Brothers in Misery

Faced with the Parliament's one-sided stance, Prime Minister Cecil could do nothing. Without the lords of Parliament approving the appropriations, there was no way to increase military spending. Aside from his confidants and political allies, Cecil's supporters mainly consisted of Cape Town interest groups.

Yet the largest interest groups in Cape Town were the diamond merchants of Kimberley and similar places. Though they wielded considerable power, they could not change the situation. After all, the diamond trade was not particularly important to the Great British Empire. As the world's hegemon, the Great British Empire had far too many giants of every kind.

Moreover, military expenditures in South Africa alone now exceeded the total of all Britain's economic gains in Cape Town. To the British Government, it was simply not worth the cost.

Britain was also one of the world's most calculating nations. It had not engaged in this kind of loss-making business with no "money road" in sight for many years.

Of course, Cecil, as British Prime Minister, had not given up lobbying Parliament. He attempted to magnify the East Africa threat theory from a strategic perspective.

Thus, the British Parliament once again sank into a stage of wrangling. But they would soon no longer need to argue. Changes in the South African battlefield forced them, Cecil included, to make a decision.

Three days later.

Bang.

Cecil slammed the South African intelligence report onto his desk, his face livid with rage.

"What the hell has Roberts been doing?"

"Even four hundred thousand pigs should not have been so easily captured in less than a month, let alone more than four hundred thousand fully armed soldiers! If the whole world learns of this outcome, how are we supposed to show our faces in the world?"

Facing the furious Prime Minister, the