Set sail

Chen Tian's life lived fast in class and training, and in a blink of an eye he reached 1899 at the end of the century.

This year, Chen Tian graduated.

After graduation, according to their own wishes, Olly entered the Eastern Prussian Army, Thomas entered the General Staff Intelligence Room, and most of the others also entered the army. Only Chen Tian chose to travel around the world for a year and a half.

Chen Tian will take the naval training ship "Little Medusa" as a special observer for this voyage. They will depart from Kiel, Germany, pass through Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, and finally return to Germany. On the way, they will make a stopover in various colonies in Germany, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

Chen Tian's voyage began on a summer morning.

After crossing the English Channel and making a short stop in Lisbon, Portugal, Chentian arrived in Africa, the first leg of the voyage. At that time, German colonies in Africa included Turkoran, Cameroon, German West-South Africa and German East Africa.

In the next two months, Chen Tian went to each of these major colonies to observe. In his impression, Germany lost these colonies not long after the first war. It seems that there is no danger here, and it is far away from the German mainland and blocked by the Allied Powers. It cannot get local supplies. There is no local industry, and it cannot compete with the strength of Britain and France in Africa.

Chen Tian feels that it is the same as history. It is better to give up here temporarily after the outbreak of World War I. If the European War can win, it can be easily recovered here. In fact, Chen Tian did not understand that historically the German armed forces in Africa have fought against Britain and France until the end of World War I, but the scale is not very large.

In October 1899, just as the "Little Medusa" bypassed the Cape of Good Hope, the famous Boer War broke out.

Historically, the Boers were originally Dutch farmers, and the Dutch first turned the Cape of Good Hope in southern Africa into a colony. But in 1814, the "Cape Colony" became British and British immigrants swarmed in. They brought their own laws and way of life, which weakened the privileges of the Boers. In 1835, the Boers migrated to Peking University and established two republics-Aland Free State and Transvaal State. Later, gold and diamonds were discovered in this land, so adventurers and financiers came one after another, exacerbating the conflict between the British colony in South Africa and the Republic of Boer. The president of Transvaal, Paul Gruger, finally gave an ultimatum to the United Kingdom in October 1899, and the 11th Boer War (1899-1902) broke out. After the initial defeat, the British army captured the capital of the Republic of Boer on February 16, 1900. Eight months later, he won the northern town of Mafujing.

On May 31, 1900, Lord Roberts, the commander-in-chief of the British army, entered Johannesburg. On June 5, he occupied Pretoria, the capital of Transvaal. In September, the United Kingdom announced the annexation of Transvaal. But the Boer War did not end there. The fierce guerrilla war continued until the spring of 1902.

After the Boer army withdrew from the city, they began a guerrilla war, attacking the British army and destroying the communication line. The British were forced to increase their encirclement and suppression, with a force of 450,000. Enter the concentration camp, at the same time build a large barbed wire fence, build a fortress, and reduce the activity space of the Boer guerrillas. The Boers suffered heavy losses, and tens of thousands of people died in the concentration camps. On May 31, 1902, the two sides signed the "Frenishing Peace Treaty". The Boers stopped resistance. The United Kingdom annexed Transvaal and Orange. The United Kingdom granted Boers Provide financial compensation and provide the Boers with the privilege of oppressing black people together. After the war, the two sides jointly established the racist colonial regime South Africa Federation.

Chen Tian did not take this opportunity to observe the war, but he knew that from the beginning of this war, countries had abandoned the traditional dense infantry formation and began to learn from the British army's trench barbed wire tactics. Of course, many artillery used new experience. But these are all old things for Chen Tian, ​​and what he hopes most now is to usher in the dawn of the new century in China.

In December 1899, the "Little Medusa" reached the German naval base in Asia-China, Shandong, Qingdao, and Jiaozhou Bay.

Finally, Chen Tian returned to the "hometown" in this memory.

When the pedals on the side of the ship had just been put on the dock, he could not wait to jump over. "China! I am back!"

Close your eyes and take a deep breath! The air here is really...

"Wow! It smells so bad!" Chen Tian opened his eyes and saw a pig-cart passing by in front of him! Excuse me!

Next he decided to take a look on the street to see what China looked like 100 years ago.

Chen Tian was walking in the bustling crowd. People here seem to be used to the appearance of foreigners, and have not shown any strange expressions. A long braid still dragged behind people's heads, which looked similar to those on TV. On the roadside, large-scale reconstruction works were carried out, old Chinese buildings were demolished, and Western-style buildings were built one by one.

"Alas!" Chen Tian was looking up at the houses on both sides, not paying attention, and knocked down a person beside him.

He looked down and turned out to be an old lady with little feet.

"Oh! Granny, I'm sorry!" Chen Tian reached out to serve her.

"Yeah! This young man can speak Chinese!" The passers-by stopped to discuss.

"Ah... No need, I didn't pay attention." The old lady stood up with Chen Tian's help, and then turned around and hurried away.

It seems that the Chinese here have a bad impression of the Germans.

Chen Tian wanted to know what the situation was like here, but the Chinese seemed to be reluctant to take care of him, and it was estimated that he could not ask anything. He had to return to the piercingly.

"His Royal Highness, where have you been? This is General Dreyer, Governor of Jiao'ao. He has been waiting for you for a long time!" The captain of the training ship saw Chen Tian coming back and hurried up to introduce him to standing behind Bearded general.

"His Royal Highness, we are very honored to welcome you here!" General Dreyer invited him to a carriage next to him. "We prepared a sumptuous dinner to welcome you and hope you like it!"

"But Lord General, I only came here as an observer this time, so don't be so extravagant!" Chen Tian was not interested in eating. "However, I am very curious about the situation here. Could you please introduce it in detail?"

So along the way, General Dreyer was introducing the situation here. When he arrived at the Governor's Mansion, Chen Tian was already out of anger, because this bearded guy introduced China and the Chinese with scornful words, and laughed arrogantly from time to time.

"General Dreyer, I hope you can understand that the Chinese are also people, and their nation is also a great nation, please don't underestimate them!" Chen Tian said blankly, "His Majesty sent you to the Empire The interests in Asia are not here to abuse the people here! Don't forget, the German knights should be proud, but your performance is very vulgar now!"

Looking at Chen Tian's back, the Governor-General feels inexplicable. This prince who has never been to China, why speak for the Chinese like this?

The next day, Chen Tian came to Drel's office to listen to his details about Germany's situation in Jiaozhou Bay and future strategic plans.

"The Empire occupied the Jiaozhou Bay in 1897, and in March the following year signed the "China-Germany Jiao Australia Lease Treaty" with the Qing government, leasing the water area of ​​Jiaozhou Bay and the surrounding 550 square kilometers of land."

"According to the request of His Majesty the Emperor, we will build Qingdao into a model colony. In the next few years, administrative institutions, hospitals, schools, churches, ports, stations, shops and industrial areas will be built one after another."

"Military, in the first two years, we mainly built the initial defense by relying on the fortifications, barracks, and docks of the occupied Chinese army. Since this year, we have begun large-scale military construction and plan to build a series of fortifications to form a large scale And design an advanced military defense system. At the same time, it is also preparing to build ports, railways, shipyards, etc."

"In addition, the Imperial Far East Fleet is currently based in Qingdao. Qingdao will become a very important naval base and military fortress outside Germany."

"In the next ten years, the fortress system we plan to build here will be composed of three parts: coastal defense battery, ground defense battery, and infantry fortress. The front line of Qianhai plans to build Tuandao battery, Taixi town battery from west to east, Yamen Fort, Bismarck South Fort, Huiquanjiao Fort and other coastal defense fortifications; build Bismarck North Fort, Ilqis East Fort, Ilqis North Fort, Zhongjiawa Fort and other land defense fortifications in the north of the coastal defense Fort; The eastern and northern sides of the fortification fortifications constitute Zhanshan on the Yellow Coast in the south, and the infantry defense fortress group in the north of the Haibo River Estuary, that is, the five major fortress groups of Xiaozhan Mountain, North of Xiaozhan Mountain, Central, Taitung Town, and Coast. Part of it will constitute a 6-kilometer infantry defense line connecting Qianhai (Yellow Sea) and Houhai (Jiaozhou Bay), becoming the most important and systematic defense line for our army's land defense."

"At present, the Empire's army in Qingdao is a naval force, mainly composed of coastal artillery battalions and marine battalions, usually with a guard force of 2,300. The German Navy's Far East squadron is stationed in Qingdao Port for many years, with a total force of less than cruisers. 16 ships."

After listening to this, Chen Tian felt a little surprised. It seems that Germany still values ​​Jiaozhou Bay very much. I really don't know why the Japanese were occupied here just a few months after World War I broke out in history. If there is a chance, the bodies of these little devils must be filled with the entire Jiaozhou Bay. He would rather let the Germans occupy it, rather than let the scum gangs harm the Chinese people.

"Well, General Drel. I am very satisfied with your work here!" Chen Tian stood up and said, holding Drel's hand, "Just one thing, I hope you can live in harmony with the residents here. ."

"Yes, His Royal Highness!" Dreyer replied respectfully, wondering if this guy would really do this. However, a nation cannot survive on the mercy of others. It must learn to stand on its own feet, and what it can do is almost the same! If Germany really builds this place too well, I am afraid it will not be so easy to relax!

"So, His Royal Highness, what are your plans next?"

"We will trim here for half a month, add food and coal, and then set sail for Japan!"

"Japan?"

"Yes, Japan!"

On January 1, 1900, Chen Tian and "Little Medusa" set sail from China...