A History Unrecognizable Beneath the South African War

Because of the delays on the Western Battlefield, Svit had no choice but to alter the plan at the last minute. The General Staff's plan was soon submitted to Ernst.

After patiently reading it through, Ernst said, "Has the Southern Battlefield now concluded as a whole?"

"Yes, Your Highness the Crown Prince. The main forces of the Boers and British army have already withdrawn south of the Orange River. Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and a host of Boer cities and key villages are basically under our army's control," Svit replied.

Yet this did not completely convince Ernst. The Boers had performed exceptionally well in South Africa in his previous life, so East Africa's true supreme ruler had always viewed them through a flattering lens.

Ernst said cautiously, "The plan can be implemented, but some details need changing. In particular, the strikes against Boer guerrillas cannot be interrupted. Once the Southern Military Region transfers troops eastward, the rear will inevitably be left hollow. Several southern provinces have always lacked population, so the Armed Forces Department should also organize militias from the central and eastern regions to support the Southern Military Region, dividing and exterminating the Boers' remaining forces. Most importantly, we must eliminate the soil in which guerrillas survive."

Ernst had never put much effort into developing Hechingen Province—or rather, he had deliberately kept it that way. After all, Hechingen Province lay too close to the British. If its gold and other mineral deposits were exposed beneath British eyes, Britain would probably have rolled up its sleeves and gone all out in this South African War long ago.

And not just Britain. Even the Portuguese would likely have raised their fighting ability by a whole level. The pursuit of gold in the nineteenth century had been fanatical, just like oil in the twentieth