Holy Roman Empire

Chapter 480: Hurting Others at One's Own Expense

Chapter 480: Hurting Others at One's Own Expense

No matter how much political posturing is done, it cannot change the fact that the situation continues to deteriorate. The once-hidden conflicts are now surfacing.

Crime in Cape Town is rapidly worsening, with murders, robberies, rapes, and various heinous acts becoming rampant, creating widespread panic.

The colonial government in Cape Town appears powerless in the face of this. The bureaucratic police force does nothing substantial, focusing instead on protecting the interests of the elite.

The worsening security is a smaller issue compared to the overall unrest. Although the violent clashes have increased, the colonists are not easily intimidated. Even with the men drafted into the army, women have taken up arms.

After the initial chaos, people have started to band together for mutual support. Given the colonial tradition of everyone owning guns, most households possess at least a hunting rifle.

Without external intervention, Cape Town is likely to become a haven for gangs. After this wave of unrest, it will be hard for gangs not to grow.

A middle-aged official reported anxiously, “Governor, since the outbreak of the war, the price of grain in Cape Town has tripled, now beyond what many ordinary people can afford. It’s not just grain, the prices of most daily necessities have risen to varying degrees, and some items are even out of stock.”

Profiteering in times of crisis is a hallmark of adept capitalists. However, this time, the capitalists are not entirely to blame for the skyrocketing prices.

Due to the war, Cape Town has lost access to South African grain and must rely entirely on imports. This naturally drives up costs, making price increases inevitable.

Governor Delf’s expression changed, and he sternly ordered, “Issue an order to stabilize prices immediately. Grain prices must not rise any further. Forget it. I won’t make this your burden. I will handle it personally.

Tomorrow evening, I will host a banquet at the Governor’s Mansion. I will invite these bastards, and whoever does not cooperate with the government’s efforts to stabilize prices will be made an example of.”

In normal circumstances, Governor Delf would never resort to such extreme measures. However, these are not normal times.

His backers in the British government have made it clear that if he loses this war, Delf faces certain death. The only question is how he will die—either in battle or by someone else’s hand.

With his life on the line, Governor Delf naturally isn’t afraid of offending people. Even if he wins this war, as the instigator of the conflict, he’ll have to retire anyway, so he’s not afraid of their retaliation.

There are still bottom lines in political struggles within the British government, and situations of extermination rarely occur. With his connections, it wouldn’t be difficult for Governor Delf to extricate himself.

A middle-aged man in military uniform spoke up, “Governor, our military supplies are critically low. Due to insufficient preparation, we only have enough supplies for twenty thousand men for three months.

Given the current situation, these supplies will last at most a month. The new recruits can only be issued outdated rifles, which they’ll have to make do with.”

Due to the war, most of the British South African colony’s population, aside from the native tribes, gathered in Cape Town and the Cape of Good Hope totaling around 400,000 to 500,000 people.

Taking care of the needs of so many people is no small task. Even if sea transport can meet the material needs, the pressure remains immense.

Before Austria’s arrival, the Cape Town colonial government did not anticipate threats from the interior. The Royal Navy, as the world’s dominant force, ensured secure sea routes.

Under such conditions, the Cape Town colonial government saw no need for strategic reserves, as the native tribes posed no threat.

Governor Delf was one of the first to foresee the Austrian threat. This offensive against the Boer republics was primarily aimed at eliminating Austria’s advantage in South Africa.

Unfortunately, the plan couldn’t keep up with the changes and they fell right into the enemy’s trap, pushing the Boers to align with Austria.

Governor Delf responded calmly, “I’ve already requested aid from the country for the supply issue. It won’t be long before it’s resolved.”

But how long is “not long”? This is where the integrity of British bureaucrats is put to the test—it might be as fast as three to five days or as slow as three to five months.

The British government’s processes are extensive, and any of these steps going awry could lead to indefinite delays.

It’s important to note that not everyone wants to see Delf win this war. Many in the British government would rather see him lose.

In political struggles, internal enemies are often more dangerous than external ones. To many, Cape Town is just a backwater, and the outcome of this campaign seems inconsequential.

Frankly, the British South African colony’s primary value lies in holding the Cape of Good Hope and providing logistical support for the Royal Navy.

If sacrificing Cape Town could induce a change in the government in London, many of the opposition wouldn’t mind.

Things lost on the battlefield can often be regained at the negotiation table. The overly confident British don’t believe anyone would dare challenge their supremacy.

Of course, those with such views are not in the upper echelons of government, otherwise, Governor Delf would truly be doomed.

If Britain and Austria reach a compromise, the war would end. However, as the scapegoat for losing cities and territories, Delf would face a military tribunal with no chance of redemption.

Even his backers would be implicated. With the colony’s fall, the Colonial Office would naturally be the first to bear the brunt. If he loses his backing, Delf would truly be finished.

Fortunately, this dire scenario hasn’t unfolded. The politicians in the British government are still rational, not swayed by the loudmouths.

Austria is a formidable presence on the African continent. If Cape Town is lost, whether it can be reclaimed in the future is highly uncertain.

If the Austrian government doesn’t cooperate, could they really take it back by force?

Not to boast, but at sea, even if the Austrian navy doubled in size, the Royal Navy could still crush them. On land, however, it’s the opposite. Even if the British army doubled and was sent to Africa, it wouldn’t be enough.

Relying on “naval deterrence” to force Austria to make concessions is an idealistic notion. Even if the British government gave it their all, they might only capture a few unimportant Austrian colonies and can’t conquer the African continent.

Sending the Royal Navy to block the Adriatic Sea used to be the most intimidating strategy. However, times have changed. If the Royal Navy dares to enter the Mediterranean, they must be prepared for a one-way trip.

The French controlled Sicily, effectively dividing the Mediterranean. Sending the Royal Navy into the Mediterranean now is much riskier. If France and Austria ambush them, the Royal Navy would be doomed.

This possibility is not just a question of if, but when it will occur. The only reason France and Austria haven’t joined forces against the British is that they haven’t had the right opportunity yet.

Otherwise, in the face of mutual interests, they would have acted long ago. The alliance between France and Austria has always been aimed at Britain and they’ve had such plans from the start.

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The thunderous roar of artillery marked the beginning of the battle. After the artillery barrage, a dense crowd armed with an assortment of weapons charged toward the British positions.

The sound of gunfire filled the air, and the advancing masses fell one by one. The heavy casualties quickly sapped the morale of the attackers, causing many to turn and flee.

Putting down his binoculars, Viscount Falkner’s brow furrowed deeply. It was evident he was very dissatisfied with this probing attack.

After sighing, Viscount Falkner issued the most cruel order, “Send out disciplinary squads to supervise their attack. Those who cower before the enemy or flee the battlefield are to be executed without exception.

From now on, the assault will continue day and night. The attack does not stop until all our expendable troops are depleted.”

This was the most typical attrition tactic, often called the worst strategy.

Using this method to capture a city was essentially self-destructive. Even if the war was won, the victory would be tarnished by the immense losses.

Viscount Falkner was not worried about this issue at all. Since he was using expendable troops, he was indifferent to their losses.

In his view, as long as Cape Town could be captured, the loss of all one hundred thousand expendable troops would be worth it.

A young officer immediately responded, “Yes, Commander.”

This probing attack wasn’t entirely fruitless; at least it exposed the enemy’s firing points.

Without needing Viscount Falkner’s orders, the frontline commanders made adjustments for the second artillery barrage.

This time, instead of a scattered bombardment, the focus shifted to concentrated shelling, targeting the areas with the heaviest firepower.

The British positions suffered significant losses, with the Colonial Sixth Division, stationed in the northern part of Cape Town, becoming the first victims.

Hiding in the fortress, Colonel Belding furiously cursed, “Have our artillerymen gone to eat shit? Why the hell aren’t they returning fire?! Guards, connect me to the central command. Request immediate fire support. We need it fast. At this rate, the Sixth Division will be wiped out.”

Saying the Sixth Division would be wiped out was an exaggeration. Even after two rounds of bombardment, their casualties were only around a hundred or so men.

However, being on the receiving end of the bombardment was severely damaging to morale, which was what infuriated Colonel Belding.

The British artillery did attempt to counterattack, but they suffered a minor setback in the initial exchange of fire.

Given the limited area of Cape Town and its numerous buildings, suitable locations for artillery placement were scarce.

In contrast, the attacking “Boer Republic” forces had plenty of space, allowing their artillery positions to be widely dispersed.

Although this dispersion made command more challenging, the presence of telephones mitigated the issue. Considering the increased safety of their artillery positions, it was entirely worth it.