Chapter 248 Dignity
Because of this, Dengzhou General Zhang Gaoyuan learned that the German warship appeared in Jiaozhou Bay, and he felt endless fear and despair!
He knows what the Germans want, but his troops are powerless to stop the German army from landing!
However, one thing is very clear. In any case, you can't declare war with the Germans!
The army of the Qing Dynasty can't even beat the Japanese. How can it beat the Germans!
Therefore, Amang, the adjutant of Dietrich, the commander of the Far East Fleet, saw Zhang Gaoyuan and told him that the German army came to Jiaozhou Bay to "borrow ground exercises". Zhang Gaoyuan clearly knew that this was just a diplomatic rhetoric, but he could only pretend to be confused and did not order the troops to make any defensive preparations.
So, a strange war scene appeared on the Jiaodong Peninsula.
On the morning of November 14, 720 German soldiers landed on the west side of the trestle, which coincided with the morning exercise of the local Qing army. The two armies met. Many Qing officers and soldiers taught by German instructors spoke fluent German and said good morning to the German soldiers. The German soldiers also responded politely. The two armies were like friendly troops. At this time, another 120-man German commando had occupied the arsenal and armory of the Qing army.
The German army soon occupied various commanding heights and forts, and surrounded the generals and barracks. At 11 a.m., the German army sent a note to the Qing army, asking the Qing army to withdraw outside Nvgukou and Laoshan at 3 p.m. The Qing army woke up like a dream - the Germans did not declare war! However, there were no bullets in their guns, and the Qing army had no choice but to follow orders to retreat.
At 12:30 p.m., Zhang Gaoyuan's general flag fell from the pole in front of the government office. At 2:30 p.m., the German ship moored in Qingdao Bay fired 21 cannons to celebrate the victory in this occupation. Half an hour later, with the three long live calls of German soldiers to the German emperor, the tricolor battle flag of the German navy was raised.
From then on, Qingdao fell into the hands of the Germans and became Germany's leased land, or colony!
The German occupation of Qingdao is more unreasonable than any Western country's invasion of the Qing Dynasty!
No declaration, no treaty in advance, even a symbolic treaty, no note, no diplomatic negotiations... nothing! The German army grandly set foot on the territory of a sovereign country and unilaterally declared that it had all the power of this land!
This is completely beyond the framework of international conventions. Even if the international conventions of the 19th century seem to be very hypocritical, in any case, even if they are occupied, they must complete that hypocritical legal process. The Germans are not. They have no patience to complete legal procedures!
It was not until four months after the Germans completely occupied Qingdao that Germany signed a lease treaty with the Qing Dynasty. According to the treaty, the Germans leased Qingdao for 99 years, and the Germans will have complete sovereignty over Qingdao!
Germany's occupation of Qingdao overtook the dominoes of the great powers to divide up China.
Western countries suddenly found that they could use this unreasonable means to seize the land of the Qing Dynasty without any legal and moral consequences!
Since then, the Western powers have followed Germany's example and launched a crazy encroachment on China! They are afraid that their steps are not fast enough, because they have seen that the Qing court is unable to defend their sovereignty, and China is a cake that can be slaughtered by others, depending on who does it quickly!
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March 28, 1898 in the Western calendar, the year of Wuxu in the lunar calendar.
Taipei, Governor's Office.
Senior military and civil affairs officials from Taiwan, North Korea and Ryukyu gathered in the council chamber.
Park Yonglie, Feng Guozhang, Han Lingjun, Jin Hongji, Cheng Biguang and other North Korean officials, as well as Li Guoge, Guo Ergan and other Ryukyu officials arrived in Taipei yesterday. They were ordered by Zhou Charter, the governor of the Taiwan Dynasty, to come to Taipei for deliberations.
Luo Mingfang, Liu Yongfu, Qiu Pengjia, Wu Pengnian, Wu Peifu, Zhang Xun, Cai Tinggan, Ding Ruchang, Mengnon, Sheng Xuanhuai and other local officials from Taiwan gathered in Taipei from all over Taiwan two days ago.
In the past three years, the brothers have been scattered all over the country. They are all military or civil administrators. They are busy and difficult to get together. Now, the brothers who have been separated for three years have gathered together again in the council room of the governor's office of the Taiwan dynasty, and they can't help but ask for warmth and cherish each other. Everyone hugged each other and were healthy, and the atmosphere was very warm.
However, ten minutes later, the old brothers, who had just talked about the past with tears, stared angrily with red eyes, slapped the table, and blushed and thickened their necks.
Feng Guozhang and Zhang Xun even fight each other!
Brothers all know that Feng Guozhang and Zhang Xun got married as early as Yizhou, North Korea. At that time, in order to annex Wei Rugui's Sheng army, Zhang Xun started to kill and blood stained Yizhou City. Feng Guozhang failed to stop him. Instead, he was robbed of a few words by Zhang Xun. From then on, the two went their own way and looked down on each other.
However, even so, these two people have never really taken action. With the eldest brother Zhou Charter, no one dares to mess around.
However, today, this pair of enemies actually tore their faces in Zhou Charter's governor's mansion. Zhang Xun was punched into a panda's eye by Feng Guozhang. Feng Guozhang was not pleased and was kicked four feet by Zhang Xun.
Fortunately, the brothers pulled quickly and separated the two, but the tension in the council chamber did not diminish at all.
Because, in addition to Zhang Xun and Feng Guozhang, Zhang Jun's other brothers were also divided into several groups. Although they did not do it, they also added evil words to each other.
It was originally a reunion of brothers, but now it looks like a gang of fire!
All this is because of Jiaozhou Bay!
On March 6, Li Hongzhang, Weng Tongqi and Haijing signed the Sino-German Jiao-Australia Leasing Treaty, which leased Jiaozhou Bay and the north and south sides to Germany for 99 years. During the lease term, China shall not exercise any governance power over this area. If Germany voluntarily returns Jiaozhou Bay to China before the lease expires, China will repay the money used by Germany and give it to Germany where appropriate.
The Sino-German Jiao-Australia Lendt Treaty means that the Qing Dynasty has lost its sovereignty over Jiaozhou Bay!
On March 8, the third day after the signing of the Sino-German Jiao-Australia Leasing Treaty, Zhang Jun's fleet in North Korea escorted two cargo ships carrying timber and went to Shanghai through Jiaozhou Bay. It was intercepted by the German cruisers "Princes William" and the "Omagine", with a displacement of only 2,000 tons of Weiyuan. The huge Imperial Princess William and the cone were outnumbered, so they had to leave the cargo ship and flee back to Incheon Port. The Germans escorted two cargo ships back to Qingdao, full of wood, which was taken for themselves by the Germans.
This is a blatant pirate act!
When the news came, the people of Taiwan and North Korea were furious.
In the past three years, under the governance of the Zhou Charter, the military strength and economy of Taiwan and North Korea have advanced by leaps and bounds. While the people of the Qing Dynasty have been bullied by the great powers, the people of Taiwan and North Korea have enjoyed the treatment of powerful countries!
A year ago, a Taiwanese merchant ship flying a wolf flag was intercepted by a French warship in the Beibu Gulf. This was actually a smuggling ship to Saigon, Vietnam, with embargoed arms. After the incident, the Zhangjun navy stationed in Penghu sent three warships to approach the French warships and asked the French ship to release the ship, but the French ship ignored it. Zhangjun's navy immediately fired at the French ship, and a shell hit the command module of the French ship. More than 10 French officers and soldiers, including the captain, were killed and more than 30 were injured. The injured French warship lost its power and had to drift at sea. Zhang Jun's navy escorted the merchant ship and left.
After the incident, the French troops in Vietnam were urgently mobilized, and the French fleet in the Far East came out and went straight to the West Port. The commander of the French fleet arrogantly demanded that within 24 hours, Zhou Charter hand over the Zhangjun naval commander who caused the incident and sent it to Vietnam for trial. At the same time, he asked Zhou Charter to compensate 5 million taels of silver and lease Taiwan's West Port to France. Otherwise, the French army will land in Taiwan!
The French thought they had got an excuse to invade Taiwan! However, they were wrong. Zhou Charter's Taiwan government was not the court of the Qing Dynasty!
Zhou Charter rantly rejected the French's request. When the 24-hour ultimatum time arrived, the French fleet was surprised to find that they were surrounded by the First Fleet of the Zhang army. The powerful first fleet blocked the French fleet in the waters between Taiwan and Vietnam. It could not attack Taiwan before and retreat to Vietnam, and the fleet's coal-fired and freshwater supplies were about to be exhausted. The French fleet consists of six warships, while the Zhangjun First Fleet has 15 warships and is an advanced iron-clad warship.
Zhang Xun, a colleague, led a division and landed in Saigon under the escort of five warships of the First Fleet!
Taiwan's army counterattack!
The French realized that they had hit a hard nail!
Not only did they not get Xigang, but also lost Saigon!
In desperation, the French had to make a peace appeal to Zhou Charter and ask for a truce.
The two sides negotiated in the West Port, and the First Fleet of Zhang Jun lifted the naval siege of the French Far East Fleet. The French leased Saigon to the Taiwan and North Korean government for 99 years.
The so-called rental is actually a way to give face to the French. Because the Taiwan and North Korean government does not pay even a penny of rent to the French! Zhou Charter clearly told the French that Vietnam was originally a vassal state of China, and Zhang Jun stationed troops in Saigon and enjoyed jurisdiction in accordance with relevant laws!
The French stole the chicken and suffered a dumb loss, but they had no choice but to acquiesce to Zhang Jun's hegemony in Asia!
Since then, Zhang Jun's reputation has spread all over the world! People in Taiwan and North Korea raised their eyebrows.
Taiwan, North Korea, Ryukyu, and even Japanese merchant ships are unimped in the East China Sea, South China Sea and the Indian Ocean. In Southeast Asia and Japan, Taiwanese merchants and overseas Chinese were served as guests, and even merchant ships from second-rate Western countries such as Italy, the Netherlands and Spain also raised wolf flags to seek asylum. British, French, Russian and American ships often take the initiative to sound their goodwill when they see the wolf flag.
Dignity is typed out!
In a word, the people of Taiwan and North Korea are psychologically full of superiority and pride. Even the Japanese enjoyed the national treatment of a second-rate power because of the protection of Zhang Jun.
However, the German warship actually robbed the North Korean merchant ship escorted by Zhang Jun in the inherent territorial sea of the Qing Dynasty!
This makes it intolerable for the people of Taiwan and North Korea - Taiwan and North Korea are not the Qing Dynasty!
In Taiwan and North Korea, people called for the capture of Jiaozhou Bay by force and expel the Germans.