Wild North America 1846

Chapter 609 Capture of Bogotá

Author: Portuguese toothless

Several major events occurred in the world this year. The first one was the death of the former French Emperor Napoleon III, who was exiled to London at the beginning of the year. This caused shock in Europe. Countless European royal families and nobles came to express their condolences and lament the passing of a generation of kings.

The second is the gradual escalation of the crisis in the Near East. The Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Balkan Peninsula, was in decline in the 19th century, and ethnic minorities of different faiths in the country took the opportunity to strive for independence.

Since the 19th century, rebellions and repressions have continued to occur on the Balkan Peninsula. The Greek War and the Crimean War are the most typical conflicts that broke out and attracted the intervention of foreign powers.

By the early 1970s

The Slavic peoples opposed Turkish enslavement, and liberation movements for national autonomy and independence emerged one after another, becoming increasingly fierce.

Due to the intervention of European powers, the conflict in the Balkans turned into an intensifying international struggle. The Near East issue became the focus of international issues in the 19th century, and the Balkan Peninsula became the "powder magazine of Europe."

The third one is the "Three Emperors Alliance" of Germany, Austria, and Russia, which was strongly promoted by German Prime Minister Bismarck. It aims to form a strategic advantage over the old enemy France, squeeze its living space, and form a strategic situation that is favorable to it.

The establishment of this alliance directly contributed to the rapid warming of relations between Britain and France, and they continued to flirt with each other secretly.

The British Empire could not bear the destruction of the "European Balance Strategy", so when France was in a weak position, it actively approached and provided support. France also understood and cooperated, and the two sides got closer and closer.

The originally close relationship between Britain and Germany became estranged as a result, and the political situation in Europe changed so fast that it was dizzying to watch.

The fourth one was September 17, 1873, when the Tang Empire invaded Colombia and triggered the Second South American War.

The invading army captured Medellin at the end of September, and captured the important northern town of Cartagena on October 7. After three days of bloody battles on October 11, they occupied the important southern city of Cali, destroying the city along the way and feeling like they were entering uninhabited territory.

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After more than half a month of rest and recuperation, the southern invading army gathered heavily on the outskirts of the capital Bogota on November 6, and launched a fateful decisive battle in Colombia...

Bogota suburbs

The massive invasion of the Tang Dynasty gathered 42,000 heavy troops to press the border. The cavalry, artillery and infantry were heavily armed to the teeth, and the battle flags were flying, casting a cloud of war over the world.

on the vast wilderness

The two sides were clearly distinguished, uniform in uniform and well-organized in formation. The army of the Tang Empire was lined up in the middle with 28,000 infantrymen, more than 3,700 artillerymen, and more than 220 field artillery pieces. The black muzzles pointed straight ahead.

More than 9,600 cavalrymen are divided into left and right wings, with distinctive armor. Each cavalryman is equipped with a Colt cavalry-style revolver, a Colt lever-action rifle (short-barreled cavalry model), and a standard saber.

It was precisely with the help of these advanced equipment that the cavalry of the Tang Empire defeated invincible opponents throughout the Americas, gained a great reputation throughout the world, and was known as the "World's Strongest Cavalry."

Among the strict cavalry formations, there are more than 3,400 cuirassiers. They are responsible for delivering a fatal blow when the enemy is in chaos. They are the armored cavalry in the imperial army and one of the trump cards in the box.

Looking back at the opponent

The uniforms of the Colombian army are of various colors. Many people even have their trouser legs rolled up and Mexican-style straw hats on their heads. They are carrying swords and guns. There are smoothbore rifles of various brands in the team, as well as the more advanced legal Chacepo 1866 type rear

rifles, Minie rifles, almost everything.

The Colombian army pieced together 310 artillery pieces, but the quality is not to be complimented. They range from bronze cannons made more than 150 years ago to Napoleonic cannons.

The only thing that can give the Colombian army confidence is its large number of troops. At first glance, it is really a sea of ​​​​people. The total number is as high as 117,000, which is almost three times that of the opponent.

They tried their best to piece together so many troops, but they couldn't have so many weapons.

Therefore, everyone in the Colombian army standing at the front of the queue has a musket, but not those at the back.

The better situation was with a spear and a broadsword, but the worst situation was with only a wooden stick and a dung fork, all pointed at the soldiers in the front who died in the battle, and were able to pick up the musket and continue the battle.

It can be seen from the troops gathered in Colombia that most of these officers and soldiers have distinct white characteristics. Most of them are native whites and are direct descendants of Spanish colonists.

There are two civilizations in Colombia. One is the Indian civilization inherited from the Inca Empire, mainly the Chibucha Indians. They use wooden and stone tools to grow corn, cassava and other crops, and weave cotton. They are agricultural Indians.

civilization.

The other is the Tayrona civilization, which originated from the Spanish colonists. Everything from architecture, clothing to religion reflects the characteristics of European civilization.

These are the descendants of native white people left behind by the early Spanish colonists when they opened up South America. This is the case near Bogotá.

The city was first officially founded on August 6, 1538, by the Spaniard Goncharo Jiménez de Quesada on the basis of the original Chibcha town.

The residents of Bogota are mainly Hispanics born in the New World. Under their influence, the Colombian independence movement sprouted in Bogota.

On July 20, 1810, Colombia gained independence from Spain for the first time, and Bogotá became the capital of Gran Colombia.

However, due to internal conflicts, Gran Colombia soon split into three countries: Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela today.

It is precisely because of this historical origin that most of the Colombian officers and soldiers who appeared on the battlefield on the outskirts of Bogota had white faces and walked onto the battlefield holding different models of muskets.

"let's start!"

Lieutenant General Mai Xiaozu, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Army, waved his hand and ordered, then looked around the battlefield with confident eyes and murmured: "This will be a day of glorious victory for the Southern Army, and I have full confidence in it."

"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief!"

After the order to start the war was issued, the commanders' commands came one after another from the military formations, the military band played the marching song, and the orderly army columns began to advance slowly, and the atmosphere in the vast fields suddenly became tense.

Field artillery, dragged by war horses, walked at the forefront of the military formation.

The Colombian army on the opposite side did not move. It was not that they did not want to move, but that they really could not move.

Because the heavy bronze cannon could not be dragged in the wild, it took a lot of effort to get it to the wild. Once the gun position was set up, it could only be fixed in place and bombarded.

The last time a foreign war broke out in Colombia was the war for independence at the beginning of this century. At that time, it fought with the Spanish army for more than a year and won the final victory.

After independence, it fell into a long-term state of chaos and warlord separatism, and domestic governance was a mess...

Spanish descendants are not good at managing the country or developing the economy. The former Spanish colonies were in a mess after independence.

This is just like their European ancestors, who are best at robbing with guns and knives, occupying territory, or digging gold or silver mines. After getting the money, they live a life of debauchery and shamelessness until the money is gone.

Until the shit is over.

Colombia is like this. It has been more than 60 years since independence. The country has been in disarray. There are many local warlords, and there are many conflicts between them. The government is corrupt, and the officials in power are more greedy than the last...

more than half an hour later

The distance between the two sides' military formations was shortened to less than 2 kilometers. The field cavalry artillerymen of the Tang Empire quickly unloaded the artillery carts, turned the muzzles, and began to adjust the artillery in preparation for bombardment.

At this time, the artillery position of the Colombian army took the lead in firing. "Boom, boom, boom..." the sound of artillery resounded throughout the sky and the earth, kicking off the war...

The artillery of the Tang Empire quickly counterattacked, destroying the enemy's artillery positions with more violent and precise artillery fire, killing a large number of enemy soldiers, and the battle became fierce from the beginning.

The roar of cannons and the choking smoke covered the sky and the sun.

The battlefield where the sound of artillery and gunfire was intertwined lasted for more than an hour. The Colombian army, which suffered a large number of casualties, was the first to lose its strength. About 26,000 officers and soldiers of its left-wing regiment fled in a large area, exposing its side weaknesses.

Such a good opportunity could not be missed, so Lieutenant General Mai Xiaozu decisively threw 3,400 heavy cavalry into the formation, followed closely by 5,900 light cavalry, all at once.

If it were any other European army, Lieutenant General Mai Xiaozu would never dare to risk his life by taking out his precious cavalry to attack the flanks of the densely formed infantry formation.

But the opponent is the Colombian army, so that’s another story.

The Colombian army only relied on its large numbers to hold on with gritted teeth, poor training and inconsistent orders from a complex army. It exposed its fatal shortcomings when dealing with the cavalry regiments that swept over the plains like a strong wind.

Not only were these gathered Colombian troops unable to turn in a unified manner to face the ground, but they also pushed and shoved each other into a mess under extreme panic and fear, causing chaos in the already poor frontal formation.

How powerful is the galloping force of tens of thousands of cavalry?

The well-trained heavy cuirassiers of the Tang Empire formed several sharp angles during the impact. Facing the frightened enemy, they took out the Colt lever rifle first. When they approached within 150 yards, they unleashed firepower in the general direction ahead.

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A torrential rain of bullets rained down on everyone's face. This kind of firepower coverage that only focused on firepower but not precision made no sense. It knocked down the enemies in front of them like pieces of wheat and fell to the ground. In an instant, there was a bloody storm.

After emptying the thirteen rifle bullets in their hands in one breath, the cuirassiers quickly inserted the rifles with hot barrels into the cowhide horse bags in front of their right knees, drew out their sharp sabers with their backhands, and shouted into the corpse-strewn place.

In the enemy's position.

The light cavalry who followed them also ran into the enemy's formation, killing heads with their sharp sabers. The Colombian army soon collapsed...

Lieutenant General Mai Xiaozu, the commander of the Southern Army, had a smile on his face and waved his hand to order the entire army to press forward in order to win the battle.

More than 40,000 officers and soldiers in the entire army were in high spirits. They brandished their swords and guns and chased the crying enemies to kill them...

The red sun sets in the west, and the sky is filled with blood-like clouds

The Battle of Bogota is coming to an end. After the collapse of the Colombian army, this one-sided massacre lasted for more than five hours. The valley was stained with blood, the river changed color, and the extremely thick smell of death covered the sky.

at dusk

The officers and soldiers were extremely exhausted after a day of fighting. Except for some officers, soldiers, prisoners, and prisoners who cleaned up the battlefield and cleaned up the corpses, most of the soldiers returned to camp one after another. What awaited them was a sumptuous dinner and the great glory of victory.

Lieutenant General Mai Xiaozu, commander of the Southern Corps, was an experienced general. He knew that although the enemy was frightened by the killings in this battle, Bogotá was, after all, the largest city in Colombia, with more than 430,000 residents.

Most of the remaining soldiers who fled during the battle were annihilated or captured, but there were still no less than 30,000 to 40,000 people who fled back to the city to hide.

These are dangerous rebels who carry swords and guns and hide in the city shrouded in darkness, posing a great threat to the imperial officers and soldiers who rashly enter the city.

As long as the city is surrounded, these fish that slip through the net will not be able to escape.

The safest approach is to wait until the army enters the city after dawn, and then hunt out these dangerous elements like mice and eliminate them.

The bonfires lit in the camp illuminated the happy faces of the soldiers, revealing a strong murderous spirit. After being tempered by a series of battles, the officers and soldiers of the Southern Legion had undergone a qualitative transformation.

From a well-trained army, it has transformed into a brave division with strong fighting belief, high cohesion and resilience, and its combat effectiveness has been substantially improved.

Early the next morning

After a good meal, the morale of all the officers and soldiers was high. The superior issued an order to "not seal the sword for five days." The desire for women and wealth turned all the soldiers of the Southern Legion into howling wolves, rushing into the city.

To vent the anger accumulated during the war...

Bogotá, an ancient city with a history of hundreds of years, was immersed in the unprecedented catastrophe of war. Blood and fire accompanied by the wails of the losers spread throughout every corner of the city. This was a bloody feast for the conquerors.

According to post-war statistics;

The Southern Army has conquered Bogotá, the capital of Colombia, at the cost of 1,769 casualties. Among them, 517 officers and soldiers were killed and more than 1,250 were injured. The losses were minimal.

The Colombian side suffered 47,500 casualties and 62,000 prisoners. Some of the remainder fled and some died in the bloody killings in the city.

At this point, the large-scale organized war in Colombia came to an end, and the empire's southern invasion army took full control of this large South American country.

But victory in the war of conquest was only the beginning, not the end.

The more difficult task faced by the Southern Army is to maintain high-pressure rule, squeeze as much wealth as possible from Colombia, suppress all resistance forces by force, and implement colonial rule over the region.

At the end of December 1873

The imperial edict from His Majesty the Emperor arrived. Lieutenant General Mai Xiaogu, the commander-in-chief of the Southern Corps, was specially promoted to the first-class Duke of Pingnan due to his outstanding achievements, enjoying fiefdom, and was promoted to deputy chief of staff of the Royal Army Staff Headquarters.

The rank of General of the Royal Army, I commend you to this.

The generals in the army each received promotions and rewards, and the atmosphere was filled with a festive atmosphere from top to bottom.

At this point, after 12 years, another heavyweight commander of the Tang Empire's military was born. The appointment of the deputy chief of staff of the Royal Army established General Mai Xiaozu's status as a military boss.