Chapter 573 Prelude to War
By mid-September, a new spring had arrived in the homeland of Han.
On the Patagonian Plateau, the ice and snow accumulated in the Andes Mountains gradually melted and turned into rivers, nourishing the grasslands and woodlands on both sides of the mountains.
On the Pampas, brand new brick and stone buildings alternate with lush farmland.
On the Gran Chaco Plain, groups of foxes, ocelots, chestnut alpacas, maned wolves, flightless pheasants and other animals wander leisurely on the grass, looking up from time to time and patrolling their territories.
Spring is the season when everything comes back to life and becomes full of vitality. It is also a festival for the Han people to celebrate the harvest and celebrate unity.
"Heaven is to earth, rain is to wind. Continent is to sky. Mountain flowers are to sea trees, red sun is to the sky. Thunder is faint, fog is hazy. Sun is to the middle of the sky. Wind is high, autumn moon is white, rain is over, sunset glow is red"
In the spacious school, the sound of children reading aloud can be heard, and on both sides of the newly built road, the transplanted willow trees are sprouting.
Chinese people, returning from work, riding camels and horses or herding cattle and sheep, walked to the stalls on both sides of the road, and either paid money or took out the fruits and grains they had harvested to buy or exchange moon cakes, date cakes and other desserts.
Among the continuous influx of immigrants, some still retain the habit of bartering from the era of material scarcity. In their minds, food is still the most reliable hard currency, and exchanging their own food for some small commodities is far more economical than buying them directly with money.
The festive atmosphere is becoming more and more intense. From the sparsely populated Gran Chaco Plain, to the Patagonia Plateau covered with snow, grassland and desert, to the endless, prosperous and bustling Pampas Plain, Chinese immigrants, no matter where they are, with different accents and places of origin, are immersed in the joy of Mid-Autumn Festival reunion. Old people, children, young men and women, and families sit around the table in their own courtyard, eating moon cakes, desserts, fruits and other foods, while listening to the stories and experiences passed down by the elders and parents from the previous generation.
"Every year the bright moon shines on my home, and every year there is a bright moon in my home."
These ordinary verses express the most simple and sincere wishes of ordinary Chinese people, which are good weather, good harvests, and happy family reunions. It is also with this simple expectation that Chinese culture has been passed down from generation to generation, with a long history, from ancient times to the present, and has continued for five thousand years without interruption.
The Chinese people have taken root in South America, and the revival of Chinese culture in foreign lands is inseparable from the joint efforts of Chinese people from all walks of life. The Mid-Autumn Festival has just passed. The atmosphere of reunion and festivity has not yet dissipated. In order to further consolidate the status of Chinese people in South America, Li Mingyuan and other senior executives gathered in the meeting hall early to discuss a major event that will determine the future development direction of the Han Kingdom.
“Four days ago, Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic, submitted a diplomatic note to the British South African colonial government, asking Britain to stop sending additional troops to South Africa and withdraw the 10,000 troops stationed in the border area between the two countries, but was rejected by the South African colonial government.
Britain is ready to go to war with the Boers, and it is estimated that the two sides will officially engage in war within a month at the latest.
The Boer War was both a challenge and an opportunity. The Americans would not miss the opportunity to tie down Britain and create a power vacuum in the Americas.
根据获取的情报显示，美国政府派遣了以杜威准将为首的亚洲舰队，前往东亚地区巡航，该舰队包括2艘排水量600吨炮舰、4艘排水量200吨级鱼雷舰、3艘排水量3200吨级轻型巡洋舰、1艘排水量5000吨级中型巡洋舰，2艘排水量6000吨级装甲巡洋舰等一共十余艘战舰。
In its Asian colonies such as the Philippines and Guam, Spain only had five 5-ton light cruisers, two 1100-ton old cruisers, and one wooden cruiser. In terms of the number of ships and guns, the Spanish Asian fleet had less than one-third of the 2000-inch main guns of the American fleet. Once the United States and Spain went to war, the antique fleets left in the Philippines would be no match for the Americans.
Li Mingyuan sat at the top seat and analyzed the current situation to everyone.
"The Americans have strengthened the strength of the Asiatic Fleet. The Philippines is far away from the European mainland. With the remaining naval fleet of the Philippines, it is impossible to defeat the US Asiatic Fleet. However, the US mainland is also nearly 10,000 kilometers away from the Philippines. In the first stage after the outbreak of the war, even if the US Asiatic Fleet successfully destroyed the Philippine Fleet and occupied the port of Manila, it would not be able to effectively occupy the Philippines. Therefore, they will definitely continue to increase troops from the west coast and send a fleet to escort the landing fleet to the Philippines.
The Strait of Magellan is in our hands. The US fleet is divided into two parts. As long as the Americans continue to divide their forces and send the West Coast Fleet to the Philippines, our chance will come. First, we will gather the main forces of the Imperial Navy in the Izu Islands and the South China Sea. After detecting that the US West Coast Escort Fleet has set sail, the Imperial Fleet will set out from the Izu Islands and fight head-on. With the fleet's number and artillery advantages, we will destroy the US West Coast Fleet and completely gain control of the Pacific Ocean. Then, depending on the development of the war, we will make further adjustments. "Your Majesty, Spain is an old power. Even if it has declined, it should not be so easy for the Americans to defeat Spain."
Luo Linshan, the chief of the Army, proposed: "The Philippines is far away from the European mainland. It is difficult for Spain to send in army and navy reinforcements. However, Cuba is only half a month away from the European mainland. The Spanish government is fully capable of sending the main fleet to support after the outbreak of the war. In addition, in order to suppress the Cuban uprising, Spain continues to expand its troops to the island. The total number of troops stationed on the island exceeds 20. With fleet support and sufficient logistical supplies, the Americans will most likely pay a heavy price if they want to take over Cuba."
"Use the Spanish to tie down part of the US fleet and army. The Imperial Army will attack the Republic of Brazil to the north. The Imperial Navy will then set out from the sea to destroy the US West Coast Fleet. In this way, the overall war situation will be favorable to the Empire. After occupying the Republic of Brazil and the entire territory of Chile, even if the United States is free, it will be difficult to stop the Empire's expansion to the north and west with only a fleet."
Wang Jianhua, the chief aide-de-camp of the secretariat, agreed.
"It's true that Spain is a veteran power, but it's unrealistic to expect Spain to pin down the main forces of the . Army and Navy."
Li Mingyuan shook his head and smiled faintly.
If it weren't for the experience of later generations, Li Mingyuan might have been the same as others in the current era. Frightened by Spain's reputation as the empire on which the sun never sets, not to mention Luo Linshan and Wang Jianhua, even the United States, which took the initiative to provoke the war, misjudged Spain's strength. After the war broke out, the United States even made the worst-case scenario of the Spanish fleet bombarding its ports and losing the land battle. After all, the 20 troops on the island of Cuba were enough to scare people with their numbers.
Of course, the evolution of the war was beyond everyone's expectations. Even though countries such as Britain, Germany, and France expected Spain to lose its sovereignty over Cuba and the Philippines based on their combined strength, they did not expect the Spanish army and navy to be defeated so badly. The navy's fleet tonnage, number of main guns, and performance of warships were all inferior to those of the enemy, so it was not shameful to lose. However, the fact that more than 20 soldiers were surrounded and surrendered by only 6 American troops shocked all the politicians watching the war.
Li Mingyuan had no expectations for Spain. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. Then he explained, "Spain is just like the Qing Dynasty in the Far East. It is decadent and declining. It has the appearance of an old power, but it is actually vulnerable. To deal with the Americans, we still have to rely on the imperial army. At most, we can use the Spaniards to contain a small number of American land and naval forces and mobilize the imperial army to buy time. As for forming an alliance with Spain and helping the empire share the military pressure, we should not have too many illusions."
Li Mingyuan did not explain too much. After reaching a conclusion on Spain, he continued, "The Army's combat goal is to advance northward and westward, drive the Americans into the sea, and occupy the entire territory of Brazil and Chile. Brazil and Chile have experienced civil wars and their population growth has stagnated. The population of Brazil is estimated to be 800 million, and the population of Chile will not exceed 100 million. Brazil has a standing force of 10, and including militia reserves, it is at most 30. Chile has a standing force of 3, and the maximum mobilization force is estimated to be 8.
Compared with the Empire, Chile and Brazil were militarists, but with their absolute strength advantage, they beat back the American hand that stretched out to South America. No matter how much Chile and Brazil resisted, they could not change their fate of being ruled by the Empire.
In terms of the navy, the total tonnage of the US Navy fleet is 38 tons, 11 tons more than the Imperial Navy. According to the pre-war plan, a successive combat plan was implemented against the US Navy. Taking advantage of the Empire's control of the Strait of Magellan, the US fleet was divided into two forces, and then the main force of the fleet was concentrated to form a local advantage in the Pacific direction, gradually weakening the strength of the US fleet. When the strength of the two fleets was close to balance or the Imperial fleet had a slight advantage, a main decisive battle would be fought with the US fleet to gain control of the South American waters and completely consolidate the occupation of Brazil and Chile.
This is the overall strategy. All units and forces of the army and navy should mobilize and assemble accordingly according to the strategic plan. Does anyone have any other opinions? "
"Your Majesty, Germany and France both have ideas about Spain's colonies. Should we contact the envoys of the two countries in advance to find out what they are thinking?"
Tang Jingsong, the general director of external affairs, asked.
"You can communicate with the ambassadors of the two countries, but it should be done in the name of mediating the conflict between Spain and the United States."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Since everyone has no objection, let's implement the strategic plan formulated at today's meeting. The meeting is adjourned."
By mid-September, a new spring had arrived in the homeland of Han.
On the Patagonian Plateau, the ice and snow accumulated in the Andes Mountains gradually melted and turned into rivers, nourishing the grasslands and woodlands on both sides of the mountains.
On the Pampas, brand new brick and stone buildings alternate with lush farmland.
On the Gran Chaco Plain, groups of foxes, ocelots, chestnut alpacas, maned wolves, flightless pheasants and other animals wander leisurely on the grass, looking up from time to time and patrolling their territories.
Spring is the season when everything comes back to life and becomes full of vitality. It is also a festival for the Han people to celebrate the harvest and celebrate unity.
"Heaven is to earth, rain is to wind. Continent is to sky. Mountain flowers are to sea trees, red sun is to the sky. Thunder is faint, fog is hazy. Sun is to the middle of the sky. Wind is high, autumn moon is white, rain is over, sunset glow is red"
In the spacious school, the sound of children reading aloud can be heard, and on both sides of the newly built road, the transplanted willow trees are sprouting.
Chinese people, returning from work, riding camels and horses or herding cattle and sheep, walked to the stalls on both sides of the road, and either paid money or took out the fruits and grains they had harvested to buy or exchange moon cakes, date cakes and other desserts.
Among the continuous influx of immigrants, some still retain the habit of bartering from the era of material scarcity. In their minds, food is still the most reliable hard currency, and exchanging their own food for some small commodities is far more economical than buying them directly with money.
The festive atmosphere is becoming more and more intense. From the sparsely populated Gran Chaco Plain, to the Patagonia Plateau covered with snow, grassland and desert, to the endless, prosperous and bustling Pampas Plain, Chinese immigrants, no matter where they are, with different accents and places of origin, are immersed in the joy of Mid-Autumn Festival reunion. Old people, children, young men and women, and families sit around the table in their own courtyard, eating moon cakes, desserts, fruits and other foods, while listening to the stories and experiences passed down by the elders and parents from the previous generation.
"Every year the bright moon shines on my home, and every year there is a bright moon in my home."
These ordinary verses express the most simple and sincere wishes of ordinary Chinese people, which are good weather, good harvests, and happy family reunions. It is also with this simple expectation that Chinese culture has been passed down from generation to generation, with a long history, from ancient times to the present, and has continued for five thousand years without interruption.
The Chinese people have taken root in South America, and the revival of Chinese culture in foreign lands is inseparable from the joint efforts of Chinese people from all walks of life. The Mid-Autumn Festival has just passed. The atmosphere of reunion and festivity has not yet dissipated. In order to further consolidate the status of Chinese people in South America, Li Mingyuan and other senior executives gathered in the meeting hall early to discuss a major event that will determine the future development direction of the Han Kingdom.
“Four days ago, Paul Kruger, President of the Transvaal Republic, submitted a diplomatic note to the British South African colonial government, asking Britain to stop sending additional troops to South Africa and withdraw the 10,000 troops stationed in the border area between the two countries, but was rejected by the South African colonial government.
Britain is ready to go to war with the Boers, and it is estimated that the two sides will officially engage in war within a month at the latest.
The Boer War was both a challenge and an opportunity. The Americans would not miss the opportunity to tie down Britain and create a power vacuum in the Americas.
根据获取的情报显示，美国政府派遣了以杜威准将为首的亚洲舰队，前往东亚地区巡航，该舰队包括2艘排水量600吨炮舰、4艘排水量200吨级鱼雷舰、3艘排水量3200吨级轻型巡洋舰、1艘排水量5000吨级中型巡洋舰，2艘排水量6000吨级装甲巡洋舰等一共十余艘战舰。
In its Asian colonies such as the Philippines and Guam, Spain only had five 5-ton light cruisers, two 1100-ton old cruisers, and one wooden cruiser. In terms of the number of ships and guns, the Spanish Asian fleet had less than one-third of the 2000-inch main guns of the American fleet. Once the United States and Spain went to war, the antique fleets left in the Philippines would be no match for the Americans.
Li Mingyuan sat at the top seat and analyzed the current situation to everyone.
"The Americans have strengthened the strength of the Asiatic Fleet. The Philippines is far away from the European mainland. With the remaining naval fleet of the Philippines, it is impossible to defeat the US Asiatic Fleet. However, the US mainland is also nearly 10,000 kilometers away from the Philippines. In the first stage after the outbreak of the war, even if the US Asiatic Fleet successfully destroyed the Philippine Fleet and occupied the port of Manila, it would not be able to effectively occupy the Philippines. Therefore, they will definitely continue to increase troops from the west coast and send a fleet to escort the landing fleet to the Philippines.
The Strait of Magellan is in our hands. The US fleet is divided into two parts. As long as the Americans continue to divide their forces and send the West Coast Fleet to the Philippines, our chance will come. First, we will gather the main forces of the Imperial Navy in the Izu Islands and the South China Sea. After detecting that the US West Coast Escort Fleet has set sail, the Imperial Fleet will set out from the Izu Islands and fight head-on. With the fleet's number and artillery advantages, we will destroy the US West Coast Fleet and completely gain control of the Pacific Ocean. Then, depending on the development of the war, we will make further adjustments. "Your Majesty, Spain is an old power. Even if it has declined, it should not be so easy for the Americans to defeat Spain."
Luo Linshan, the chief of the Army, proposed: "The Philippines is far away from the European mainland. It is difficult for Spain to send in army and navy reinforcements. However, Cuba is only half a month away from the European mainland. The Spanish government is fully capable of sending the main fleet to support after the outbreak of the war. In addition, in order to suppress the Cuban uprising, Spain continues to expand its troops to the island. The total number of troops stationed on the island exceeds 20. With fleet support and sufficient logistical supplies, the Americans will most likely pay a heavy price if they want to take over Cuba."
"Use the Spanish to tie down part of the US fleet and army. The Imperial Army will attack the Republic of Brazil to the north. The Imperial Navy will then set out from the sea to destroy the US West Coast Fleet. In this way, the overall war situation will be favorable to the Empire. After occupying the Republic of Brazil and the entire territory of Chile, even if the United States is free, it will be difficult to stop the Empire's expansion to the north and west with only a fleet."
Wang Jianhua, the chief aide-de-camp of the secretariat, agreed.
"It's true that Spain is a veteran power, but it's unrealistic to expect Spain to pin down the main forces of the . Army and Navy."
Li Mingyuan shook his head and smiled faintly.
If it weren't for the experience of later generations, Li Mingyuan might have been the same as others in the current era. Frightened by Spain's reputation as the empire on which the sun never sets, not to mention Luo Linshan and Wang Jianhua, even the United States, which took the initiative to provoke the war, misjudged Spain's strength. After the war broke out, the United States even made the worst-case scenario of the Spanish fleet bombarding its ports and losing the land battle. After all, the 20 troops on the island of Cuba were enough to scare people with their numbers.
Of course, the evolution of the war was beyond everyone's expectations. Even though countries such as Britain, Germany, and France expected Spain to lose its sovereignty over Cuba and the Philippines based on their combined strength, they did not expect the Spanish army and navy to be defeated so badly. The navy's fleet tonnage, number of main guns, and performance of warships were all inferior to those of the enemy, so it was not shameful to lose. However, the fact that more than 20 soldiers were surrounded and surrendered by only 6 American troops shocked all the politicians watching the war.
Li Mingyuan had no expectations for Spain. He picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. Then he explained, "Spain is just like the Qing Dynasty in the Far East. It is decadent and declining. It has the appearance of an old power, but it is actually vulnerable. To deal with the Americans, we still have to rely on the imperial army. At most, we can use the Spaniards to contain a small number of American land and naval forces and mobilize the imperial army to buy time. As for forming an alliance with Spain and helping the empire share the military pressure, we should not have too many illusions."
Li Mingyuan did not explain too much. After reaching a conclusion on Spain, he continued, "The Army's combat goal is to advance northward and westward, drive the Americans into the sea, and occupy the entire territory of Brazil and Chile. Brazil and Chile have experienced civil wars and their population growth has stagnated. The population of Brazil is estimated to be 800 million, and the population of Chile will not exceed 100 million. Brazil has a standing force of 10, and including militia reserves, it is at most 30. Chile has a standing force of 3, and the maximum mobilization force is estimated to be 8.
Compared with the Empire, Chile and Brazil were militarists, but with their absolute strength advantage, they beat back the American hand that stretched out to South America. No matter how much Chile and Brazil resisted, they could not change their fate of being ruled by the Empire.
In terms of the navy, the total tonnage of the US Navy fleet is 38 tons, 11 tons more than the Imperial Navy. According to the pre-war plan, a successive combat plan was implemented against the US Navy. Taking advantage of the Empire's control of the Strait of Magellan, the US fleet was divided into two forces, and then the main force of the fleet was concentrated to form a local advantage in the Pacific direction, gradually weakening the strength of the US fleet. When the strength of the two fleets was close to balance or the Imperial fleet had a slight advantage, a main decisive battle would be fought with the US fleet to gain control of the South American waters and completely consolidate the occupation of Brazil and Chile.
This is the overall strategy. All units and forces of the army and navy should mobilize and assemble accordingly according to the strategic plan. Does anyone have any other opinions? "
"Your Majesty, Germany and France both have ideas about Spain's colonies. Should we contact the envoys of the two countries in advance to find out what they are thinking?"
Tang Jingsong, the general director of external affairs, asked.
"You can communicate with the ambassadors of the two countries, but it should be done in the name of mediating the conflict between Spain and the United States."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Since everyone has no objection, let's implement the strategic plan formulated at today's meeting. The meeting is adjourned."
