sighing, Derfu said, “Let’s start preparing. The Cabinet has already agreed to our plan, and the foreign ministry will coordinate with our actions.”

…

In Portugal, King Luis was now panicking. Trouble comes when least expected.

With the Anglo-Austrian conflict over the South African region escalating, they now needed Portugal to pick sides.

Although Portugal is a small nation with very limited influence in Europe, in Africa, especially in the South African region, the Portuguese hold sway.

Their ability to maintain Mozambique and Angola relies not only on their flexible diplomacy but even more so on their own strength.

Perhaps this strength is insignificant on the European Continent, but it is not to be underestimated in Africa. Without it, they could have lost everything regardless of their diplomatic efforts.

The Portuguese knew their own situation; they no longer had the power to compete with England, France, and Austria for Overseas Colonies, and King Louis I had been in a state of defense for years.

Relying on their decent relations with both Anglo-Austrian countries, the Portuguese colonies in Africa had not been violated.

Now the British wanted them to take sides, with the London Government seeking the support of Portuguese Africa to drive Austria out of the South African region.

Let alone whether it was feasible, just the thought of facing Austria head-on made Louis I lose his nerve.

As for their “Pink Map” plan to connect Angola with Mozambique, that had long been abandoned. Portugal’s era had passed, and holding onto their current holdings would be fortunate enough.

Stuck between two empires, life was not easy; otherwise, King Louis I’s strong inner resolve might have completely collapsed by now.

The promises offered by the British held no interest for Louis.

Perhaps an Anglo-Portuguese alliance could suppress the Austrians in the South African region, but what about the threat of retaliation afterward?

To count on British protection was like a lamb entering the tiger’s den. In the original timeline, Portugal was coerced into siding with the British, leading to a large plundering of their colonial wealth.

The consequences now would be even more severe. Once they sided with the British, the Angola region would immediately be doomed. The Congo Region, long cultivated by Austria, now possessed the capacity to support a war with a hundred-thousand-strong army.

Mozambique wouldn’t fare any better either. With so many borders shared between the Portuguese and Austrians, once conflicts arose, Portugal would never know peace again.

King Louis I did not believe that the British, who promised to protect their colonies, would actually go to war with Austria for their sake.

Even with the severe conflict of interests in South Africa, both sides have maintained restraint and haven’t openly come to blows, which speaks volumes in itself.

Moreover, Portugal and Austria have had good relations; Austria received Portuguese support when first venturing into colonization. Franz has made a public promise not to covet any of Portugal’s colonies.

King Louis I still trusted this declaration. Over the years, Austria indeed had never reached for their colonies.

For King Louis I, breaking this favorable situation for the sake of British promises was a loss too great to consider.

Besides, even if Portugal were to gain the Zambia region and connect Angola with Mozambique, it might not be a good thing.

Being a buffer between major powers is not an easy role, especially for those who have picked sides—it meant binding themselves to the British and enduring Austria’s retaliation.

That wasn’t what Louis I wanted, but refusing the British was not easy either. With John Bull’s style, how could they easily let go of this chess piece?

…