Chapter 1558 American "White Lotus"
As the saying goes, "I will not allow others to snore beside my bed." This is the case with South Africa and East Africa. However, during the South African War in the late 19th century, East Africa did not have the conditions to swallow up the whole of South Africa.
Among them, Britain is the main factor. The importance of Cape Town to Britain is self-evident. The British Royal Navy has been stationed here for a long time. In the 19th century, the East African navy was weak and it was impossible to bypass the Cape of Good Hope and attack there.
At that time, although the East African Navy had completed its initial construction, it was only active in the eastern coastal area and the western Indian Ocean region. As for the west coast of East Africa, it had not yet annexed the entire territory of Angola and mainly focused on the Namibian region with harsh conditions.
It was not until the 20th century that East Africa's Atlantic Fleet began to enter the fast lane of development and eventually grew into the main maritime power in East Africa.
Even if the risk of attacking Cape Town was taken, the cost would outweigh the benefits for East Africa at the time, and it might have triggered a strong reaction from Britain.
The occupation of Transvaal and Orange in East Africa was still within the acceptable range of the British. After all, these areas were not valued by the British and belonged to the Boers.
But it was different in other parts of South Africa. In the 19th century, if East Africa continued to attack southward, it would be almost the same as declaring a full-scale war on Britain.
In the 19th century, or before World War I, Britain's strength was unquestionable. If Britain had withdrawn part of its forces to concentrate on dealing with East Africa, East Africa would not have been able to bear it at the time.
In addition to this reason, the reason why East Africa could not annex South Africa at that time was that the main population of South Africa was already white. White people are not indigenous to Africa. Taking action against them would be condemned by the entire international community, or even blockaded.
This can be seen from the period of East African occupation of Transvaal and Orange. Even for the Boers, East Africa could not carry out genocide, but drove them south of the Orange River.
This is not because white people are nobler than African natives, but because the mainstream international community in the 19th century was completely controlled by white people. At that time, Japan was not yet a great power. Although East Africa called itself a "German country", it was mainly of mixed blood and was not recognized by European society.
It was not until the 20th century that East Africa's national strength accumulated at an astonishing rate and became one of the most powerful countries, and Europe "reluctantly" recognized East Africa as a "German" or even a "white" country.
They are willing to "accept" East Africa, not willingly, but because East Africa is too strong. If they do not recognize this mixed-race country of East Africa as "white people", then Eurocentrism and white supremacy will have huge flaws!
The Russians are the most sensitive to Europe's mentality of bullying the weak and fearing the strong. When Napoleon was showing off his power in Europe, they touted Russia, which they originally regarded as a barbarian with Mongolian ancestry, as the "savior of Europe" and the "European gendarme". At that time, the Russians were Europeans.
After the Crimean War, the Russians once again became the target of discrimination in Europe, and were regarded as an uncivilized, backward and barbaric country.
In the previous life, after the outbreak of World War II, when the whole of Europe was trained like a dog by Adolf, Western society once again "tolerantly" accepted the "Soviet people". After the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union was overturned by Europe and became a synonym for all evils. Even World War II was said to be jointly launched by the Soviet Union and Adolf.
I guess Adolf would laugh Joseph to death when he heard the news in hell.
Of course, the Soviets or Russians were fooled by Europe because of their own fault. To some extent, the Russians are Europe's "suck-ups". In this respect, they are far inferior to the Americans. The United States, in turn, treats Europe like a dog.
As for East Africa, since its emergence, Ernst has guided his country to focus on "German identity" rather than promoting European civilization theory. Therefore, the relationship between East Africa and Europe has always been on an equal footing. It even joins the United States in belittling the "Old Continent" in some areas.
However, in the 19th century, East Africa did not have the hard power to belittle Europe, so it was difficult for it to make up its mind to solve the South African issue in one go.
…
Regarding the South African issue, East Africa intended to actively seek reconciliation between the two countries in order to stabilize its own backyard. However, after the Roosevelt administration came to power, the real trouble brought to East Africa was in South America.
The Roosevelt administration implemented the so-called "Good Neighbor Policy" in the Americas.
The so-called good-neighbor policy includes three principles: non-interference in internal affairs, equal cooperation, and cultural exchange.
Now the Roosevelt administration is seeking to sign the Montevideo Convention to implement the Good Neighbor Policy in South America.
Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, was the place where the Montevideo Convention was signed and named.
Crown Prince Friedrich said, "The shift in U.S. foreign policy in the Americas at this time can be said to have set a very bad precedent. If the Empire cannot properly handle it, it may trigger anti-East African sentiment throughout the Americas. Therefore, we cannot allow the United States to completely dominate the outcome of the meeting."
Ernst's expression turned serious at this point. He said, "This is the difference between Roosevelt and other American presidents. The Good Neighbor Policy is very likely to reverse the attitude of Latin American countries toward the United States. Most importantly, it puts us and some European countries in an awkward position."
"If we don't follow suit, the United States, relying on its good-neighbor policy, will become the 'white lotus,' and other countries practicing hegemony in Latin America will become villains."
The countries that implement hegemonic policies in Latin America are mainly the United States and East Africa, but other countries have not completely given up in Latin America, such as Britain, France, and Germany.
In his previous life, one of the important purposes of Roosevelt's implementation of the Good Neighbor Policy was to prevent Germany from infiltrating Latin America, such as the military and economic cooperation between Germany and Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and other Latin American countries.
In this time and space, the scope of the US Good Neighbor Policy has become wider, especially to East Africa, because of East Africa's expansion in South America, which has made East Africa replace Germany and become the main beneficiary of the Good Neighbor Policy.
In other words, the Good Neighbor Policy is an indiscriminate attack, and East Africa has the greatest interests in Latin America, so East Africa bears the main damage.
Therefore, Ernst said: "We must not allow the US Good Neighbor Policy to run smoothly in South America, although this policy is objectively beneficial to the Latin American region."
"However, the United States wants to step on our faces and win over Latin America, so we have to teach them a lesson."
Friedrich naturally shared this attitude, but he frowned and asked, "That being said, the US's good-neighbor policy is an open conspiracy. If we oppose it, it will inevitably be resented by Latin American countries."
"The Americans are definitely happy to see this happen, but they are also a bit shameless. They can't compete with us head-on, so they turned the table over!"
This is not Crown Prince Friedrich bragging about East Africa, but an objective fact. In the past two decades, East Africa has indeed been in an advantageous position in the competition with the Americas and the United States.
Before East Africa, the United States regarded almost the entire Americas as its own backyard, and took advantage of the decline of Europe to achieve remarkable results in the Americas. The most typical example was the victory over Spain and the occupation of colonies such as Cuba.
But this situation changed after World War I, because Britain was entangled with Germany, and the order established by Britain in South America collapsed faster than the United States imagined.
Ernst, who was familiar with this situation in advance, had already made preparations. At that time, East Africa's national strength had developed unprecedentedly, and coupled with its geographical advantages, East Africa invaded the South American market in a large-scale manner.
At this stage, the United States is actually not worried. After all, the United States established its layout in South America much earlier than in East Africa. It can be said that the two countries are fighting on equal terms.
What really caused the United States to lose its power in South America was the Great Depression of 1929, which directly led to turmoil in the United States, the collapse of social order, and an imbalance in the fiscal structure.
East Africa took this opportunity to successfully instigate the Chaco War and open up Bolivia, allowing East Africa's influence to spread to the heart of South America and extend to the Pacific coast. From Colombia to the south, East Africa's influence and tentacles almost covered the entire South American market and threatened the United States' interests in the Caribbean.
Therefore, it is an objective fact that the United States cannot compete head-on with East Africa. Before the Roosevelt administration came to power, the United States and East Africa were both masters of hegemony.
Now, as soon as Roosevelt's good-neighbor policy was proposed, just like a person who lost at a gambling table called the police, some countries in East Africa and Europe would say hello to America's mother.
It’s true, if the American “founding father” is French, then the American mother is indeed British. Both of them have the same “immorality” passed down from generation to generation.
Ernst said: "Now, the matter is done. There is no point in saying more. The United States has even withdrawn some colonial troops in the Caribbean, which has made the South American countries see Roosevelt's sincerity."
"Whatever Roosevelt's motives, his good neighbor policy has harmed East African interests. We must also change our foreign policy in South America immediately."
"First, we must expedite the selection of representatives for the Empire's interests in South America. We still have an advantage in South America. We must quickly instigate those pro-East African forces and have them serve as our minions in South America."
"At the same time, some less important military base projects should be canceled, and troops in South America should be reduced, leaving only key military bases, especially in the north, to prevent US infiltration."
"Finally, the United States wants to convene the Montevideo Conference. We must also participate and express the Empire's position."
Now that the Americans have turned the table, it is certainly impossible for East Africa to follow their example and "throw a tantrum."
Ernst went on to say: "Most importantly, East Africa should do its utmost to prevent the US from creating a so-called American consensus, especially by distinguishing South America from North America and emphasizing the independence of the two continents."
When the United States intervenes in South America, one of its favorite sayings is that "America is America for Americans", so American countries should exclude countries outside the Americas, or unite against foreign enemies.
This is very unfavorable for East Africa. After all, East Africa is not an American country, so East Africa must deny the US statement.
Crown Prince Friedrich added: "We can also promote economic cooperation in the South Atlantic. After all, the economies of major South American countries are closely related to the South Atlantic."
Of course, the above countermeasures will essentially put East Africa at a disadvantage, after all, East Africa already has an advantage in South America.
The above-mentioned response plan not only fails to bring benefits to East Africa, but also requires giving up some interests in order to win over South American countries.
East Africa will definitely not let the United States have its way with such a frustrating thing.
Ernst said: "The next step is to cause trouble for the Americans. They should not think that we will swallow this loss in silence."
"Since the United States is pursuing a so-called good-neighbor policy, we can also take advantage of this and expand our influence towards the Caribbean. Mexico can also become a partner in East Africa."
"According to its good-neighbor policy, the United States will reduce its military presence in the Caribbean, and even completely withdraw its troops from some countries. Then we will immediately cooperate with these countries and regions to seize the American market."
"For example, Cuba, Haiti, etc., the United States' good-neighbor policy threatens our interests in South America, so we must also set fire to its Caribbean backyard."
"At this point, if the United States goes back on its word, we'll see how they'll end up."
If we really talk about the attitudes of South American countries towards East Africa, it is obvious that East Africa's reputation is much better than that of the United States in the Caribbean region.
After all, the United States' persecution of Caribbean countries began in the last century, and East Africans' large-scale incursion into South America has only occurred in the last twenty years.
In other words, East Africa simply did not have time to do many bad things in South America. Moreover, East Africa's invasion of the South American market was not until the 1910s, when international thinking had made great progress. It was impossible for East Africa to go against this general trend and act recklessly.
Apart from the Bolivian War, East Africa and other South American countries can be said to have gained what they needed. Of course, in the specific process, East Africa must have used a lot of shady means.
However, these methods are much more "kind" than those used by the United States. In the Caribbean region, the victims of the United States have a lot to say, such as Mexico, which has had most of its territory occupied by the United States, Cuba, which has been harshly exploited, and Guatemala, Honduras and other countries and regions that have been bullied by American companies such as United Fruit.
Even if Roosevelt were to implement the so-called good-neighbor policy in the Americas, it would be impossible for these countries that had long been exploited, enslaved, or bullied by the United States to completely let down their guard against the United States. After all, colonists have always been "inconsistent and capricious."
At this time, if the East African government comes forward and proposes cooperation to them, the countries in the Caribbean region will definitely be more willing to trust East Africa rather than the United States.
After all, they may have only heard about how notorious East Africa is, but they have personally experienced all the bad things the United States has done.
Crown Prince Friedrich also said with a smile, "Father, this is a good idea. Since the United States wants to pretend to be the white lotus of America, then we should let them pretend. They think they have us now, but once we extend our influence to the Caribbean, or even Cuba and Mexico, which are extremely important to the United States, they won't be able to laugh anymore!"
"Before, we respected the interests of the United States in the Caribbean because we were concerned about them. Now that they have broken off relations first, we should not blame East Africa for plotting against the Caribbean."
In general, the United States wants to overturn the chessboard in South America and replace it with a new one. East Africa also agreed to this, but East Africa requires that this chessboard be made bigger and cover the Caribbean Sea, the core interest area of the United States. If the chessboard is bigger, East Africa can make up for the losses in South America from the Caribbean Sea.
(End of this chapter)
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