Chapter 270: Patriotic Venetian Merchants
In Ernst's eyes, the Great Zimbabwe ruins were just a heap of stones without much technical value, no different from the Egyptian pyramids – discussing their cultural worth was futile. Such civilizations had been cut off completely from their roots: Ancient Egypt's civilization was first destroyed by Rome and later wiped out by the Arabs.
As for the Great Zimbabwe ruins, no historical traces remain at all. The world has sites akin to this – for example, Machu Picchu in South America – but at least Machu Picchu can be reliably attributed to the indigenous peoples there. Many Europeans doubted that the local Africans built Great Zimbabwe, because the tribes nearby showed no inherited skills or knowledge about the ruins, and they themselves didn't know how or why they were constructed.
Early Europeans went so far as to link the Great Zimbabwe ruins to "Solomon's treasure." By the 21st century, having found no solid evidence of who built them, the simplest explanation was that the local tribes had constructed them.
From Ernst's perspective, it hardly matters who built them. All ancient stone monuments, worldwide, are the result of "brute force miracles," basically large-scale spectacles. Ancient slaveholding rulers loved making such marvels. Ernst himself liked "wonders" but, given East Africa's limitations, hadn't done anything similar. He wasn't sure whether most boys enjoyed playing in the mud as children, but he'd certainly liked it in his youth.
…
Using the Great Zimbabwe ruins as a supply station typified East Africa's invasion of the Matabele Plateau – contact with local tribes was minimal. The army advanced entirely on its own schedule. The Southern Army's ultimate goal was the Limpopo River, not a direct clash with local tribes. But if a tribe was foolish enough to block their path, they had no choice but to fight.
A regimental vanguard from the Southern Army had just destroyed a small tribe that got in their way. When the fighting ended, the regiment's staff officer, Lind, pointed at a map: "The Limpopo lies on the southern edge of the Matabele Plateau. Beyond the Limpopo, not far from here, are Boer strongholds. Our mission from above is to occupy the Limpopo region to block any northern advance by the Boers."
Surveying the map, Colonel Haber looked puzzled. "Why does the Kingdom spare Mozambique? If you consider Angola, East Africa has effectively surrounded them. In particular, Mozambique is practically jammed into East Africa's territory the same way Portugal occupies a wedge on Spain's Iberian Peninsula."
Lind explained, "It's likely a strategic consideration by the Kingdom. Last year, the British in southern Mozambique clashed with the Portuguese, trying to seize land there but failing. Hence, the Portuguese have some use to us. If we crushed them now, Britain might take advantage. I support this notion. Mozambique is too narrow; attacking from the south to the north would stretch us thin, costing much time. That would allow the British to swoop in and grab Mozambique from the south, leaving us empty-handed. But if we secure our footing here on the Matabele Plateau, we can later intervene from the west and occupy Mozambique ourselves, rather than dividing it with the British."
"Those Brits really are insatiable. They already have so many colonies, and they still won't let anyone else have a piece!" Haber said in frustration.
Lind merely smiled. In truth, everyone was greedy. East Africa was no exception – hence this Third Conquest War. All that newly occupied land would be a financial drain for a long time, producing only military expenses with no real development. Even in the southwest (Zambia), they were just starting to develop. The rest of the new territories would have to wait.
In Africa, a territorial claim on paper means nothing. Anybody can make proclamations. Historically, multiple countries – Britain, Portugal, France – all claimed the Congo region, which ended up in Belgium's hands because the others had never invested real resources there. It's effective occupation that counts. For instance, although Portugal was far weaker than Britain, in Mozambique the British couldn't simply force them out. And the core requirement for effective occupation is a standing military force.
…
In Italy
Making use of Venice's fortifications, the Italians did manage to hold back Austria-Hungary's offensive for now. In truth, that was how most wars normally went. The first two defensive lines had been too hastily built. Even Italy itself didn't trust them and had fought half-heartedly. As soon as the Austrians applied real pressure, the Italians pulled back.
Now nearly all the Italian troops from the eastern front had converged around Venice. Of the 250,000 or so the Kingdom of Italy had in the east, 180,000 were concentrated in Venice and its environs. With so many soldiers – many of them recent defeats returning from the front lines – Venice's public safety was bound to suffer.
"Mr. Leon, to what do I owe this visit?" asked the top Italian commander on the eastern front, General Raffaele Cadorna, addressing Leon, head of a Venice City Hall delegation.
"General Cadorna, I'm here on behalf of the city government to lodge a strong protest. Can't you restrain your soldiers at least somewhat? They've committed multiple severe public-safety incidents in the city, and countless minor ones too. The people of Venice are outraged!"
Hearing Leon's complaint, Cadorna brought him a chair. "Please sit down, Mr. Leon. If you have something to say, let's take our time. You there, fetch Mr. Leon a cup of coffee," he told his adjutant.
After calming Leon, Cadorna spoke unhurriedly: "I'll certainly issue orders to resolve this at once, imposing strict control on the city. But the residents had better stay indoors as much as possible. Our troops are in chaos following the rushed retreat two days ago, so many are still disorganized. We can't effectively restrain them yet."
A citywide crackdown was Cadorna's only real option – forcibly separating the troops from the civilians. But that was all he could think to do.
He was quite vexed himself. In retreating too fast, entire units became disordered: many officers outran their men – division and corps leaders abandoned their posts, so the lower ranks copied them. Now, lieutenants couldn't find their captains, and captains couldn't find their majors…
This was caused by Italy's short history as a unified state, plus a sudden expansion of the army with many unqualified officers. They had also absorbed various officers and nobles from the states it had annexed. Though the Kingdom of Italy's army was much bigger than Sardinia's had been, its fighting and organizational capacities had dropped a notch.
"So is that going to disrupt factory operations too?" Leon asked.
"Not at all. Businesses can function normally, but I suggest they keep their workers inside the factory grounds," Cadorna replied.
"What about their other dealings—food procurement, and the daily lives of the citizens? They can't just stay shut in their homes without food," Leon pressed.
"That's all up to you at City Hall. You can organize your own armed patrols to keep the city running. For now, we'll leave civilian water supplies and food distribution in your hands. If that doesn't work…" Cadorna began to propose scrapping the crackdown but realized it would allow troops and civilians to mix freely again, risking more soldier-on-civilian crime. He was interrupted before he could finish.
"No problem at all. We at Venice City Hall will take charge," Leon replied quickly. "General Cadorna, you truly are a wise, responsible commander."
"Oh! You agree?" Cadorna asked.
"Of course. We city officials will handle the citizens, reassuring them that staying home briefly is understandable. They'll see it's the fault of those damned Austrian invaders," Leon answered, voice brimming with righteousness.
"That's wonderful. I appreciate your understanding!" Cadorna said, inwardly relieved. Venice's government seemed rational and was willing to help resist the Austro-Hungarian invaders. A reliable ally indeed.
He had no clue Leon was also Venice's biggest supplier of salt and other daily goods, besides serving as deputy mayor at City Hall.
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