Chapter 189: Occupation
Word began to spread among the German nobility that Prince Constantin intended to embark on a sea voyage. For many, it was baffling that a prince would abandon Europe to suffer hardship in Africa. Some curious nobles looked up records on Africa, but since Germany had no maritime tradition, most materials and documents came from foreigners or from earlier explorers' novels.
Because many of these records were quite old—some dating back hundreds of years—the version of Africa they presented was still stuck in the "white man's graveyard" narrative. Meanwhile, explorers' novels often exaggerated: tales of serpents hundreds of meters long, terrifying poisonous insects, cannibal tribes…
In the eyes of these nobles, Prince Constantin must have knocked his head on a tree if he was so fixated on going to Africa.
Naturally, the German nobility's records about Africa were questionable—sailors and explorers typically recounted thrilling or sensational events, and many explorers who returned to Europe wrote books spiced with "shocking" elements to boost sales.
Given Prince Constantin's exalted status, his actions would inevitably draw attention. However, owing to the stereotypical view of Africa, few people felt optimistic about his journey. Nonetheless, this sparked the German nobility's first detailed foray into learning about Africa, even if there were many inaccuracies.
The Prussian royal family did express concern over Prince Constantin's planned departure, but in their view, his future destination was not critically important right now. Prussia faced a key juncture with countless matters to address. Out of courtesy, the royal family sent a representative for a brief conversation with Prince Constantin, eventually concluding that he was simply idle with nothing better to do.
…
April 1869.
Becker and Merck led their mission back to Mbeya and reported their diplomatic achievements to Commissioner Siweite.
Upon hearing that Msiri had agreed to the terms of the deal, Siweite was elated. He told Becker and Merck that he would faithfully report their accomplishments to the central government. Then he convened an emergency meeting in Mbeya to discuss taking over the Yeke Kingdom.
"We must not fully trust Msiri's nonsense! These tribespeople are not civilized, and their promises could be worth less than scrap paper," an official said during the meeting.
"Yes, quite right. When we first arrived in East Africa, many local chiefs often went back on their word. We should remain vigilant," Siweite affirmed.
"Commissioner, Msiri does have some knowledge of the world, and he's also afraid of East Africa's military might, which is why he has to relinquish Yeke Kingdom land. Whether he might go back on his word is less important than our own stance," Merck said to Siweite.
"Moreover," Becker added, "Msiri definitely won't oppose us out of concern for the common people of the Yeke Kingdom. From my contact with him, I've observed that he's extraordinarily pragmatic and cares nothing for human life, so collaborating with us is inevitable. He has almost no emotion—only personal gain matters."
Hearing this, Siweite thought for a moment and said, "If that's so, our diplomatic mission should be deemed successful. But we can't afford to drop our guard. Every settler in East Africa is a valuable asset we cannot afford to lose. And considering the efficiency level of African tribes, even if Msiri has agreed, it might be an age before he finishes evacuating the Yeke Kingdom. We should take the initiative and lend him a hand."
"I completely agree, Commissioner," Becker responded. "Particularly regarding the relocation of Yeke Kingdom's inhabitants—Msiri is sure to do it half-heartedly. If we don't intervene, more than sixty percent of the local people will likely remain. From what I see, if Msiri takes only those in the capital and nearby areas, that's already exceeding the request."
"Understood. We should deploy troops to actively assist Msiri with the Yeke Kingdom's relocation. Merck, as Mbeya's military commander, do you think Mbeya's forces alone can handle it?" Siweite asked.
"Sir, without mobilizing the militia, Mbeya's regular army alone isn't enough. But if the militia join in, the task can be completed," Merck replied.
"How many militia do you anticipate needing?"
"Not too many. All forces combined—about four thousand, I believe. We already have over a thousand stationed near the defensive line, so recruiting three thousand from Mbeya should suffice."
"That number sounds small. Wouldn't that lead to a lot of people slipping through the net? Africa's jungles are vast, and scanning such a large area with only four thousand troops seems extremely difficult," said an official from Mbeya.
"That's not really an issue. We only need to drive out the majority of the tribespeople. Those who flee into the forests pose no real threat. Look at the northwest front—initially, we said we'd drive out all the locals, but even now, there are still many left.
And not just in the northwest. Probably every part of inland East Africa still has some who escaped. Counting on the military to eliminate them completely isn't realistic. The true solution is to settle more migrants, steadily squeezing the tribes' living space. As the immigrant population grows, there'll be nowhere for the tribes to survive," Merck explained.
"All right. Our main objective this time is simply to secure the Yeke Kingdom in our hands. Let central command and the new administration worry about the rest," Siweite concluded.
…
On the border between the Upper Lake Malawi region and the Yeke Kingdom:
"The city government requires us to coordinate with the Yeke Kingdom and assist its ruler, Msiri, with relocating his subjects. Everyone is to follow orders—no acting alone—to prevent terrorist attacks from the kingdom's thugs," Merck told the soldiers and militia.
By "thugs," he meant locals unwilling to relocate. Should East Africa's army encounter such people, they'd be those stubborn enough to stand their ground. If they happened to live off the beaten track, the army might well bypass them. But trying to hold out on the army's direct path—"playing the nail"—could only lead them to perdition.
As the Mbeya city council had estimated, Msiri's halfhearted approach was masterful. He truly only took along the citizens of his capital and the surrounding area, neglecting the rest of the kingdom. Although the Yeke Kingdom covered well over a hundred thousand square kilometers, the capital and its environs were just a fraction, leaving the main workload to East Africa itself.
Nevertheless, Msiri wasn't entirely useless. By giving up resistance, he made sure the other tribes had no real desire to fight. Many in the border regions chose to defect to neighboring states of the Yeke Kingdom. East Africa was more than happy with that outcome. Since Msiri had already sold the Yeke Kingdom in one piece to East Africa, any other country taking over the frontier tribes was, from now on, effectively "invading" East African territory, turning East Africa into the "victim." In the future, East Africa would naturally seek redress.
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