German Red Prince

Page 104

While busy with the Kingdom Council's affairs domestically, Thorne's plan is to simultaneously address matters both domestically and internationally, aiming to minimize the damage to the Rhine Kingdom's economy during an economic crisis.

The Kingdom of the Rhine may also face the threat of Prussia in the future economic crisis, so the first thing to solve is the problem of resources. Germany does not have abundant natural resources and relies heavily on overseas colonies and Eastern European countries for support.

By controlling the allocation of resources, Prussia was able to maintain its control over the two kingdoms. To avoid being held hostage in a potential conflict, Thorne needed to help the Kingdom of the Rhine find some alternative routes to meet emergency needs.

Thorne had already established preliminary trade relations with China, and in Patagonia, South America, he had also made contact with Joseph and his group. The remaining issue was the demand for oil, which was why he took the initiative to seek out Ambassador Cyrenaica.

The main fighting in the first World War was trench warfare, so the demand for crude oil was not particularly high. However, World War II was a completely different story. Tanks and planes were all oil guzzlers. Without crude oil as a support, Thorne was really worried.

Previously, Germany mainly imported oil from Romania, but now relations between Romania and Germany are not very harmonious, and with their growing revanchism, Thorne is not sure if they will be willing to cooperate.

While Azerbaijan was also a good option, with the Baku oil field having enough crude oil to almost feed the entire German economy, it was ultimately a card in Wilhelm's hand. Considering various factors, the Cyrenaica oil field became Thorne's primary target.

Libya has the world's eighth largest crude oil reserves, but its first oil fields were not discovered until 1959. In other words, nobody knows there is oil in this area now.

Unlike the original timeline, in this timeline, Libya is not an Italian colony; it remains a very poor country. The Tripoli region is a direct Ottoman territory in North Africa, and the important port city of Benghazi is also under Ottoman control.

The Ottoman Empire was severely impacted by the war, so Istanbul decided not to introduce centralized reforms in Libya. As a result, most warlords and tribal leaders were allowed to maintain autonomy, and the situation in North Africa remains very complex.

Suleiman Baruni was confirmed as the governor of Tripolitania, tasked with finding a solution to the growing tensions between various interest groups in the region. Cyrenaica was recognized as an independent entity within the empire and formally separated from Tripolitania.

In the 1920s, more problems soon followed, particularly in Tripolitania, where Suleiman Blarni attempted to bring stability to the vast border region. However, despite his best efforts, the region remained on the brink of civil war, and he was only able to restore some order by cleverly pitting tribes against each other and offering tax breaks.

However, Istanbul was not very satisfied with Suleiman's meager progress in Tripolitania, and he was eventually replaced by Tripolitan nationalist Ramadan Suvali.

This power shift only led to further turmoil, with civil war erupting in the Tripolitanian desert after a conflict between two tribes over the distribution of cattle spiraled out of control.

The situation was only brought under control with the direct intervention of the Ottoman army. The Ottoman Empire established a large garrison in the city center of Tripolitania to prevent further trouble, while the region was divided into several parts, each controlled by its own parliament.

The high cost of this operation placed a heavy burden on the near-bankrupt Ottoman state, and the whole of Libya, including Cyrenaica, was not even involved in the conflict.

As a result, the region experienced virtually no economic development in the early 1920s, making it the poorest and most backward territory of the Ottoman Empire, second only to Yemen.

Since the end of the war, little has happened in Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, due to a lack of means and will to change the status quo, and Cyrenaica’s economy is practically non-existent.

Not much has changed in the past few decades or even centuries; caravan trade and extensive agriculture remain the most important economic sectors.

Although Cyrenaica accepted Ottoman rule, the Ottomans were not willing to invest in this impoverished land. In addition, the huge expenses caused by the Tripoli rebellion in the early 1920s meant that although the Ottomans were the suzerain state of Cyrenaica, their relationship was not deep.

Locally, relations between Libya and Turkey are relatively strained. The Pasha is not particularly keen on governing the impoverished Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, who yearn to one day return to Turkey's central institutions.

Internationally, no one would pay attention to this poor little country, which made it very convenient for Thorne to intervene, because Cyrenaica's economy still relied mainly on caravan trade, which was also subject to attacks from the French and bandits during the trade process.

In addition, Cyrenaica is pro-German and focuses on development internally, so there shouldn't be any major problems. The Cyrenaica ambassador was invited to discuss investment cooperation.

Fortunately, several of Libya's larger oil fields are currently located within Cyrenaica. Thorne, being a time traveler, has the advantage of knowing the exact locations of these oil fields and doesn't need to search for them one by one.

If the cooperation is successful, it will be a huge opportunity for the entire Kingdom of the Rhine.

Chapter 175 A Weak Nation Has No Diplomacy

Although Cyrenaica is nominally a country, it does not meet the conditions to be a country. Internally, it still operates under a tribal system, with hundreds of tribes of varying sizes establishing settlements near the oasis.

The country's regular army was also composed of militia and camel riders from various tribes. Sometimes, these militia would be called back to fight for their tribes in order to compete for resources.

The vast majority of the country's population were herders, and the population was pitifully small. The key major cities were all occupied by the Ottomans, and Cyrenaica could only establish outposts for survival and activities in some small places. Cyrenaica was basically united only by the influence of the Senussi Order.

The Zawiye established by the Senussi Order in various places was also a major means of trade and exchange between tribes. For such barren lands, Thorne, representing the Kingdom of the Rhine, was willing to invest there, which was indeed very tempting. After all, the Ottomans didn't care about them. They talked about Arabs and Turks uniting together, but they never provided them with any substantial help.

At that time, the French Republic and the Ottoman Empire were vying for control of North African territories. Cyrenaica had 20,000 young men forcibly conscripted by the local Pasha. The entire Cyrenaica population was only 230,000. Although they had no goodwill towards the French, this action by the Ottoman Empire greatly aroused the dissatisfaction of the locals.

Thorne invited the Cyrenaica ambassador, which surprised Khalifa, who had been a nobody in Frankfurt for many years. He never expected to be invited to the royal palace.

"Hello, Mr. Ambassador."

"Hello, Your Highness."

Khalifa, born in Benghazi, was one of the few intellectuals in Cyrenaica. His father was a tribal chief in Benghazi. At the age of 20, he went to Istanbul to study at university and then studied in Germany. Later, he became an envoy of the Kingdom of the Rhine, making him a prominent figure.

Because he attended a secular school in Istanbul and had a long period of living in Europe, Khalifa's thinking was more open-minded, which made him popular in Frankfurt and helped him make many friends.

"May I ask what business Your Highness has summoned me here today?" Khalifa inquired.

“I’m looking to invest in some business in Cyrenaica, so I’ve come to you.”

"Looking to invest?"

Khalifa was somewhat surprised to hear this and became wary, because Cyrenaica had been colonized by Italy before, and many Senussi warriors had sacrificed their lives in the fight against Italian rule. Therefore, Khalifa still harbored some resentment towards white people.

These people say they're here to help you, but they definitely have other motives. Europeans are all about profit; they won't come to invest for no reason. Even if he's doing well in Frankfurt, it doesn't mean he'll betray his country's interests.

“Your Highness, Cyrenaica is nothing but yellow sand. I wonder what could possibly attract you to invest here?” Khalifa asked.

“Oil,” Thorne said calmly.

"what?"

Khalifa almost laughed out loud when he heard Thorne's words. If you want to take advantage of someone, you don't have to say it like that. Cyrenaica is almost entirely sand. Apart from the oasis areas, there's not a soul in sight.

Oil? Thorne is a million miles away from Cyrenaica. How could he know there's oil in Cyrenaica from Frankfurt? Are you trying to fool us? Did you figure it out by counting on your fingers?

“I apologize, Your Highness Thorne, for my rudeness just now.” Khalifa calmed himself down. “Your Highness, if you want to take advantage of Cyrenaica, please come up with a more plausible reason. We welcome friends from afar, but we will absolutely not allow Cyrenaica to be invaded a second time.”

“Mr. Ambassador, if I really wanted to take advantage of you and invade Cyrenaica, do you think I would have come to you?” Thorne retorted.

"If I really wanted to take advantage of you, couldn't I just go to the Ottomans? Although the Ottomans are your suzerain state, as long as there is profit to be made, you will be sold for a good price, won't you?"

"Cyrena was granted autonomy because of its merit in resisting the Italians, but that's just Ottoman rhetoric. Isn't it because the area was too poor and unprofitable to govern that it was allowed autonomy? Otherwise, why do they still occupy Benghazi and control Tripolitania, forcing your new government to relocate to the small town of Ajdabiya?"

“If I wanted to, I wouldn’t even need to find you. I could probably buy a good piece of land from you for just a few tens of thousands of marks in the Ottomans. Do the Turks really care about the lives of you Arabs? Do you think the interests of the Ottomans are more important, or your lives?”

"Mr. Ambassador, I once heard a saying: 'A weak nation has no diplomacy.' If you place all your hopes on the Ottomans, will your colonial power truly help you from the bottom of their hearts? If they really considered you brothers, would Cyrenaica still be so poor?"

After Thorne finished speaking, he looked at Khalifa and said, “Mr. Ambassador, please believe me, I sincerely hope to have equal trade with Cyrenaica. If you are unwilling, then I will have to talk to the Ottomans.”

Khalifa fell silent as he listened to Thorne’s words. Thorne’s words did make a lot of sense. The Ottomans granted Cyrenaica a high degree of autonomy and then basically abandoned it, without investing in or developing Cyrenaica in any way.

Tripolitania is the most urbanized region in the world. This area has no autonomy and was instead incorporated into the Ottoman Empire. From this perspective, Cyrenaica's autonomy seems like a joke. To put it bluntly, their lives were not even as good as during the Italian colonial period.

A weak nation has no diplomacy. When Germany demanded the Sudetenland and signed the Munich Agreement, did Britain, France, and Germany consult Czechoslovakia?

If they really wanted to take advantage, why bother with Khalifa? They could have just gone to the Ottomans and signed a few secret treaties.

The Ottomans and France are currently at war and short of money. If the Germans approach them, they should be sold for a good price.

"Why would Your Highness be willing to invest in such a poor country as ours?" Khalifa asked.

"I already said it's because of oil."

"Your Highness, please don't joke around. I'm serious."

“Me too,” Thorne replied.

Why not just go directly to the Ottomans? Of course, Thorne couldn't just go directly to them. Germany had so many colonies; it would be strange if they didn't suspect something by asking the Ottomans to buy some godforsaken place out of nowhere. Even if they didn't notice at first, the Ottomans would definitely find out eventually.

Thorne did not want his oil to be targeted by the Ottomans, as premature dissemination of the news would cause a series of unnecessary troubles.

Chapter 176 Conditions

Thorne took the initiative to approach the Cyrenaica ambassador because the Ottomans didn't care much about this poor, desolate place. As long as he didn't cause any trouble, they wouldn't bother with it. Thorne's initiative to approach the Cyrenaica was because if he did a good job of concealing himself, he wouldn't attract the Ottomans' attention.

Moreover, the Ottomans' attention is now entirely drawn to the French Republic to the west, and as long as the war is not yet decided, they should not notice their actions in Cyrenaica.

Furthermore, Thorne also needs to cultivate some allies overseas. Although Cyrenaica is currently poor, as long as he can extract oil from the desert and provide local assistance, he can build Cyrenaica into a fairly strong country.

Although their population is smaller, Tripolitania, if integrated, should be quite powerful. If a powerful and independent Arab country were to emerge in North Africa, it might be able to counterbalance the French Republic and the Ottoman Empire, making them a thorn in its side in North Africa.

"So, Mr. Khalifa?" Thorne asked. "Do you need to reconsider?"

"Your Highness Thorne, I still don't understand why you were willing to come and help us? How did you know that Cyrenaica has oil?"

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’m very confident that Cyrenaica has oil. If you’re willing to accept our investment, I’m willing to share the profits from the oil with Cyrenaica.”

"Also, Mr. Ambassador, you don't want the Ottomans to know about the oil business, do you?" Thorne added meaningfully.

The atmosphere was strange. For some reason, after hearing Thorne's words, Khalifa felt a chill down his spine. Thorne's words were also worth pondering. If there really was oil, then the Ottomans certainly couldn't know about it.

Thorne now says he will share the wealth with Cyrenaica, but if the Ottomans discover oil, given their character, Cyrenaica will definitely not gain any benefit; on the contrary, it may suffer an even greater disaster because of the oil.

Wars cost money, and with oil, the Ottomans would never give up this land on their doorstep. It's said that the leader gets the meat and the followers get the soup, but if the Turks really come over, after they've divided up the spoils among themselves, Cyrenaica might not even get a sip of soup. To put it bluntly, even the bones and scraps will be theirs.

As Khalifa pondered this, he sensed something was amiss. How had Thorne gotten himself into this mess? How did he know there was oil? Who knew if they'd end up digging for oil or just acquiring land?

“500,000 marks, Mr. Khalifa. The first investment is 500,000 marks. We will send geologists to survey the area, and also send some soldiers to be responsible for security. If no oil is found, we will withdraw immediately. Consider this 500,000 marks a gift to you.”

"Soldier......."

When Thorne mentioned sending soldiers, Khalifa hesitated for a moment. They had been colonized and were quite sensitive about foreign troops.

"Seven hundred thousand marks, Mr. Ambassador. You are aware of the situation in Cyrenaica. If we don't send accompanying troops, who will guarantee the safety of our personnel?"

"I am sincerely looking forward to cooperating with you, and I hope that the Ambassador will give it serious consideration."

“This is not a decision I can make alone, Your Highness Thorne. I will react as soon as possible, and I hope you are truly willing to cooperate with us.”

"Of course, the Kingdom of Rhine is not a country that likes to take advantage of others. I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant to work with."

Khalifa relayed the message to Ajdabiya, which immediately caught the attention of the Senussi leadership. Although the Senussi had little goodwill towards Europeans due to colonial issues, the Germans had indeed helped them during the War of Independence, and they had once been "allied brothers," so they still had some goodwill towards the Germans.

After a period of waiting, Thorne soon received the news that, faced with the Ottomans' failed rule, many of the Senussi leaders had given up all hope.

Although North Africa is still largely a relatively backward tribal society and the concept of nationalism is not yet established, many people recognize that the future of the Arabs is in their own hands and that they cannot place all their hopes on the Turks. Although the Turks are hostile to European imperialist countries, this does not mean that they cannot cooperate with them.

Furthermore, the threat from Egypt is growing. Cyrenaica is currently governed by Ahmed Sharif Senussi, the third Supreme Leader of the Order of Senussi and the first Emir of Cyrenaica.

However, he initially served as the tutor of Prince Idris al-As al-Senusi, the son of the late Master Muhammad Mahdi al-Senusi, but Idris defected to the Allied Powers in 1917, leading most of the Senusi leadership to accept Ahmed as the legitimate Master.

After his defection, Idris went to Cairo and has been recruiting men there. He joined the "Alliance of Defectors" and has close ties with Canada and France, so he may one day make a comeback.

Thorne's offer was very tempting, because if it worked out, they might be able to break free from Ottoman control and unify the Libyan region.

When Khalifa found Thorne again, he was not as wary as the first time. He shook hands with Thorne and conveyed Senussi's message.

Cyrenaica is willing to reach a preliminary cooperation agreement with the Kingdom of the Rhine. If the preliminary cooperation goes smoothly, they are willing to further deepen the cooperation. However, Cyrenaica has one condition: the Kingdom of the Rhine must protect Cyrenaica's caravan trade.

Since Cyrenaica's economy is negligible and its arable land accounts for only five percent of its land, caravan trade is the only source of income for the impoverished Cyrenaica, making trans-Saharan trade the lifeblood of their economy.

The oases of Fezan and Cyrenaica served as rest stops on the way to the Sahel trading posts, while the towns along the Tripolitanian coast guided travelers on the route from Egypt to the West Maghreb.

The arrival of European powers at that time meant that the Ottomans were initially unable to actively intervene in their influence in Arab territories, which dealt a huge blow to Cyrenaica's socio-economic development.

Their economic lifeline, the trade routes they depended on for survival, were also blocked. In order to prevent Arab forces from interfering with the colonies, the French colonists in the west closed the border to Cyrenaica merchants.

The Senussi Order was so "famous" for resisting the colonizers that they also suffered punitive expeditionary blows from the local French garrisons in Chad and Niger.

The collapse of France and the subsequent English Revolution revitalized this trade route.

In order to "dismantle existing French colonies" and further weaken France's influence and expansion in Africa, the German-controlled Central African Republic provided smuggling assistance to Cyrenaica, and was also an avid customer in the black market arms trade.

However, this assistance was still insufficient for Cyrenaica. With limited resources, their convoys were frequently ambushed and robbed by French troops.

For these reasons, Khalifa made this request: when investing in Cyrenaica, the first priority should be ensuring the safety of their only source of income.

Chapter 177 Peacekeeping Forces

Khalifa's request to Thorne was not unreasonable: to guarantee the safety of the Cyrenaica trade route, which they now relied on for trade, and to provide them with protection, which would also boost the locals' trust in him.

Moreover, these troops can also familiarize themselves with the combat methods in Africa. Thorne plans to use a rotation system for the troops going to Africa, so that the troops of the Kingdom of the Rhine can fully grasp the combat methods in Africa and have enough combat experience to lay the foundation for the future operation to liberate Africa.

The troops deployed to Africa this time are officially called the Rhineland North African Order Peacekeeping Force, or simply "peacekeeping force".

The Rhine Kingdom's North African Order and Peacekeeping Force has the primary responsibility of protecting the safety of relevant personnel, preventing the escalation of local conflicts or the resurgence of conflicts that could lead to a series of harmful incidents, and assisting civilians injured in the fighting.

Thorne hoped that this force could truly maintain peace, or at least leave a better impression of the Kingdom of the Rhine in the hearts of the people of North Africa.

“Mr. Ambassador, your request is certainly not a problem. The Kingdom of Rhine is ready, and the peacekeeping forces will ensure the safety of your trade routes.” Thorne nodded, agreeing to Khalifa’s conditions.

“Peacekeeping forces? What a fine name. I hope they can truly maintain peace in Cyrenaica.” Khalifa smiled politely. “Your Highness Thorne, we welcome the Kingdom of Rhine to invest in Cyrenaica.”

"It will be a pleasure to cooperate with you. The Kingdom of the Rhine will bring fair development opportunities to North Africa. This is my promise to you."

The two shook hands, signifying the formal conclusion of the cooperation negotiations. This was a diplomatic breakthrough for the Kingdom of Rhine, as they found a potential partner overseas.

Thorne needs to carefully select the first batch of troops to go to North Africa, because the Kingdom of Rhine has no experience in fighting in desert regions, and therefore no relevant equipment. They are completely clueless about these things and need to figure them out slowly.

Fortunately, Thorne remembered some knowledge from his previous life. He found Hugo Boss and Carl Debbie, who had previously designed new military uniforms, and asked them to redesign an African combat uniform based on the image of the German Afrika Korps he had seen in various movies and TV shows in his previous life.

The peacekeeping force deployed to North Africa will face combat conditions unlike any other front the Germans have ever engaged in. The extreme climate and desolate terrain of North Africa require unique uniforms and headgear to help the Afrika Korps better adapt to the environment.

Due to the unique geographical environment of North Africa, although it is now January, the peacekeeping forces will be stationed there for an extended period of time, so a new design must be adopted.