Wild North America 1846

Chapter 650 The End

Author: Portuguese toothless

Chapter 650 The End

a few hours later

Black smoke curled up from the vast sea, and countless corpses, wooden barrels, charred canvases and broken wreckage of sailboats of all sizes were floating on the waves of the sea, a scene of a bloody battle.

This was a tough dialogue between the old-era sailing navy and the new-era steam-armored navy. The ending was particularly tragic, a one-sided massacre.

The steam-armored battleships of the Tang Empire scattered all over the vast sea, patrolling the territory like a pride of lions that had just been hunted on the African grasslands, escorting a large number of iron-hulled freighters on their way back.

The Spanish sailing fleet resisted fiercely. Of the 26 sailing warships, 17 were sunk, 6 were seriously damaged, and three were captured. After the First World War, the entire fleet was wiped out.

The commander-in-chief of the Spanish Royal Navy, General Juan Espartero, and 2,176 officers and soldiers were killed, more than 1,000 people were captured, and more than 310 people were missing.

The Tang Empire's armored fleet only paid a slight price with one ship slightly damaged and 7 casualties. Only one officer and soldier was killed, and 6 others were slightly or seriously injured.

Learned from the captives’ mouths;

The Spanish Grand Fleet was divided into three waves of ships, one sent out every two days.

His Royal Highness Tang Li Xin, King of Guangnan, immediately decided to have some warships escort the captured cargo ships and troop transports to return first, while he personally led the main force of the fleet to wait and wait, setting up a net and waiting.

the next few days

The second and third waves of Spanish fleets arrived successively, and as expected, they were all captured. There was basically no resistance during this period, and any resistance was tantamount to seeking death.

When nearly 150 captured cargo ships and troop carriers arrived at the Port of Colon, it caused a huge sensation in Panama and sounded the death knell of Spanish colonial rule.

After three days of rest

His Royal Highness King Guangnan once again led the Atlantic Task Force and the troop carriers transporting the Empire's landing officers and soldiers, and set off in a mighty manner. The troops were divided into two groups and landed in Santiago de Cuba and Puerto Rico respectively, launching a massive attack.

The Atlantic Task Force carried out a devastating blow to the remaining Spanish fleet in Cuba and bombarded the port of Santiago, showing a tyrannical attitude.

From mid-May to mid-June 1878

The Royal Guards officers and soldiers who landed in Cuba and Puerto Rico went through dozens of battles, killing more than 6,300 Spanish colonial troops and capturing more than 23,000 people. They successively occupied important cities such as Santiago, Havana, and San Juan, sweeping away the Spanish colonial forces like a whirlwind.

Military power.

By June 19, the Kingdom of Spain admitted defeat and requested post-war negotiations. At the same time, it ordered the Spanish army that still insisted on fighting to lay down its arms and surrender to the Tang Empire army.

The Spaniards have seen clearly that there is no point in continuing to resist.

And as early as more than a month ago

The eleventh prince, His Highness Li Xin, King of Pingxi, has led a large army to successfully occupy the Luzon Islands. The process was also lackluster, and the decadent Spanish army almost collapsed at the first touch.

end of June

Chang'an, the imperial capital

It was early summer, and the flowers in the palace backyard were in full bloom, and the scenery of lakes and mountains was breathtaking.

In the pavilion beside Taiye Pond

Emperor Richard, who was wearing a loose silk and linen Tang Dynasty gown, was leisurely grabbing the furry head of the second generation Baipi (note; the first generation had long since passed away and turned into a white tiger skin mattress) while chatting with Zheng Yuan, the head of the royal secretariat.

Covering major events at home and abroad.

Director Zheng Yuan is an important internal minister without much ambition. He is responsible for many affairs of the Imperial Household Office. He is already too busy to think about anything and has no ambition to run for the new prime minister.

Now that the two major political parties in the empire have taken turns to be in power, Emperor Richard simply let go and allowed them to compete on their own.

Whoever wins the election will become prime minister.

“Start your majesty;

The Kingdom of Spain admitted its defeat and, after we objected to going to London and Paris for negotiations, agreed to negotiate a post-war contract with the Empire in Berlin, and the two sides had entered the substantive negotiation stage.

The main demands of the Spanish negotiators were to release the prisoners, ships and supplies, and to allow the Spaniards to leave the country legally and honorably.

For Hispanic merchants and planters who continue to stay in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Luzon Islands for development, we must give them fair treatment and ensure that their personal safety and property are not infringed upon.

There are also some reasonable demands. In addition, the Spaniards also hope to receive certain financial compensation, and the number they proposed is 50 million Tang Yuan."

"Well, we need to be more tolerant in negotiating with the Spaniards. After all, they are Europeans and old colonists. They cannot treat conquered countries like the Americas."

Emperor Richard slowly stroked the second-generation Baipi's head. The second-generation Baipi narrowed his eyes in enjoyment. He completely lost the majesty of the overlord of the mountain forest, and instead looked like a cat that was several sizes too big.

paused

He continued to command;

"Let them talk. These officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are very familiar with war treaty negotiations and will give them a relatively loose policy. They will control the specific proportions.

You can give them all the Spanish prisoners. If the supplies run out, there will be nothing you can do. If you want financial compensation...

Let it be clearly stipulated in the treaty that we pay a little money to let the Spaniards transfer the Luzon Islands, Cuba, Puerto Rico and their affiliated islands, which is a territorial transfer.

This way they look good and we avoid territorial disputes and unnecessary trouble in the future.

Let the diplomatic envoys negotiate the specific amount, it is all a trivial matter."

Emperor Richard waved his hand grandly. Now the royal family of the Tang Empire was so rich that just instigating this large-scale war between Tang and West cost 130 million in Tang and Yuan war funds.

There was no need for a penny of financial appropriation from the imperial government. The Imperial Household Office spent it without blinking an eye. Post-war governance and immigration still cost a large sum of money, but they still did not feel any pressure.

Decades of accumulation is no joke. The materials needed to launch the war were all allocated from the royal reserve, but less than 1/3 was consumed. There is still a deep foundation.

How much money does the Tang Dynasty royal family have?

There are many different opinions in this world, but no one can say it accurately. Most of them guess between hundreds of millions to billions of wealth, but no one can guess it accurately.

in this world

I am afraid that only the two people who were talking to Linshui Liangge knew in their hearts that perhaps this was the real reason why Director Zheng Yuan was willing to serve the royal family for his whole life or for countless generations of his descendants.

What kind of prime minister is he? Wouldn't it be good for him to serve His Majesty the Emperor for life?

Now that the emperor had spoken, Director Zheng Yuan carefully recorded it and prepared to execute it meticulously in accordance with the imperial edict.

This is also what Emperor Richard admires about him. He never makes his own decisions and only carries out his orders to the letter. He is a very handy old man.

After finishing this matter, we turned the page. The Tang-Western War that shocked the world was mentioned in a few sentences in the dialogue between the monarch and his ministers. Then Director Zheng Yuan mentioned the "Berlin Treaty" that is the focus of the world now.

After the 10th Russo-Turkish War that ended in early 1878, the Treaty of Santo Stefano that Tsarist Russia forced the Ottoman Empire to sign aroused dissatisfaction among the major powers. Led by Britain and Tang, they exerted strong pressure on Tsarist Russia.

, and even put on a show of not willing to go to war over it.

Under pressure, Tsar Alexander II could only agree to reopen negotiations, which are now the Berlin negotiations.

The Berlin negotiations were mediated internationally by German Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck. He claimed to be an "honest middleman", but he actually caused trouble for Tsarist Russia.

The "Treaty of Berlin" agreed under the auspices of the great powers made major amendments to the "Peace of Santo Stefano". The main contents include:

Big Bulgaria, which Tsarist Russia valued most, became Little Bulgaria. Its scope and territory were greatly reduced, from a big fat man weighing 200 pounds to a small skinny man weighing 80 pounds.

The Bosporus is still closed to Russian warships, and Tsarist Russia's influence in the Balkans has been severely curbed. Its strategic attempt to develop naval power in the direction of the warm Mediterranean has once again failed.

This is already the second time. The last time was after the Crimean War. Tsarist Russia vomited blood and lost the fruits of victory in the previous wars against the Ottoman Empire, returning to before liberation overnight.

Tsarist Russia was not without gains. It recovered the territory ceded in the Crimean War, which can only be regarded as better than nothing.

The "Treaty of Berlin" additionally mentioned the Eastern Issue, requiring Tsarist Russia to abide by the existing western border with the Qing Dynasty, recognize the Qing Dynasty's territorial rights and interests in Ili and the outer northeast, and not to infringe without reason.

Other fruits of victory expected by Tsarist Russia were also taken away by the great powers. The Treaty of Berlin stipulated that the Ottoman Empire would cede Cyprus to Britain, while Bosnia and Herzegovina would be transferred to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Under the strong pressure from the British, Tang, German, French and Austrian powers, Tsarist Russia had to swallow the bitter fruit of the British blackmail, and its heart was filled with mythical beasts.

The Treaty of Berlin essentially carved up some of the European territories of the Ottoman Empire, but it was far from resolving the extremely important Balkan conflict.

It was the serious problems it left behind that ultimately led to the outbreak of World War 1. This is a story for another day.

"Where are our soldiers?"

After hearing the briefing on the signing of the Treaty of Berlin, Emperor Richard just asked one question.

In order to continue to exert military pressure on Tsarist Russia and cooperate with Britain's diplomatic blackmail operations, the Tang Empire has sent three batches of expeditionary troops to Europe, totaling 112,000 people.

The subsequent mobilization order of the 55,000-strong expeditionary force has been lifted, and most of them are expected to be demobilized and retired this fall, and then a new batch of conscripts will be recruited to serve.

Count on your fingers

The 112,000 Tang Empire Expeditionary Forces have been in Europe for seven or eight months. After training, they were basking in the sun and picking up white girls. I heard they were living a very cool life there.

"Our expeditionary officers and soldiers have now become a hot commodity. The British, French and Ottomans have all extended their olive branches and want to recruit our officers and soldiers to serve them." Director Zheng Yuan replied without hesitation.

"Oh why?"

"The British naturally wanted to supplement the Foreign Legion. The French also took a fancy to the strong strength of the imperial officers and soldiers. They also established the Foreign Legion system after the British and wanted to recruit our people." Director Zheng Yuan replied with pride on his face,

Then the conversation changed and we talked about the Ottoman Empire again;

"Among these countries, the Ottoman Empire has the greatest appetite. They want to recruit imperial expeditionary soldiers with generous treatment to form large-scale divisions.

In the battle with Tsarist Russia, a large number of elite troops of the Ottoman Empire were wiped out, which made its rule shaky and it was difficult to create a strong army in the short term.

So they focused on the imperial expeditionary officers and soldiers. Firstly, they can curb the continued provocations of the Tsarist Russians. Secondly, they can strengthen the military authority of Constantinople and maintain the existing centralized system of imperial power. It can be said that there are many benefits!"

"What a beautiful idea!" Emperor Richard sneered, obviously looking down on the Ottoman Empire.

He looked at it carefully and thought about it for a while before saying;

"Britain and France are old colonialist empires with strong families and good treatment, but they really don't say anything to their own people.

The veterans of the early British Foreign Legion are now scattered in British colonies around the world. Some are serving in government departments, some are serving in the police force, and they are living well with wives and children.

As long as you join the foreign legions of Britain, France and other countries and serve for a few years, basically these old colonial empires will have a good place to settle. After all, they have many colonies!

Let's do this, it depends on the personal wishes of the expeditionary officers and soldiers.

Those who are willing to accept recruitment will be allowed to retire according to the situation, allowing them to accept recruitment as a free agent, which is also a good place to go.

As for the Ottoman Empire, forget it, it was a mess.

Even if we are not fighting against the Tsarist Russian army, we still have to suppress the rising insurrectionary armies in the country. There is basically no time to stop, not to mention converting to that evil religion?

If you don’t have any other tasks, just make arrangements to return to China as soon as possible!

After all, these are officers and soldiers who have broadened their horizons in Europe. After returning, whether they are placed in the United States of America, returned to the Empire, or sent to New Columbia or the colonial area of ​​Cuba, they are all available talents.

I can’t say how high my abilities are, but I already have the vision and knowledge, so I can’t be far behind.”

"I respectfully obey the imperial edict." Director Zheng Yuan naturally said nothing and accepted the order with a respectful expression.

The Tang Empire advocated the concept of "the Tang Dynasty in the world and the world in the Tang Dynasty" and always viewed immigrants with an open attitude.

Retired officers and soldiers of the empire are the most loyal group and the most fanatical group that worship the royal family. A large number of royalist parties have been formed in the empire, with ranchers, farmers and planters as the mainstream. Retired officers and soldiers are the main force.

Regardless of whether the imperial subjects immigrated to North and South America, South American countries or European countries, the empire maintained an open attitude, tried to create a better environment as much as possible, and paid attention to the protection of the interests of expatriates.

Because the Tang Empire was a country that recognized dual nationality, people could come and go as they wished without any restrictions.

This also contributed to the substantial increase in the Chinese population in North and South America, promoted regional economic culture and exchanges in all aspects, and also promoted the Tang Empire's dazzling array of commodities to the world. It was a very beneficial policy.

That's why Emperor Richard said that it was based on personal wishes and that the expedition officers and soldiers made their own choices.

But his will will definitely be implemented. At least the army will introduce relevant information to the retired officers and soldiers who applied for recruitment, including the experience of some veterans who entered the British Foreign Legion in the 1850s, for the retired officers and soldiers to choose from.

Not surprisingly

Most retired officers and soldiers will choose to accept recruitment from the British, and a small number will choose to accept recruitment from the French.

As for the Ottomans, forget about such good things.

There were many foreign generals in the Ottoman Empire. Its naval commander, Hobart Pasha, was a British convert to Christianity. The commander-in-chief of the army, Muhammad Ali Pasha, was a German who converted to Christianity. He also led heavy troops to defend Prussia.

Weissel Pasha of Levin Fortress was also a German.

German and Italian officers were rampant in the Ottoman Empire Army. A large number of German officers led by General Moltke, the former German Chief of Staff, went to the Ottoman Empire to hunt for gold after the war. This has formed a trend.

But Emperor Richard did not want his people to convert to the Lao Shizi religion. If they followed the old colonists such as Britain and France, they could have a better future.

After retiring from the Foreign Legion, even in the colonies, he was a high-class person with authority and was able to start a new life with a good salary.

To be honest, the British and French powers were really kind to their own people, and he was relieved that these Chinese young men were recruited, and basically could not suffer any loss.

(End of chapter)