Australian Storm 1876

   Chapter 906 Changes in South America

   After the Battle of Tierra del Fuego

   Several cruiser detachments under the Imperial Expedition Strike Fleet pursued and killed the remaining ships of the US Atlantic Fleet for a week.

   The five cruisers of the US Navy that fled were sunk and two were captured. The remaining two US cruisers were forced to have no way to escape, and they chose to wash the beach and were destroyed.

Most of the more than 40 fleeing lightning destroyers were abandoned on the beach along Tierra del Fuego due to insufficient voyage. About a dozen of them crossed the Strait of Magellan and hid in small fishing ports in southern Argentina, where they were chased or sunk or sunk by pursuers. captive.

  Only two 860-ton lightning strike destroyers of the US Navy were lucky enough to obtain coal supplies at the coastal ports and fled all the way north to the port of Buenos Aires, where they were immediately blocked by the two cruisers of the Ocean Empire.

  The two cruisers cut off the foreign trade of the port, and bombarded the outgoing ships recklessly, causing damage to three patrol boats of the Argentine Navy (one was sunk and two were wounded) and several freighters.

   Blocked for a week

   In the face of the arrogance of the cruisers of the Ocean Empire, the Argentine Navy was extremely angry. In order to break the blockade, the Argentine Navy, led by the four major cruisers, was dispatched to the port to demonstrate its force.

These four cruisers are the main force of the Argentine navy. At the end of the last century, three "Garibaldi" class armored cruisers were ordered from the Italians, plus an imperial 6,800-ton cruiser, which made the Argentine navy the first in South America. top spot.

The four major cruisers are General Garibaldi (6840 tons), General San Martin (8100 tons, the same below), General Peleton and General Belgrano, all of which are more than 10 years old. , in South America, it's okay to play with prestige, but it is a dish in front of the maritime military power of the Ocean Empire.

   Sure enough, not long after the four Argentine cruisers sailed out of the bay, they were intercepted by a squadron of Royal Navy cruisers plugged in at high speed on their way back to port, facing the terrible consequences of being completely wiped out.

  The Argentine Navy resolutely persuaded, raising the white flag and surrendering without firing a single shot.

   This kind of thing sounds magical, but it’s not uncommon at all.

  The Argentinian Se Li Neihan has already shown signs of it, and the rapid face-changing behavior of his naval power to surrender after a show has a vein to follow.

   Since the war started on September 3, 1908

  The Americans were beaten all over, the West Coast was occupied by the armed forces of the Ocean Empire, and the news of the defeat in North America kept coming. Argentine society was panicked from top to bottom, and public opinion against the wartime government was soaring.

   not to mention these

  The southern and central provinces of Argentina have been generating electricity, publicly expressing a break with the wartime government of Buenos Aires, cutting, and being ashamed. And show goodwill through various channels, welcome the righteous and mighty division of the Ocean Empire to enter, that is really looking forward to the king in the night, and the performance is more ally than allies.

   Considering that these local provinces are mostly of Italian and Hispanic descent, this behavior is not surprising.

  Spain has long been played by the Americans and the Ocean Empire, and the Italians have no real resistance to the various operations of the gods.

After the landing force of the Ocean Empire South American Expeditionary Force landed in Puerto Essen, Chile, in addition to leaving a battalion of 760 troops there, the entire army of 26,000 quickly moved eastward, advancing 145 kilometers in just two days, crossing the The Argentine-Chile border enters the Argentine province of Santa Cruz, and moves rapidly northward.

  Santa Cruz province immediately changed flags and opened its doors to welcome Imperial troops.

   Then the provinces of Chubut and Río Negro turned their backs and surrendered without a fight.

  The Royal Army is divided into two

All the way is the Armored Advance Corps, which consists of two mechanized armored battalions and two infantry regiments, with a total strength of about 7,800 people. The trains go northward from Santa Cruz Province, passing through Chubut Province and Negro River Province. , traveled nearly 2,000 kilometers to the southern border of Buenos Aires Province, and was blocked by local armed forces.

The   Armored Advancement Corps immediately abandoned the train, defeated several Gaucho cavalry regiments along the way, occupied the extremely important Port of Blanca in central Argentina, and rested here, waiting for the arrival of the cavalry advance Corps.

  The two sides joined forces, ready to lay hands on the prosperous and prosperous Buenos Aires, and severely attack the arrogance of the enemy.

The second route is the main force of the Shangri-La Division, with a total of about 18,000 troops, equipped with hundreds of trucks and tens of thousands of bicycles. After arriving in Santa Cruz Province, a large number of horses and carriages were collected on the spot. Enhanced the troop movement and combat capability, and transformed into a cavalry advance corps.

  In the next 20 days, the Shangri-La Division advanced more than 2,000 kilometers northward while being welcomed by the people along the way, and successfully arrived at the port city of Blanca for a short rest in order to facilitate the battle again.

   At this time, the imperial expedition strike formation that won the great naval battle of Tierra del Fuego also moved to Port Blanca, seriously threatening Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina from both land and sea, and its fall was a sure thing.

The Port of Blanca is only 630 kilometers away from Buenos Aires, the capital area. It is the most important commercial port in Argentina. The roads, railways, and shipping are very developed. It is an important city in central Argentina. Enos Aires was shaking violently.

  Why do you say that?

   Late 1860s

  The main railway lines in Argentina started construction, there are three main railway lines.

  The northern line mainly connects Buenos Aires and the La Plata River delta, and the western line mainly crosses the Andes, connecting Argentina and Chile.

The   South Line is a railway linking Buenos Aires and Chacomus, started in 1865, connecting the capital region with the southern provinces.

  The most important part is the unique geographical location of the Port of Blanca. As the best deep-water port for exporting beef and grains in the vast Pampas plain in southern Argentina, it shoulders the heavy responsibility of exporting agricultural products to Europe.

   In 1880, the mileage of the Argentine railroad was 1570 miles, and by 1889, the railway line which had grown to 5850 miles had connected the provinces with the ports.

   In 1900, the total mileage reached 10,300 miles, and in 1908, it was further increased to 17,350 miles, and its coastal port facilities were also expanded and improved.

Due to the excavation and excavation of the canal, Rosario's terminals were able to handle ocean-going freighters, and after 1880 the city of Rosario became one of the most important ports in Argentina, second only to Blanca and Buenos Aires , ranked third.

After 1884, due to the connection with the southern railway network, Bahia Blanca became the main port for the export of wool and wheat in the South Pampas and Patagonia. The terminal has been extensively renovated, many new port facilities have been built, and the city has a well-developed railway network connecting all parts of Argentina, making it the most important export port in Argentina.

Blanca is located in the hinterland of the South Pampas Plain, which is rich in beef and wheat, and also rich in high-quality Patagonian wool. The Chamber of Commerce is located in the city.

This is one of the origins of the war, and it is also one of the areas where the merchants of the Ocean Empire suffered the most losses. It is also the hardest hit area by the Argentine government to suppress the Chinese. There are 6 concentration camps in the suburbs, and tens of thousands of wealthy Chinese families are detained. , the number of as many as 60,000 people.

   If you don't do it, you won't die!

   The persecution of Chinese businessmen, which angered Emperor Li Fushou, mainly occurred in the city of Blanca, and successfully caused the wrath of the Ocean Empire.

  It is also the second most populous city in the country, with a total population of more than 520,000 people, of which the Chinese population is more than 63,000, accounting for more than 12%, and the city with the largest Chinese population in South America.

   In the early days of the Wool Wars

The Chinese living in Blanca have been severely persecuted. Factories, corporate equity, shops, houses and other assets have been confiscated for free. Their families have been imprisoned in concentration camps. The army and police have frantically persecuted local Chinese people. As many as hundreds of cases, tens of thousands of Chinese people were displaced, taken by the government and imprisoned in concentration camps, and property losses reached tens of millions of gold pesos.

   In response, Emperor Li Fushou of the empire issued a loud oath, "Those who violate the empire will be punished even if they are thousands of miles away", and he made a big army to launch the "Wool War" that attracted the attention of the world.

The progress of the war surprised countries all over the world, and the Ocean Empire fought consecutive victories with the momentum of breaking the bamboo. .

   Bing Feng pointed to, all of them were ambush.

  The Royal Army landed in North America, and in just over a month, it quickly destroyed the army of 360,000 people on the west coast of North America, firmly controlled the three states bordering the Pacific Ocean, and obtained a stable forward base.

   Only half a year

The    Pacific Alliance has formed an overwhelming military advantage over the "Monroe Alliance", which has awakened the rampant anti-China forces in Blanca, and then retreated like a tide.

  The treatment of the Chinese concentration camps has improved. After entering 1909, even the guards of the concentration camps were withdrawn, and the Chinese families were free to travel between the concentration camps and the city, and there was no such phenomenon of beating, scolding and insulting.

   But history should not be forgotten, this blood debt will eventually be repaid a hundredfold.

  After the Royal Army arrived in Blanca, the completely liberated Chinese family took out the blood and tears pleadings they had prepared, and brought the Argentine white people who had insulted and oppressed the Chinese to the wartime court and demanded compensation.

   So, a spectacular scene appeared.

The Blanca wartime court hangs hundreds of local whites every day, including the mayor, city council members, tax commissioners and staff, soldiers, police, and rogues who wander into society. Most of them have Chinese in their hands. blood debt.

   Tianli cycle, retribution is unhappy.

  In the outskirts of Blanca, the gallows that can’t be seen will be replaced every day. Those local white people who used to rampantly abuse the Chinese will use their lives to atone for everything they have done.

Backed by a powerful empire, the local Chinese residents are completely proud. Not only have they recovered a large number of assets with the help of the military court, but also received huge compensation, including but not limited to shops along the street, important dock warehouse equity, factories and mining enterprises, farms and ranches, and commercial firms. As well as luxury estates and other assets inhabited by white families for generations, they control the majority of the Blanca economy.

   Today's sage once said;

   Eat my food and spit it out for me, and take what I have and give it back to me. If you lose a point, you will pay it back a hundredfold.

  The wartime court composed of people from the imperial legal profession truly fulfilled this sonorous oath, and the Chinese businessman family received huge compensation, even the ordinary Chinese worker family, the initial compensation was 5,000 gold pesos, uh...everyone.

What is the concept of   5000 gold pesos?

  Gold pesos are equivalent to gold oceans. 5,000 gold pesos are equivalent to 2,500 pounds. Even an ordinary Chinese family of 4 to 5 people can pay more than tens of thousands of pounds.

   Anyway, the empire and the army have no intention of meddling with these things. It is not as cheap as other Chinese who are cheaper than their blood compatriots.

If you can't get cash to compensate, then use the land, manors, shops, docks, warehouses, and various buildings to compensate at a discount. The Blanca government implements a simplified procedure. And house deed procedures, to achieve a reasonable and legal conversion of assets.

   Those officials who showed non-cooperation, resistance, etc. in the middle were quickly sent to the dock for their illegal actions, and then... no more.

The wartime court has been simplified, heavy and fast, and has become a powerful weapon for the Ocean Empire to take over the situation in Blanca, helping the Chinese residents to realize the transition of social classes, new mayors, new councillors, new port chiefs, tax chiefs and The new police chief was quickly elected, almost all of Chinese descent.

The court's public verdict was not concealed, which strongly deterred the Buenos Aires authorities. All kinds of fear, panic, and regret were intertwined. There were rumors flying in the city, all of which were speculations about the Ocean Empire Devil Legion. What? The methods are **** and cruel, what kills like numbness, what does not spare women and children, which further exacerbates confusion and fear.

   It was in this uneasy apocalypse that the Argentine Navy wisely made a quick face-changing move to strive for lenient treatment.

​​​​​​

  Blanca is not only an important port for wool exports, but also the largest port for Argentine beef exports and the second largest port for wheat exports. It plays a pivotal role in Argentina's domestic economy and has a great influence.

   Technological changes in the late 19th century made it possible to transport food from Buenos Aires to London and Antwerp, thousands of miles away.

   In 1851, the application of steamboats shortened the voyage from Buenos Aires to London from two months to 35 days.

  In 1876, the experiment of transporting frozen meat between France and the Port of Blanca in Argentina was successful. The whole cold chain transportation took 29 days. By 1905, the time was further shortened to less than 21 days.

   In just three weeks, the high-quality beef produced on the Pampas plains can reach the European table, in large quantities and with impeccable quality.

   Since then, frozen meat has replaced cured meat, which has greatly boosted the demand for Argentine beef in the European market.

The great social changes that took place in Blanca have made the Chinese power take a big step forward from the field of wool textiles, and have deeply penetrated into the most important ranch management, beef slaughtering, exporting, transportation and port trade in Argentine society. As well as farm operations and wheat exports, the Chinese owned large tracts of land in the southern Pampas and became an ethnic group with significant political and economic influence.

   Since then, it has also opened a smooth channel for Chinese immigrants to Argentina. With the continuous entry of the Chinese population, the influence of the empire has been further enhanced.

  In Argentine society, white immigrants dominate, and the local native Gauchos also have Spanish white blood. As for the real Indian natives, they have long since disappeared in the country's once barbaric history.

   Since the 19th century

  Argentina urgently needs labor from southern Europe, especially Italy, Spain and other places.

From 1857 to 1908, Argentina received a net immigration (immigrants minus emigrants) of 2.21 million (if history had not changed, this figure would have reached more than 3.5 million by 1930), which means that about 60% of the population Growth comes from immigration.

   Of these immigrants, 46% were from Italy and 32% were from Spain, and white immigration had a greater impact on Argentina’s demographics than any other country in the Western Hemisphere.

   By 1906, nearly 30% of Argentina’s population was foreign-born (the United States, another haven for European immigrants, had only about 13% of its population at the same time).

  The only one in the world that surpasses Argentina is the Ocean Empire. About 53% of its population is foreign-born, and the proportion from Eastern China exceeds 52.2%, showing a dominant situation.

   A large number of immigrant labor flows between Italy and the Argentine Pampas. The first immigrants were mainly into farms and pastures and became cultivators, tenant farmers and agricultural workers. This is also the reason why Italians and Hispanics dominate the mainstream of farmers and ranchers.

The organic combination of    foreign markets, foreign investment and foreign immigration has brought Argentina's economy based on the export of primary products and the import of manufactured goods into an unprecedented period of prosperous growth.

  From 1860 to 1900, Argentina maintained one of the highest average annual GDP growth rates in the world.

   In 1900, Argentina’s imports amounted to 113.5 million gold pesos, and its export value was 154.6 million gold pesos, achieving a trade surplus of over 31 million gold pesos. At this time, the United States was still running a large trade deficit.

  In 1908, before the outbreak of the "Wool War", Argentina imported more than 496.2 million gold pesos and exported 519.2 million gold pesos. The expansion of trade brought considerable fiscal revenue to the government.

   In 1880, the revenue of the Argentine government was 19.6 million gold pesos, which almost doubled to 38.2 million gold pesos in 1889.

  In 1908, it rose to a high level of 127 million gold pesos, of which tens of millions of gold pesos came from the additional income brought by the confiscation of the assets of Chinese businessmen. It was really a wave of fat.

  Debt for June, repaid fast, no... Now Argentine society is dumbfounded.

   (end of this chapter)