April 1896.
Madagascar Island.
As early as 1893, the French government had stepped up its invasion of the Kingdom of Imerina, forcing it at the time to cede Dias Sule Bay to France.
By 1895, the French government had resolved to annex the entire Kingdom of Imerina. It launched another war, breached Antananarivo, and finally achieved a complete military occupation of the Kingdom of Imerina in April 1896.
Of course, in the French understanding, the Kingdom of Imerina, as the principal state on Madagascar Island, was basically synonymous with Madagascar Island itself.
Yet after the French had thoroughly defeated the British and taken control of the Kingdom of Imerina, they finally discovered that Imerina had by then been carved up by East Africa, leaving it confined to the northeastern part of Madagascar Island.
From the Maevaelanou River basin in the north to the Mananbasi River basin in the south, all had become East Africa's sphere of influence. As the French army pursued the remnants of the Kingdom of Imerina, it was inevitable that they would encounter the East African National Defense Army and produce a few minor misunderstandings.
"Colonel Sylvis, correct? Why have you crossed the border into East African territory? As a Frenchman, I assume you know of the Peace of Westphalia, and should therefore respect East Africa's territory and sovereignty."
East African Lieutenant Masers gave the Frenchmen a lesson right from the start. The Peace of Westphalia was the foundation of the modern concept of national territorial sovereignty, and it had originally been led by the French, dismantling Habsburg rule and turning Germany completely into a geographical concept.
Naturally, Sylvis did not back down before Masers's questioning. So this unlucky African civilization tucked away in some godforsaken corner now counted as "people"?
Of course, although the East African