Chapter 4 German East Africa

Before 1866, Germany was divided. Without a strong central political axe, it was unable to carry out large-scale overseas colonization backed by state power. In 1871, the Second German Empire was established. It took only more than ten years to achieve rapid economic expansion, and its overseas business expanded. Overseas development companies such as "East Africa Shipping Company", "Southwest Africa Mining Company" and "Dehua Bank" have emerged one after another, and the business is booming, and Germany's overseas colonial empire itself is also booming.

In the Pacific Ocean, Germany acquired the territory of Emperor William, Bismarck, Bougainville and Nauru from 1884 to 1888. In 1899, it purchased the Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands and the Garolin Islands from Spain, and obtained Samoa. In Asia, Germany from the Qing Dynasty. He got the concession land of Jiaozhou Bay and won another concession in Tianjin in 1901.

But the achievements in the Pacific cannot be compared with its achievements in Africa. After all, it is either a small island or an uninhabitable tropical rainforest. Before the Berlin Conference, led by Bismarck in 1884 and the major countries reached an understanding on the division of Africa, Germany took less than half a year. It won the three major port colonies of Togoland, Cameroon and South Africa. At the same time, the 28-year-old German explorer Carl? Peters also launched ambitious colonial activities in East Africa. He founded the "German Colonization Association" in early 1884. After receiving funding from German industrial and commercial giants, he arrived on Zanbar Island by boat, crossed the strait in a week, came to the opposite continent, and signed 12 treaties with the local governors. Although the chiefs didn't know what they had signed, they contributed their land, together with all the public and private appendages of the territory, to Carl? Dr. Peters, for German colonial use, covers an area of 140,000 square kilometers and is known as Tanganyika.

In 1885, Britain fought a war with Germany because it was not worth a piece of land in East Africa that nominally belonged to the Sultan of Zanzibar. After bargaining, the two countries signed a treaty with the Sultan of Zanzibar the following year, stipulating that the area of influence between the Ruwuma River and the Tana River was the British and Germany. This treaty In fact, it turned the coast of Tangania into a German colony.

In 1891, the German East Africa Company handed over its administrative power in Tangania to the German political axe. This area was renamed "German East Africa" and its capital was Dar es Salaam.

In the port of Dar es Salaam, a passenger ship from China berthed in the port, constantly echoing the tone from Shandong on the dock, "Hometown, where did you come from!"

"I'm from Liaocheng..."

"I'm from Texas..."

Such shouts kept echoing on the dock as the passengers got off the ship. After nearly 20 days of sailing on the sea, the passengers who dragged their children and daughters to reach es Salaam listened to the familiar local accent and breathed.

"Finally arrived in German East Africa!"

At the first moment when Li Zicheng stepped on the gangway, Li Zicheng, who was carrying a suitcase, said to himself in his heart and looked at the dock. Looking at the compatriots in German uniforms with yellow skin and black hair, some smiles appeared on his face. Looking into the distance from the boat, he could even look at a row of Chinese buildings, which were Tang of Dar es Salaam. People's street.

"Sir, the consulate's car is on the dock!"

Shao Kai, the marine military officer behind him, pointed to a car flying the Chinese flag on the dock and said to the new consul who stopped in front of him.

"Hmm!"

He nodded, and Li Zicheng walked along the gangway to the dock. At the moment he stepped on the dock, he knew that he had finally set foot on the land of German East Africa, where nearly 150,000 Chinese immigrants gathered.

Nine years ago, when China was engaged in the same war, the harsh colonial rule of conquest and repression of German East Africa led to a large-scale indigenous uprising in German East Africa. All tribes in the German East Africa participated in the uprising. The indigenous people first killed all the local Europeans and officials. The German [***] team then retaliated under the order of the governor and destroyed all the villages in the area. By the end of the war two years later, the death of 120,000 indigenous people in the south was caused by the end of the war.

During the indigenous uprising, the Germans began to build a main railway across the central part of German East Africa from the port of Dar es Salaam to Lake Tanganyika, that is, the "central railway" with a total length of 1,250 kilometers. During the suppression of the uprising at that time, it was difficult for the Germans to believe the black people and the need for labor. China and Germany reached a labor migration agreement in German East Africa. Tens of thousands of Chinese workers came to German East Africa to participate in the construction of the Central Railway, and then migrated to German East Africa.

In the following nine years, nearly 150,000 Chinese immigrants came to German East Africa and opened farms in German East Africa. Because of this, the Chinese Consulate in Dar es Salaam was the first Chinese consulate in Africa and also the most important consulate.

"...German East Africa covers an area of 995,000 square kilometers, which is as large as France and Germany, and this..."

When Wu Zihao, who was sitting in the front row of the car, introduced German East Africa to the new consul, he noticed that the consul's eyes were attracted by the police outside the car.

"Sir, after the "Ma's-Ma's riots", the Germans didn't believe in those black people very much, so at least in Dar es Salaam, the police here are almost all Chinese, but of course the police officers are Germans, so..."

Wu Zihao suddenly smiled mysteriously at this time.

"So, the consulate here can get all the information that happened in Dar es Salaam. Of course, if we want, we can also cover up all the news!"

The counselor's words only made Li Zicheng nod. This situation is expected. After all, 75% of the population of Dar es Salaam is Chinese, and the vast German East Africa has a population of about 7850,000, including about 5,300 whites and 15,000 Indians and Arabs. However, there are 200,000 Chinese, which can be said to be the largest number of "immigrants" in German East Africa.

In addition to running a farm, these Chinese also work at the Central Railway and the telegraph stations along the route. It can be said without hesitation that although it is a German colony, it is "mastered" by Chinese immigrants. Although what these Chinese immigrants do is not more advanced than those Indians, they are scattered throughout All corners of the colony, "Sir, now the Central Railway is about to be completed. Governor-General Shine plans to hold a celebration ceremony in Dar es Salaam to celebrate the completion of the Central Railway. Sir, as the Chinese Consul General in Dar es Salaam, I suggest that you should make suggestions to Governor Shi Ne before the celebration ceremony. Chinese workers must attend the celebration ceremony. At the same time, in the celebration speech of Governor Shi Ne, we must reaffirm the contribution of the Chinese to the development of German East Africa!"

Maybe it's because I'm afraid that the new consul can't understand the important surname of doing this, Wu Tianhao added.

"This is what we must do to ensure the interests of the Chinese in German East Africa. We..."

"...The achievements of the Chinese in East Africa must be recognized, Mr. Governor!"

Sitting in the reception room of the Governor's Mansion and facing the Governor Shi, Li Zicheng put forward his own requirements and hopes according to Wu Tianhao's advice.

"Your Excellency the Consul General, no one will erase the Chinese people's contributions to the development of German East Africa. As the Governor-General of German East Africa, I have seen with my own eyes the excellent work of Chinese workers, so that the Central Railway can be built in a short time. This railway is the first railway to extend to the hinterland of Africa, and this is benefiting from it. The efforts of Chinese workers,"

Governor Shi Nei did not turn back Li Zicheng's suggestion. He clearly knew that the tax paid by 200,000 Chinese people was equivalent to the tax paid by more than 7 million indigenous people, and even not inferior to that of Europeans with large plantations. Whether it was diplomatic relations between the two countries or the reality of East Africa, he showed his goodwill to the Chinese people. It's all inevitable.

"So, at least 200 Chinese workers will attend the celebration ceremony!"

Speaking of this, without waiting for Li Zicheng to say thank you, Shi Nei leaned forward slightly and then whispered.

"Mr. Consul General, I know you just came here from China. I don't know if your Ministry of Foreign Affairs has given an answer to the proposal we once put forward?"

At this time, Shi Nei seemed a little anxious. The proposal was put forward a month ago. 200,000 Chinese immigrants in German East Africa are a force that can be relied on for German East Africa, especially in the unknown future.

"This..."

Li Zicheng was stunned at first, and then pondered for a moment before explaining.

"I'm very sorry, Your Excellency the Governor. Although the Ministry of Foreign Affairs believes that your country's recruitment of Chinese immigrants during the war is not a violation of public international law, I hope you can understand that China's War Department believes that because immigrants still have the obligation to recruit, if they accept the recruitment of your guard, then the oath will affect their acceptance of me. The country issued a conscription order, which affected the conscription of my [[***] team..."

Li Zicheng explained this, but he was very clear in his heart that both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Army Department opposed the conscription of immigrants from German East Africa.

His answer made Shi full of disappointment.

"Mr. Consul General, as a diplomat, you should know that the current relationship between European countries is in a very delicate state. If war breaks out there, I can personally stay in German East Africa to a certain extent..."

At this moment, the door of the reception room was hurriedly pushed open by an officer, and the officer's face looked extremely nervous.

"Mr. Governor!"

The officer hit the root of the boot, and then handed a telegram forward.

"The Crown Prince of Austria-Hungary was assassinated..."

(to be continued)