German Red Prince

Page 74

Whether they make a fuss or not, it's none of Zhang Zuolin's business anyway. It would be best if they fought, then the Japanese wouldn't have time to deal with them. If things escalate, by the time the Japanese realize what's going on, it's uncertain who will be in charge.

The Northeast region now has a much better economic advantage than other regions. In the whole of China, only the area around Shanghai can rival it. Fengtian's industrial system is more complete than anywhere else, and its financial situation is much healthier than that of the Qing Empire supported by Germany.

The cornerstone of Fengtian's healthy economy lies in its extensive resources. Northeast China has abundant iron ore and coal resources, and its black soil can also produce huge quantities of soybeans. These resources are enough to feed the entire Northeast, and incidentally, Japan as well.

Given the relative scarcity of resources on Japan's mainland islands, the resources of the Tohoku region are crucial to Japanese industry, making the Japanese-controlled railway companies the most relied-upon entity for the Japanese government.

The Manchurian Railway Company efficiently operated the railways in Northeast China, allowing them to extend south to Dalian, where goods were loaded onto cargo ships and transported to any other part of the Japanese Empire.

The South Manchuria Railway is now becoming more and more widespread. It is no longer limited to the old railway zones. It has begun to compete with the Fengtian government for the right to use public railways and is trying to seize Zhang Zuolin's railways.

Moreover, under the control of the South Manchuria Railway, the industry and agriculture in the Northeast region were almost entirely controlled by Japan. Most factories had some Japanese investment, and the goods sold on the streets were mostly Japanese products, making it difficult for state-owned products to compete with them.

This is an urgent problem that needs to be solved in the next few years. It is related to the survival of the Fengtian government. Japan is gradually encroaching on Northeast China from various fields. If Zhang Zuolin does not take action, his government may be completely controlled by Japan. At that time, he will be at the mercy of the Japanese. If the Japanese impose an embargo or sanctions, he will be trapped on the mainland.

Therefore, in recent years Zhang Zuolin has continuously built factories and hired Japanese technicians at high salaries, but he has not cooperated with the Japanese government. At the same time, he has strengthened exchanges with Germany and tried his best to prevent Japanese capital from getting involved.

While his efforts had some effect, this positive facade masked serious structural problems. He wanted his industry to be independent of Japanese control, which meant he had to fund it himself. Without sufficient capital, most of Northeast China's industries were currently compensating for outdated methods and machinery with cheap labor.

The economic situation in Northeast China has improved somewhat, but it is nowhere near what it used to be. That war was the biggest mistake, leading to a severe economic crisis, devaluing the currency, and nearly causing the government's finances to collapse.

Because of limited funding for these renovations, relying on their own development was clearly not as good as Japan's approach, and Northeast China's independent enterprises remained relatively stagnant outside of key infrastructure such as railways and telegraph bureaus.

The reason we chose to come and see the railway is for this reason. They built this railway themselves. Although they only managed to build a short distance due to technical and financial reasons, it was a huge investment. However, this can be considered a form of resistance against the South Manchuria Railway.

Zhang Zuolin was pleased to see this, thinking that one day he could drive out the Japanese forces and at least be on equal footing with them, regardless of who was superior or inferior. However, his good mood quickly vanished when his men came to find him and whispered something to him.

It's easy to guess that the South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR) is causing trouble again. Every piece of railway track in Northeast China belongs to SMR, that's their motto. Now Zhang Zuolin has already had many railways built by them, and his leading role in this is not a good thing. So SMR has been calling on the middleman, the Concord Association, to talk to him.

Zhang Zuolin's actions became increasingly excessive. He was trying to free Northeast China from Japanese economic control. Northeast China belonged to Zhang Zuolin, and the Japanese should not interfere.

These are things the Japanese government cannot tolerate. The Northeast is far more important than Korea and Outer Mughal, and the Japanese Empire cannot afford to lose this major blood bank.

If Zhang Zuolin continues to act willfully, they wouldn't mind creating an accident so that he "accidentally" dies on the railway he built.

Chapter 114 Revolution is not always smooth sailing

Patagonia is so desolate; as far as the eye can see, there is nothing but wasteland, no bustling cities, and hardly any houses to be seen.

This place is so barren that those who have the courage to come here are heroes, and the spirit and will of those comrades who came to make revolution are even more worthy of respect.

The desolate land also resulted in very poor industrial capacity. The Patagonian army was composed entirely of worker militia, and its leadership was mainly composed of foreign immigrants, as the locals had no military training whatsoever.

The Patagonian Revolution can be described as a "domestic revolution led by foreigners," or, according to Argentina, a terrorist act of splitting the country by foreign forces.

The entire country had only six divisions, and each division was severely understaffed. Their main weapons came from all over the world, some were weapons left over from France during the war, and others were weapons transported from Chile.

Patagonia's first arms factory was recently established, but its production capacity is extremely limited, producing only a few dozen rifles a day, and the quality is not even as good as what others have left over.

Patagonia didn't have a single decent artillery unit, and these soldiers defended their borders with outdated equipment.

The troops were on patrol as usual that day, but they soon noticed something was amiss. A large group of soldiers had come from the Chilean border, and they looked like they were up to no good.

That's how the Chileans do it. They send a large group of soldiers across the border, then stay there and refuse to leave. After a while, the land becomes theirs, and their soldiers patrol there. That's how the land is gradually encroached upon.

"Don't come any closer! That's the border of Patagonia!"

The soldiers reacted quickly and ran forward. Although their weapons and equipment were far inferior to those of Chile, these soldiers, who did not even have uniforms, immediately stood in front of the border with their guns.

"No forward movement!"

The soldiers were furious. They had repeatedly made concessions, their territory was being eroded bit by bit, and the border they patrolled was shrinking little by little. These men felt no joy whatsoever.

Their hearts are bleeding, because beneath those occupied lands may lie the remains of martyrs who sacrificed their lives fighting for independence.

Their mission was to defend the border, but they could only watch helplessly as others bullied them. Unable to bear it any longer, these soldiers refused to become traitors to the country. The blood of the martyrs could not be shed in vain, and this time they would not back down.

"The Chileans are harassing the border again. Go and inform the General Secretary immediately. Tell him that we will live and die with this land. The Chileans will not be able to take a single step forward unless they step over our dead bodies!"

The youngest soldier quickly ran back, hopped on his assigned bicycle, and rushed back to inform the others, while the rest remained in a standoff.

If Joseph suffered great psychological trauma during the Russian Revolution, then Patagonia cast an even greater shadow on his mind.

Back then, he and his mentor participated in the revolution. At that time, Russia was already considered to be in hellish conditions, with international intervention forces from more than a dozen countries on the outside and countless White Army forces on the inside. But even so, they still won.

They had achieved a victory at the time, but were unable to defend the new regime after their mentor's assassination, and the situation in Patagonia was clearly not much better than that in Russia at the time.

Joseph looked at the shacks on the street. Each shack often had to accommodate four or five people. There was no other way. If they could make a living, who would rise up in rebellion? They could live in shacks here, but in the North, they might not even be able to find a place to stay.

"Comrade Joseph, the situation in Patagonia is much better now. A few years ago, our central government offices were located in that small apartment building in front of us, with more than a hundred people crammed into it."

Listening to Soto's words, Joseph knew that he would encounter many problems this time.

"These people live in these shacks. If it rains or the wind blows and these houses are damaged, where will they live?" Joseph asked, pointing to a shack that looked like it was about to collapse.

“This…” Soto was at a loss for words for a moment. “Actually, these shacks were all built by themselves. We can only send people to help. Patagonia’s finances are too tight. We cannot afford large-scale construction. Our shipping is blocked by the Argentine government’s warships, so we cannot trade. Our ships will be attacked as soon as they leave port.”

Soto spoke with a sense of helplessness, saying, "Patagonia is being suppressed by Argentina in the Americas. After all, Argentina is the most powerful country in South America. With its obstruction, we simply cannot trade northwards."

“Our cattle, our sheep, Patagonia has so much livestock, but they simply can’t get out of port. The only one who can help us is Chile.”

"Because Chile and Argentina have a bad relationship, they are the only ones who trade with us. However, this trade and aid are conditional, and we have to pay a huge price. Chile controls our economy and is encroaching on our land."

In order to obtain aid, Soto had to "sell out" some of its sovereignty, because without Chile's protection, Patagonia might have already been annexed by Argentina.

Although Chile also underwent a revolution and became a socialist republic, its attitude towards its neighbor Patagonia, which shares the same ideology, has not changed much. It continues to encroach on Patagonian territory and shows "extraordinary concern" for Patagonia's military buildup and internal affairs.

This unsettled all members of the Patagonian Workers' Front government, who believed it was not a "temporary crisis" but a "long-standing and very dangerous political maneuver."

During this period, Antonio Soto's government could only try to unite its own members in the name of a "united front" against the reactionary militarist state of Argentina.

Despite Soto being a popular and veteran revolutionary leader in the region, and no one can deny his contributions to the liberation of Patagonia, he still faced immense pressure.

Opponents believe he betrayed national interests and demand his resignation, while some within the alliance criticize him for being too weak, arguing that this will jeopardize Patagonia's future.

The divisions and discontent within the party have put Soto under immense pressure, and he can now only do his best to maintain this fragile alliance and this small country.

Soto must hold on, otherwise the partisan divisions within the government could destroy the country that countless revolutionaries have painstakingly built in an instant.

Although many feared a terrible invasion was imminent, and the international community held little hope for the country, they saw a bleak future for Patagonia within its fragile defensive lines.

This first beacon of hope in Latin America is mired in a terrible crisis. Even the Comintern has little hope for the country; it is too weak and the Comintern considers it to have no strategic value.

Soto believed that Joseph was sent by the Comintern to guide the work, but in fact, he came voluntarily. If it were really about providing serious aid, the Comintern would have preferred to aid Chile rather than Patagonia.

Nevertheless, Soto did not give up. He continued to tighten his belt to develop military power, and preparations for the military reform and modernization of the Patagonian Armed Forces had begun. Moreover, this beacon of anarchism, socialism, and communism was neither lost nor forgotten.

The international left wing, anarchist groups, and Bolchev remnants continued to provide him with assistance; the spirit of internationalism had not dissipated; the workers on the desolate plains of Patagonia still had a chance, a chance to spread their ideals throughout the Americas.

Solving a country's problems cannot be accomplished in a day or two, and revolutions cannot always proceed smoothly. Although Joseph came to provide guidance, he was not foolish enough to give blind orders as soon as he arrived.

As an advisor parachuted in from elsewhere, he was certainly not as familiar with the local situation as the locals, so he simply listened to Soto's questions without offering any advice or guidance.

As we walked, we arrived at the Patagonian government office center, which is also the heart of the Patagonian Workers' Front. Policies concerning the fate of the nation are issued from this small three-story building.

A statue stands in front of the building, depicting a man with a hammer and sickle on his back and a rifle in hand, poised to charge. Although the craftsmanship is rather rough, one can still see the determination in his expression.

Joseph stopped in front of the statue, took off his hat as a sign of respect. The statue was an epitome of the countless revolutionaries who sacrificed themselves in Patagonia to fight for a brighter life for future generations. Many of them did not even leave their names behind. These people deserve to be respected.

“Comrades from Europe are indeed different.” Soto sighed as he watched Joseph tip his hat in salute.

"What's wrong?"

Joseph put on his hat, somewhat puzzled by what Soto had just said; he didn't know what Soto meant.

“Let me put it this way,” Soto said, seeing Joseph’s puzzled look. “You are one of the few people I’ve seen who pays homage to this statue.”

"The model for this statue is a young man named Juano, who fled from the north with his troops and blew up the bridge during the Great Northern Campaign. If it weren't for him, Patagonia wouldn't exist today. You could say he single-handedly saved us."

"He could have continued his studies in the North and become a doctor or a lawyer in the future, but he abandoned everything for his beliefs, broke through the blockade to come to us, and left us forever before he was even twenty years old."

“It’s a touching story, isn’t it?” Soto looked at the statue. “It’s a pity that the people of Patagonia didn’t remember this hero, and his story and he himself just drifted into the ground.”

"They would rather believe in someone else than Juano."

"Who?"

"it's him."

Soto pointed to the opposite side, and Joseph looked in that direction; it was a church.

"People are more willing to believe in that one, and some of them, who can't even afford to eat, will go to church and donate their meager savings."

Even the most stubborn and difficult old people immediately began to reason with the priests when they arrived; they preferred to pursue the paradise in their hearts.

“We moved our office to the opposite side of the church because the church is almost the busiest place. Our propaganda can only influence the locals and get them to know something here. If it were elsewhere, you wouldn’t see a single person for more than ten days.”

"So what do these local churches do after receiving so many donations?"

"What will they do? I have no idea. They won't build roads or bridges, and they won't end up in our hands." Soto shrugged helplessly.

“Then why can’t you take action and shut down these churches? These priests are parasites living on the people.” Joseph’s expression was rather unpleasant.

He was once a devout believer, but after being exposed to socialist ideology, he realized that it was nothing but a boring deception.

“These people are shameless. Even if God really came down to earth, if there is even one word that does not suit their tastes, they would even bind God to the cross and declare him a heretic. These people rely on explaining truth, goodness and beauty to make the world abide by their morality and order, but they themselves are prostitutes and thieves behind the scenes. Such filthy and hypocritical scum should be burned to death.”

“Don’t let them hear this.” Soto was a little flustered by Joseph’s words. “We can’t afford to offend these people. They have a better mass base than we do. We have to go to them to do our work. If they hear what you’re saying, it will be difficult for us to carry out our work in the future.”

Listening to Soto's explanation, Joseph felt somewhat powerless. He now felt that it was a miracle that Patagonia had been able to hold on until now, as it was beset by both external and internal troubles.

With Chile and Argentina on the outside and partisan divisions and social chaos on the inside, this hellish start is challenging for Joseph. But who is Joseph? He's not the kind of person who gives up easily. The more challenging it is, the more motivated Joseph becomes.

In the book Thorne gave him, the Nazi army swept through the Soviet Union in six months, like an invincible giant. They advanced to the outskirts of Moscow, only 24 kilometers away, where the red star on the Moscow Tower could be seen.

But Joseph in the book did not yield to such an enemy; he even held a military parade in Moscow to mock the Nazi soldiers outside.

With his iron will, the war, which seemed to be a foregone conclusion, suddenly reversed, and a great counter-offensive followed. Three years later, the Red Army raised its flag in Berlin.

He always looked up to Joseph in the book as a role model, hoping that he could do as well as him, or even surpass him.

"Although the Soviet Union is large, we have nowhere to retreat, because Moscow is right behind us."

Joseph now has nowhere to retreat, and Patagonia cannot retreat any further; another step back would lead to the abyss of hell.

Chapter 115 Theology of Liberation

"It's indeed difficult to carry out a revolution in Latin America," Joseph shook his head. "In Europe, although the capitalist forces are very strong, the working class is also very strong."

In European revolutions, if you visit the factories and mines where workers congregate a few times, get to know them, and win them over, you can quickly develop a powerful force. Moreover, if a revolution really happens, although you will have many enemies, you will also have many friends, and leftists in Europe will find ways to provide assistance.

But Latin America is different. It is mainly populated by farmers, and the literacy rate is very low, making it difficult to mobilize them for revolution. They also cannot understand the theories. Unless you really give them tangible benefits, they will not support you. Moreover, these people are very opportunistic; if someone offers them more, they will follow that person.

"Do you rely solely on Chilean support and external aid for your daily income?"

"Yes, Comrade Joseph, Patagonia's total income is not enough to maintain the normal operation of the country, so it must rely on external aid. Moreover, this income is the main source of government revenue, and we cannot lose this help."

"Then why not ask the Argentinians for help?" Joseph suddenly seemed to remember something and said something cryptic.

"Ask them for help?" Soto's mind didn't quite catch up with Joseph, and he didn't immediately understand. "What do you mean?"

“We don’t have money, but Argentinians do. There are so many rich people there, they could never spend all their money in their lifetime. So let’s help them and borrow some from them.”

Seeing Joseph's malicious smile, Soto understood. "You mean robbing a bank? That's not a good idea, is it?"

"What's wrong with that? That money is squeezed out of the poor, and it's not exactly clean. It's stained with the blood of the proletariat, so why can't we take it?"

"Moreover, I had already done my work before I came here. I had been researching at sea for a while. There are several large banks in Argentina, and the people who deposit money there are all top-tier capitalists and large landowners. Let's borrow some money from them and make them bleed a little."

"Consider these their indulgences. Don't those priests all say that wealth is sin? If we take more, their sins will be less, and they'll have to thank us."

No wonder he was a notorious bandit in the Caucasus and the godfather of Georgia; he was ruthless. Soto had some knowledge of Joseph's glorious history before; when he was young, he dared to rob the Tsar's armored trucks. Without him, the Bolsheviks probably wouldn't have lasted long.

"Comrade Joseph, what you say makes sense. Those people's money isn't exactly clean to begin with. Who knows if it's being used to bribe officials or for lavish spending on food, drink, gambling, and prostitution? Your suggestion is worth considering."

"However, strict secrecy must be maintained before the operation, and a detailed plan must be developed. The risk of this operation is too great. Those people's money is not clean, and they must have already thought that someone would rob them. They will not let us succeed easily."

Just as they were about to continue discussing future plans, someone rushed over in a panic, not even having time to catch their breath, and immediately began reporting the situation to Soto.

"General Secretary, something has happened at the border. Chile has sent people over again, wanting to carve out a piece of land as before. Our soldiers are currently in a standoff with them. It looks like the situation at the border is very dangerous and something could happen at any time."

Soto's face darkened after hearing what the man said. He didn't speak, but frowned as he pondered, weighing the pros and cons. After a while, Soto sighed and told him to instruct the soldiers to retreat to avoid further escalation of the conflict.

"General Secretary, the person who came to report said that the border patrol soldiers are determined to fight the Chileans to the death, saying they will not retreat and will die on the border!"

Upon hearing this, Soto felt a sudden heaviness in his head and almost fainted. Fortunately, the people around him supported him. With all the things happening back home weighing on his shoulders, Soto could only sleep for about three or four hours a day. The psychological and physical pressure was indeed something that most people could not withstand.

"Comrade Soto, I suggest you go there in person. The two sides are currently at a standoff, and the patrolling soldiers seem to be quite agitated. We must try our best to prevent the situation from escalating further, and we can't keep retreating like this. We must take action."

Joseph's expression was resolute. He believed that this incident could effectively resolve the border issue. A decisive blow would prevent a hundred more blows. They could no longer compromise with these people.

“When I was in exile in France, I often went to the library in Paris to read. There I read a book from the East, and there was a story that is very similar to what we are experiencing now.”

"There's a line in that story that goes something like this: 'Today we cede five cities, tomorrow ten, and then we get one night's rest. But when we look around, the Qin army is already there.' If we keep giving in like this, they'll think we're easy to bully, and they'll keep pushing their luck until they swallow us up."