Chapter 635 - 299: United Kingdom’s Concession (Part 2)

Furthermore, due to its unique position, the United Kingdom finds it difficult to pose a threat to the Iberian Peninsula. This implies that any conflict between the United Kingdom and Spain would lead to a stalemate, unless the United Kingdom is willing to form an expeditionary force, which would cause casualties that the British Government could not bear.

Although Germany and France’s armies are more renowned, this is largely due to Spain’s decline. Prior to Spain’s decline, the Spanish Army was quite formidable.

If the United Kingdom does assemble an expeditionary force to attack Spain’s homeland, it is uncertain if victory could be achieved. The Spaniards, under the buff of defending their homeland, would transform into the mightiest warriors, a scenario no power would wish to encounter.

During the Berlin Conference, the Statue of Liberty, a famous American landmark, was fully assembled and completed, drawing considerable media attention.

In this era, the United States adhered to isolationism, showing no interest in Europe and focusing solely on the situation in America.

This is why, despite being a great power with industrial and economic development unmatched by other powers, the United States lacks presence and influence in Europe.

The rise of American industry and economy received immense European capital investment, causing Americans to be regarded as inferior in Europe.

This conference, about the partition of Africa, involved all great powers except the United States from across the ocean. On one hand, the United States had no interest in European and African affairs, while on the other, Germany did not invite the United States.

As negotiations at the Berlin Conference reached a stalemate, European countries continued their colonial expansions even as they participated in the conference.

On the French side, they waged a vigorous war with Vietnam. France successfully annexed Cambodia, doubling their colonies with a tendency to further expand northward.

Meanwhile, for the United Kingdom, the Sudanese colonies were also expanding southward, laying the groundwork for a Cairo-Cape Town line.

Italy was plotting its Libya Colonies and aimed to gain control over Libyan colonization at the Berlin Conference.

Fortunately, Libya is a vast territory, but due to its desert landscape, it was not a priority for European powers.

Except for the United Kingdom’s opposition, European Countries showed no strong resistance to Italy’s takeover of Libya, suggesting Italy had a chance to acquire this coveted colony.

As the strongest nation on the European Continent besides the United Kingdom, Germany had its own colonial ambitions.

Due to Germany’s late unification, when the German Government initiated colonial plans, most of the world’s lands were already partitioned by the great powers.

Germany had no choice but to turn its attention to Africa, seeking lands other powers had not yet claimed.

Indeed, the Germans managed to find such lands.

This naturally leads to the British colonial policies in Africa.

Due to the vast primary forests inside the African Continent, European powers mostly focused their colonization on the coast and rarely ventured further inland.

This resulted in the United Kingdom focusing not on asserting colonizer sovereignty but on controlling trade in Africa, akin to economic colonialism.

Despite the widespread presence of British colonists across Europe, there remain large tracts of land over which the United Kingdom has not claimed sovereignty.

The Germans exploited this gap, discovering two areas in Africa where the United Kingdom had yet to assert sovereignty despite reaching them.

One of these is located in the northwest of the British Cape Colony, just a few kilometers from it.

It could be said that the Germans established their African Colony right under the British’s noses.

Yet the British had no grounds to dispute, given their lack of sovereignty claims over this land.

The manner in which Germany obtained sovereignty is noteworthy; they bypassed the traditional method of establishing colonial outposts to declare sovereignty, and instead used military force to subjugate local tribes, then signed a treaty with the tribal chiefs that they could not understand.

The tribal people, unable to comprehend the German-written treaty clauses, had no choice but to enigmatically sign their names and press fingerprints under the threat of German guns and artillery.

The added fingerprint was an additional safeguard imposed by Germany. As newcomers, the Germans were unsure if the names were genuine.

The tribes certainly did not write in German, using their own language that Germans could not understand.

But understanding wasn’t necessary; as long as the fingerprint matched the individual, it sufficed.

With this one-sided agreement, Germany successfully established its first African colony.

The process of establishing the German West Africa Colony was quite dramatic, effectively done under the British’s watchful eyes.

This alerted the British to a hint of crisis; following Germany’s method, even if the United Kingdom gained southern Congo land at the Berlin Conference, other lands along the Cairo-Cape Town line could be partitioned by European powers.

Using their influence to manage colonial competition, the United Kingdom cannot always rely on such methods.

As a European Country, the United Kingdom’s strength does not completely dwarf other European Powers.

Being a European Country necessitates adherence to long-standing European conventions.

Post-deliberation, the British Government decided to make concessions to Spain, expediting compromise on southern Congo land at the Berlin Conference.

Resolving the southern Congo land dispute early would allow the United Kingdom to focus on completing the Cairo-Cape Town line while preventing stronger powers like Germany from rapidly colonizing Africa their way.

After all, Spain is a medium power whose threat is limited.

Even with opportunities, Spain’s population of just over 20 million could not control extensive territories.

But countries like Germany and France differ. Holding larger populations, more advanced industries, and more prosperous economies means they can colonize more African lands and draw more resources.

The African Continent, like a large cake, has most pieces going to the United Kingdom, but others always eyeing it.

Securing the largest share for the United Kingdom means defending against Germany and France with larger appetites.

Concessions to Spain, a power with limited ambitions, pose no issue. Spain’s limited appetite means even owning the cake would cause indigestion.

Meanwhile, the Berlin Conference proceeds at a measured pace.

In Madrid, the British Ambassador met with Carlo again.

Unlike previous meetings, the ambassador showed Carlo more respect, his words less stern.

In discussions with Carlo, the British Ambassador repeatedly emphasized the importance of the Cairo-Cape Town line for the United Kingdom, expressing willingness to make concessions on lands outside southern Congo.

The United Kingdom proposed three conditions for Carlo and the Spanish Government to consider.

The first condition involves the Dutch East Indies Colony, where the United Kingdom is willing to allow Spain to take more land as compensation for the southern Congo lands.

However, the United Kingdom is reluctant to cede Sumatra and Java, the core islands of the East Indies, to Spain.

The second condition relates to colonization on New Guinea. The British Government could tacitly approve Spain’s colonial actions on New Guinea and support the establishment of future Spanish colonies there.

The third condition pertains to the Middle East, allowing Spain’s Oman Colony to expand northward into the Truce States area.

These conditions reflect the United Kingdom’s concessive posture.

However, the concessions aren’t extensive. Whether it’s the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea, or the Truce States, their intrinsic value isn’t high.

The United Kingdom’s willingness to concede in these lands is due to limited British interests there.