War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

The one-month period proposed by Franz was too long, which caught Friedrich by surprise, and he was quite confused by the former's proposal.

"A month? We won't be settling here for a long time, right?" Friedrich joked.

"Wouldn't it be better to let the natives help us build a fortress?" Franz said.

"Are you really planning to stay here?" Friedrich said in surprise.

"Why not? Didn't you see the unexpected encounter we encountered today? Do you still expect to rely on this group of strange indigenous people to protect our safety? I am sure that this sudden attack was just a At first, some people didn’t want us to colonize here. They coveted our development potential.” Franz expressed his judgment.

"What are you talking about...King Cabrennon and King Gezo of Dahomey?" Friedrich didn't pay much attention to the so-called mastermind. In his opinion, they were all indigenous tribes anyway. What's the difference?

"No, you are wrong. They are not the ones behind the scenes. Someone wants to divert our attention by misleading us," Franz said.

"Is it as complicated as you said?" Friedrich sounded a little confused.

"It may be the Portuguese slave traders, or it may be the British, French and other forces behind the scenes. I don't know the truth yet, but the other party will definitely not let it go. Just wait and see, they will not give up. There will be other actions next, so we'd better be careful." Franz solemnly reminded.

"Then why don't they come forward and take action directly, but insist on using these indigenous people?" Friedrich asked rhetorically.

"You think too simply! In fact, war is often the lowest priority option. It serves politics, not the other way around. And if we really make a hasty decision to attack the Kingdom of Dahomey, then it will definitely It will offend all the slave traders on the 'Slave Coast'."

"so what?"

"Do you remember the story of the Spaniards?"

"You mean pirates?"

"yes."

"It's the 19th century now, and pirates have long lost their former glory. Is there still some guy who is not smart enough to dare to attack a warship?"

"The target of pirate attacks is never warships, but merchant ships. Not everyone is as lucky as Drake. This is Africa, not Europe. Our fleet cannot stay here for a long time, and there is no British People's capital is used to directly build a West African fleet.

There is a saying that goes well: It takes a thousand days to be a thief, but a thousand days to guard against a thief? Do you really think those slave traders were all individuals? Most of these legal slave traders are backed by the state or financial consortium, and they are not ants that can be crushed to death at will. "

Franz's words made it difficult for Friedrich to understand. He felt that the primary purpose of a big country's navy was to protect its maritime rights and interests. Although the Austrian navy is relatively weak now, they have never lacked for real combat. courage.

Whether it was dealing with the Barbary pirates who came to plunder the population in Italy, or the Moroccan pirates who dominated West Africa, the Imperial Navy was able to beat these invading enemies into flight every time. It was their pride not to bow to any powerful enemy. .

"Franz, I believe you will become a great monarch renowned in Europe in the future, but I am just a soldier. As a member of the glorious Imperial Navy, I will never bow to my enemies." Friedrich Nozomi said solemnly.

Franz scratched his head. He really didn't expect that the other party would take glory so seriously.

"Well, my uncle Friedrich, I mean no offense to your devotion to duty and honor. But now we have no time to stay here any longer."

"What do you mean?" Friedrich asked in confusion.

"One of the purposes of our trip is to discuss business. We have made a lot of profits in Ivory Coast and Togo. However, this trip to West Africa is not over. Next, we need to meet with the chiefs of Cameroon and Congo. .”

"Wait a minute, don't you want to wait here for them to visit us and then complete the signing?" Friedrich felt that he had guessed what Franz meant. He wanted to use the so-called thirty-day period to confuse the other party. .

In the next month, the Austrians asked the indigenous chiefs of Togo to send a large number of laborers to build a fortress at the dock for them.

Meanwhile, Franz and Friedrich had arrived with part of their fleet in Cameroon, where Britain was now the largest colonial power.

But instead of showing a xenophobic attitude, the British in Cameroon enthusiastically recommended their goods to Franz. Since British law prohibited the slave trade, they could not participate in Cameroon's most profitable business and had no choice but to Engage in side businesses, such as providing catering, accommodation, repairing boats, selling some souvenirs, etc.

The British government felt that the potential of this place was huge, so it continued to invest manpower and material resources. The cause of all this was that a British explorer discovered gold at the mouth of Cameroon and brought it back to the British Isles.

Since then, the British have been fascinated by the rumors of gold in Cameroon. They have been investing a lot of money and resources in it for decades, and even built a city here. However, they have never been able to find the gold. The long-desired priceless treasure.

In fact, gold is indeed stored in Cameroon, but it is not at the mouth of the river in the west, but in the east of the source of the river. This secret was not discovered until the 21st century.

However, the British sailors and workers here could not understand the actions of their own government. They hated the harsh environment here. The annual mortality rate of soldiers and workers serving in Cameroon is about 4%, most of whom die from malaria and mosquito bites, and some suffer from mental illness.

When the senior British colonial officials here heard about the purpose of Franz's trip, they strongly recommended Kribi to the guests as an Austrian trading post. There is a natural deep-water harbor in the area, and the indigenous people who live there are very friendly. According to the people, they seem to regard the white people as gods.

Everything is as the enthusiastic British said. The local chief signed the contract as fast as lightning. Moreover, the chief, who is only 1.4 meters tall, is very versatile and can actually speak Portuguese, Spanish, English, French, etc. at the same time. four languages.

But Franz soon discovered a problem. The local black people seemed to be extremely short, with few of them exceeding 1.5 meters. Compared with them, Friedrich's height was simply outstanding.

In fact, the main local race is the Pygmies, a small ethnic group with an average height of less than 1.4 meters. Franz, on the other hand, had no understanding of this nation. He could only marvel at the vastness of the world and its wonders.

It's no wonder that the Pygmies were not spotted by slave traders and brought to the United States, because no plantation slave owner would pay for a group of "dwarfs."

The diminutive chief, who also went by the English alias Lewis, was intrigued by his knowledge of cotton and cocoa cultivation and asked his Austrian guests what his tribe could get from the trade.

Franz showed him one by one the weapons, cotton cloth, and other industrial products brought by this voyage, including cigarettes and sugar.

Lewis was very happy with so many novel objects. He expressed on the spot that his tribe was willing to grow cotton and cocoa for Austria, and that he would recognize Franz and Friedrich as his father.

This sudden request made the two of them very embarrassed. On the one hand, the other party treated them with the highest etiquette, but on the other hand, for European nobles, especially the adoption of a child by the royal family, it was a big deal.

European adopted sons can not only inherit property, but also inherit titles. That is to say, if Franz adopts Lewis as his adopted son today, then one day it is very likely that a black man will inherit the throne of the Austrian Empire. This is Habbs. The Fort family would not accept it no matter what.

Friedrich was also unable to do this. His father was the richest and most powerful nobleman in Austria. If he agreed today, he would most likely be pinned to death in the bathtub by his father and eldest brother when he returned.

Because he couldn't accept it, he could only reject Lewis, but he looked very disappointed, which made Franz and Friedrich a little bit intolerable.

After all, the other party not only agreed to become Austria's protectorate, but was also prepared to fully accept Franz's suggestion and build its territory into a plantation.

"Let's do this, you make a request, and as long as we can fulfill it, we will definitely help you complete it." Friedrich said sincerely.

Franz also nodded, "Have you seen our fleet? We can help you destroy your enemies, expand your territory, and avenge you..."

When Franz saw a group of dwarfs, he naturally felt that they would be bullied often. Moreover, eliminating some hostile tribes can not only expand Kribi's territory, but also enhance Austria's influence in Cameroon.

After all, if the original history had been followed, Britain would have taken tough measures this year, asking the chiefs of Cameroon to stop the slave trade and destroy all slave stations in the coastal areas.

But in fact, the Pygmies of Kribi during this period were not weak, and they often even defeated surrounding tribes to surrender and pay tribute.

Then Lewis’s eyes lit up and he made a very embarrassing request.

"I want a white woman to be my wife."

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