Chapter 799

The refugee crisis in the The Balkans did not attract the attention of the outside world. Although many media outlets reported on it, they only brushed it aside.

It had nothing to do with them, so they ignored it. This was common in any world. The Osman in this era did not have a good impression in the hearts of the Europeans.

It could almost be regarded as a barbaric language. Together with a heretic, they belonged to the kind that had no human rights.

Of course, no one paid attention to it. They could not even fill their own stomachs. Who would have the mood to care about the life and death of the Osman?

The outside world did not pay attention, and Franz was also happy. The white left in the future, who spoke without any pain, was still in the early stage and had no right to speak.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the Constantinople and the Crimean Peninsula. At this point in the war in the Near East, the two warring parties had begun to compare speed.

If the Russians conquered the Constantinople first, they would gain a strategic advantage and could cut off the Bosporus Strait. Other than compromising, the British and French could only fight to the death with them in the The Balkans.

On the other hand, if the British and French conquered the Crimean Peninsula first, they would have a strategic advantage and could conveniently destroy the Russian shipbuilding industry in the Black Sea. There would be no need to continue the battle with the Constantinople.

Don't look at the destruction of the Black Sea Fleet. The Russians did not prepare to fight back. It was not difficult to build sailing warships in this era. The Russians' shipyards in the Sea of Azov did not stop.

After suffering a loss, the Russians' shore cannons on the Black Sea coast were all repaired. No matter how incompetent the Tsarist government officials were, they knew they could not continue to be passive.

The shore cannons in the important military ports had been redeployed. The British and French navies were not stupid. They naturally would not use warships and shore cannons.

According to the plan of Saint Peter, as long as the Constantinople were conquered, the British and French fleet in the Black Sea would become rootless duckweeds. They could slowly grind the enemy to death.

The Sevastopol Fortress began to crumble. Half of the Constantinople had also fallen. The time to decide the fate of both sides had arrived.

History had changed. With the support of Austria, the Russians had an even stronger fighting force. Under the personal intervention of Nicholas I Of Russia, several logistics officers were killed. The Russian Army on the Crimean Peninsula was finally successfully equipped.

However, logistics had become more difficult. The more advanced modern weapons were, the greater the logistical pressure. It was also a big challenge for the Russians who relied on ox-cart for transportation.

Vienna

Franz was looking at the map of Africa. Colonies could not be established randomly. The current Austria was not suitable to start a big conflict with the old colonial empire, and they could not touch the land that belonged to the owner.

Secondly, Franz with poor resources and had no development. Franz of land. Franz Empire Have World. Colonization also depended on the cost. A business that would always lose money was destined to not last long.

Finally, the powerful natives couldn't be provoked. If they didn't manage to take them down, they would lose a lot of face.

After eliminating these three factors, there weren't many choices left.

The closest was to attack the Osman Empire. Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt were all the closest choices. After thinking about it, Franz placed a cross on these three options without hesitation.

The timing was not right. The Osman, Britain, and France were still allies. If they acted rashly and caused Britain and France to interfere, Austria would be helping them. In the end, they would not get anything.

The most valuable place was South Africa. The coastal area had fallen into the hands of the British. Algeria was already a piece of meat in the French's bowl. Morocco was being watched by Britain, France, and Spain.

Franz helplessly realized that the good places were all other people's. Morocco had not been divided yet. It was possible to get a piece of the pie. Of course, they had to choose a good entry point.

In this era, there was almost no land that had not been targeted by the great powers. It did not matter if it was targeted. As long as it was not eaten, everyone could use their own means.

The list of candidates came out: Guinea, Côte d 'Ivoire, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Gabon, Congo, Namibia, Kenya, Tasmania, Somalia, Zanzibar, Madagascar …

The inland was not in the scope of consideration. Beyond Africa was also not in the plan. Franz was very skeptical about the Austrian Navy's ability to go out to sea.

Franz said, "Plans can't keep up with changes. The refugee wave in the The Balkans is a problem, but it is also an opportunity. Since we have encountered it, we can't waste it.

It is very difficult to migrate from the country to the African continent. Just look at Britain and France. People would rather go to the American continent on the other side of the ocean than to the African continent that is close at hand.

The quality of the refugees in the The Balkans is not very good, but no matter how bad they are, they are better than the indigenous people. We have the population in the early stage of the development of the colony, so our colonization plan can start in advance.

This is a map of the African continent. These unmarked places are all unclaimed lands. Everyone think about it. Where should we start? "

Mineral resources and whatnot were unknown in this era. The European colonists had not yet been able to complete the exploration, so everyone's judgment was very primitive now.

They directly looked at the degree of development, whether the local area was rich enough, and whether the colonization could be profitable. The Government of Austria also had to consider whether it was suitable for the development of agriculture, and whether it could support the immigrants.

Prime Minister Felix analyzed, "Your Majesty, Guinea can be considered. The coastal plains are easy to control, and the local water is abundant. It is suitable for the development of agriculture, and it is very good to build a new colonial base.

In terms of distance, this is also the closest. At present, there are not many competitors here. The French have tricked a few chiefs to sign the treaty, and their influence in the local area is not big.

Nigeria is also not bad. The natural conditions are superior, and the economic value is relatively high. However, the local indigenous people are stronger, and the British have also penetrated deep into the country.

Then there is the Congo region. There is a water passage that goes deep into the interior, and it is easier to control. The products there are also not bad, and colonizing here should not be a loss.

At the current stage, these three places are more suitable. I can't guarantee how much profit we will get, but at least within five years, these three places can achieve a balance of income and expenditure.

In addition to the immigrants I sent from the The Balkans, after more than ten years of operation, we can also form a small local market, and it will also be a small supplement for the domestic industry. "

The other areas were naturally delayed for the time being. Colonization also had to consider the cost, and of course, they had to choose the most suitable area.

Strategic location, future development, these were not within the scope of everyone's consideration. A colony that could make money now was a good colony.

As for the future, they would think about it when the time came. Everyone was a realist, and the colony was not their own territory, so they did not expect everyone to think too far ahead.

Colonization activities were also a long-term investment. Being able to recover the cost as soon as possible and achieve profits was the goal of the colonists.

Of course, there were also colonies that did not make money. For a country, they could not simply calculate the administrative costs of profits and losses.

If the colonial market could promote the development of domestic industry and commerce, or make up for the lack of certain resources in the country, it was acceptable to bear a certain loss.

In this regard, the historical Germans were a negative example. They occupied a large area of colonies, but unfortunately, the development was limited. As of 1914, there were only about 20,000 German immigrants on the African continent.

The Germans' colonial management had always been in a state of loss, and the vast colonies did not contribute much to the development of domestic industry and commerce. In foreign trade, the colonial market only contributed 0.5%.

Franz naturally had to learn from this. The first thing was to control the colonial costs, and the domestic management model obviously could not be used.

Metternich suggested, "Your Majesty, we have just started the overseas colonization, and we cannot fail. It is not a good time to take risks now.

Let's start in the Guinea and Congo areas first. Our competitors in these two areas are not strong. As long as we are fast enough, it will be fine. "

Colonies were different from the mainland. The targets that Austria had their eyes on now seemed to be areas that had some value, but not much value.

Now that the war in the Near East was at a critical moment, everyone's attention was attracted, and it was a good time to take action.

Opening up African colonies in this era was a coexistence of risk and opportunity. Britain and France would not go to war for two insignificant colonies.

That's right, insignificant colonies. Britain and France had too many areas suitable for agricultural production, and Austria's target was not special at the moment.

More importantly, these two places did not have a unified power. The former Congo Kingdom had long since declined, and did not have the power to stop Austria.

In contrast, Nigeria was not a pushover. At least it seemed to have some power. The Fulani Empire that ruled here still had the strength to launch a Holy War could be seen.

Of course, it was not that Austria could not take this place, but it was mainly a problem of cost and benefits. No matter what the Fulani Empire did, they could not change the fact that they were just an agricultural country with a population of a few million.

The most populous country in Africa in the future did not even have a shadow. The entire African continent had a total of 20 million people, and they were distributed over 30 million square kilometers of land. The land was vast and the population was so small that it was hopeless.

This was also the reason why Metternich was against taking action. Religious beliefs were also very crazy, and once they were activated, it would be enough to cause Austria a lot of trouble.

In addition, the land was vast and the population was sparse. If these religious fanatics were to cause destruction, it would be a headache. Although the human bombs had not been born yet, suicide attacks had already appeared.

Austria could not send hundreds of thousands of troops to wipe out these small fries just to maintain the rule of the colony, right? Cost was the core of the establishment of a colonial empire. If the cost could not be controlled, then the colonial empire would not be far from collapse.

Without hesitating for long, Franz made a decision. "Let's take these two places as the first step of our overseas colonization!

The General Staff Division will immediately start the military deployment. This time, the army and navy will be working together. Don't make a fool out of yourselves, or else everyone will lose face. "

Marshal Radski replied, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

Obviously, Franz's words also had the intention of beating him up. The Balkan refugee incident was not over yet, and they did not pursue the General Staff Division's responsibility. That was only for the sake of the government's stability, but it did not mean that they would not pursue it.

If this matter was done well, then they would be able to atone for their crimes. If there were any problems, even Marshal Radski would not be able to avoid being disgraced.