After discussing European affairs for a while, the topic turned to the African expeditionary task force led by Lei Xiaopeng, Xin Changjun, as the deputy of Lord Earl, knew a lot about the relevant situation, including the supply of logistics and materials.

"Lord Yuan Ding, the plan to occupy the Somali region is going very smoothly, Lei Xiaohu only used 30 pounds of toffee and fifty mechanical long knives from the local chieftain to a large oasis land off the coast of Djibouti, which is the most critical area to hold the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

meanwhile

The advance party divided into two routes and occupied a deserted island of Great Hanish, which had hardly any sign of human habitation except for a few dilapidated Arab fishermen's huts, so everything went well.

At this stage, the expeditionary advance team is shrinking its strength, giving priority to ensuring the safety of base construction, not taking the initiative to contact the local aborigines and other forces, and everything is mainly low-key, and no abnormal situation has been found so far. ”

"Well, that's good." Li Fushou nodded in appreciation.

No need to ask

Li Fushou knew that Li Xiaopeng must have used deceptive means to coax the local indigenous chiefs to sign treaties, which is a common method used by Europeans in Africa, taking advantage of the knowledge and information gap between the two sides, and even coaxing African chiefs to sign unequal treaties and cede large pieces of land.

He only focuses on results, not on the process.

That's what the French did in the Congo Valley, and so did the Belgians, and so did the Portuguese and the British, and everyone did the same, and now the Queenslanders have to be added.

If you can't deceive it, then just grab it, basically that's the routine.

As colonists, everyone is a raccoon dog, so don't mention any justice and justice at this time.

Unless you don't touch Africa, you don't want to be clean by jumping into this big dye vat.

A certain thinker once said;

During the period of primitive capitalist accumulation, every pound was soaked in blood, sweat and injustice, full of exploitation and oppression......

In this day and age

You have to be strong enough to be treated equally, it doesn't depend on the will of some people, the reality is so cruel, you can choose between the exploiter and the exploited, there is no other way out.

Britain, France, Italy and Germany, which are so economically developed, are they still bent on expanding the scope of colonization, is it a pain in the idle egg?

The answer, of course, is; No.

They need cheap primary products, labor and vast markets produced in Africa to absorb the vast quantities of industrial production and feed their domestic economies through exploitation, which is the path of development for the old capitalist countries.

But why didn't the United States participate in the process of colonizing Africa?

The answer is very simple, the United States is now eyeing the Spanish colonies of Cuba and Puerto Rico in Central America, as well as the Luzon Islands in the South Pacific region.

It is self-explanatory which one to choose first, a piece of fat or a piece of lean meat.

Between the southwest tip of the Arabian Peninsula and the African continent, there is a strait that runs northwest and southeast, connecting the Gulf of Aden in the Arabian Sea from the southern end of the Red Sea, and is known as the "water corridor" connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.

Because the waterway (the east waterway of the strait) is suitable for water depth, there are few islands and reefs in the channel, and it is connected to the Red Sea in the north and the Gulf of Aden in the south, which is the shortest route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Indian Ocean, and is also an important waterway for maritime traffic and trade between Europe, Asia and Africa.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is the southern gateway to the Red Sea and has been a busy trade route connecting the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea since ancient times.

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, sea vessels have entered the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and then through the Strait of Malacca into the western Asian coastal area of the Pacific Ocean. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait has become an important maritime communication artery for the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans.

Great Hanish Island is located in the middle of the southeastern end of the Red Sea, close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, 40 kilometers from Yemen in the east and Eritrea in the west, and is strategically located on the main channel of the Red Sea. Whoever occupies the island of Great Hanish will be able to completely block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

If the Suez Canal is a choke point, then the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is undoubtedly the location of the tail end of the large intestine, and its importance is undoubted.

I have to say

At this time in 1884, no more than 25% of the entire African continent was colonized by Europe, mainly Libya, Morocco and British Egypt in North Africa, the Congo River Basin and Mozambique in Central Africa, South Africa, Mozambique and the Ivory Coast in Southern Africa, and the entire interior and large coastal areas of Africa were not included.

It's like before the game starts

Runners from Europe and the United States are ready to try behind the starting line, Queensland silently walked to the front and moved a small bench to sit down, occupying a space, due to the imperfection of the rules, others are not good to say.

According to the first-come, first-served principle tacitly agreed by European countries, Queensland's action is just right on the waist, which can be described as exquisite vision and ingenuity.

Don't forget

Li Fushou's identity is the Earl of Queensland personally awarded by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom, belonging to the British colonial aristocracy, and standing behind him is the world hegemon of the British Empire, which is almost equal to the type of peripheral horse boy of the United Kingdom.

The British can teach lessons with their own hands, others can't.

According to the British plan to colonize Africa 2C, a colonial empire will be established that runs from South Africa to Egypt in the north and south of the entire African continent, which does not include the Somali region in the Horn of Africa, because there is a rather powerful Ethiopian kingdom in between, and the two plans are not in conflict.

Britain didn't look down on this desert land, this place was occupied by his subordinates, and the so-called fertile water does not flow into the fields of outsiders, and London was happy to see it, which was much better than letting others occupy it.

In his interview with Lord Gulliver, Minister of the Colonial Office, Professor Glenn Johnson explicitly referred to the occupation of Somalia.

Lord Gulliver was only stunned for a moment, then said with a smile; "Oh...... There is nothing but the desert and the Gobi, and perhaps Mr. Earl Queensland is going to be disappointed. ”

"Your Excellency, we need the Somali region just to create a stable supply base for the ocean-going trade routes from Europe to Australia."

"Can I understand that Guinea has similar considerations?"

"As you know, the Suez Canal is the safest route from Australia to the east coast of the United States, and it is important to have multiple stable supply points on this long route, and we are not willing to risk crossing the extremely dangerous southern tip of Argentina, Cape Horn, which is a nightmare for all ocean-going freighters."

"And for good reason, well, let's talk about the sales prospects of FLM gas cooktops in the UK, and I'm very interested in this popular ......"

Lord Gulliver was very interested in the Australian specialties he brought, and the relevant topics occupied six and a half minutes in the 10-minute meeting between the two men, and the real topic was only a few words, and the two sides maintained the necessary tacit understanding.

As a superior

Lord Gulliver won't promise anything, as long as he doesn't object, it's enough to mention it when the time is right.

Such a trifle cannot yet rise to the level of the government in London, the British Empire's African colonization plan is Project 2C, there is no place for Somalia in this at all, as for Guinea, well...... A lot of British bureaucrats don't know where Guinea is.

Today, Africa is a paradise for adventurers.

Anyone of any nationality could claim a large area of land in the African Circle, and after the discovery of gold in Mozambique, Portuguese captains were able to establish settlements along the river basin and claim the area as their own.

The French adventurer led a group of European mercenaries to attack the Kingdom of Madagascar, although it was a nose of dust, but it is very telling.

According to a pre-established plan;

The first step in the strategy of Africa was Somalia and Guinea, and now the plan is very well executed, and the establishment of logistics bases, docks and related military and civilian facilities in the Djibouti area near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has begun, which can play a huge role as a strategic support point for controlling the entire Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and can also serve as a transit point for ocean-going trade.

The occupation of Great Hanish Island and its adjacent islands is a strategically significant move that essentially controls the entire Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

After the completion of all the facilities, Queensland can independently complete the task of blockading the strait from 10,000 miles away, exert global influence, and garrison troops can ensure the security of the long oceanic trade route from the Red Sea to the Arabian Gulf.

All these obscure intentions have not yet been revealed, and they must not be hidden for long.

"Yuan Ding, I always feel that the French and Italians will not let us control the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, this position is too critical, and it is not comfortable for them to look at it."

"Huh...... The sky is falling, there is a high top, what are we afraid of? ”

"What do you mean ......"

"Taking advantage of the situation, I finally dedicated 4 10,000-ton battleships to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, and now the battleships are being built on the slipway, if London doesn't care about removing the ladder and letting others bully Queensland, then I can also regret it, the battleship is not given to him, what can I do?"

"That's ...... I'm afraid it's inappropriate, right? ”

"Huh...... We just do this to make such a gesture, for example, after the completion of the battleship to delay the delivery, there are many ways to use, and then look at London's attitude before making plans, I think the Royal Navy will definitely be in a hurry! ”

Xin Changjun thought about it seriously, and it was really like this.

Even in the worst-case scenario, Queensland has cards to play, and these battleships are a sore sore foot for the Royal Navy, and they can't afford not to stand up.

Looking back on it now

These four battleships can be regarded as the protection money paid by Queensland, and they have indeed made huge profits in them.

Not to mention anything else, as soon as several broken sailing ships of the Far East Fleet of the Royal Navy were lost to the ports of Saimuda and Machen, the Dutch immediately softened and became an important factor in the rapid promotion of peace negotiations.

Otherwise, according to the Nordic people's always tough urine nature, this peace negotiation is a bit of a ramp!

In a word, if you don't see the coffin, you don't cry.