Chapter 328 Foreign Forces
As a new city, Bulawayo, the capital of the Ndebele people, was established not even as long as many cities established by the East African Kingdom.
Lobengula and his father Zilicazi used a large number of slaves to build their capital. Although the city is small in scale, it reveals the characteristics of the combination of Arabic architecture and European architecture everywhere.
On the one hand, the influence of the Arabs on the eastern coast of Africa is very profound, even the Zulu people at the southern end cannot avoid it, as do the Ndebele people who are a branch of the Zulu people.
On the other hand, it was the Ndebele people who learned it from their old rivals, the Boers. However, when the Boers captured the Transvaal, they did not have so much effort and manpower to build some luxurious buildings. Simple forts in Dutch or German-French style.
The Ndebele people have fully absorbed the experience of the Boers and built shooting ports, towers and other facilities in their capital. The entire capital has become a small military fortress, which is similar to Hohenzollenberg, which is also in line with Ndebe Lai militarism characteristics.
At this time, Lobengula was reviewing his army outside the castle. The visual effect brought by more than 6,000 Ndebele soldiers equipped with muskets was absolutely shocking.
They wore traditional Zulu costumes like primitive tribes, but carried muskets as tall as a man. Barbarism and "civilization" set off each other.
In addition to our own people with "advanced" equipment, more than 10,000 Shona servants also participated in this military parade. Although the number of servants is far more than these, they are scattered all over the Matabele Kingdom, and Bulawayo alone cannot support them. many people.
Lobengula was quite satisfied with the fighting spirit of Ndebele fighters, and he felt the pleasure of all the heroes in the world.
Lobengula asked the head of the Boer advisory group beside him: "Your Excellency Wiggins, look at my subordinates, how is it compared to the East African Kingdom?"
Wiggins laughed confidently: "Hahaha, Your Majesty, don't worry, the Ndebele fighters are brave and aggressive, and now they are equipped with firearms. Coupled with the training of our Boers, it can definitely cause damage to the Kingdom of East Africa. Hit hard."
Wiggins is the chief instructor sent by the Republic of Transvaal to the Kingdom of Matabele to help Lobengula train Ndebele fighters to use firearms.
After all, the firearms were sold by the Republic of Transvaal to the Matabele Kingdom, so it is natural to provide customers with one-stop service, or else the Ndebele soldiers would use muskets as spears to launch a death charge against the colonial soldiers in East Africa. Being beaten into a sieve is a big joke.
Lobengula ordered: "The exercise has officially begun!"
The Ndebele fighters, divided into several square teams, began to fill the muskets with ammunition in a decent manner, then raised them up flat, and fired at a row of wooden stakes that had been set up earlier.
"Boom...boom...boom..."
The fragile wooden stakes were beaten to pieces.
"Good, good, very good!" Lobengula exclaimed looking at the power of the musket in front of him.
Lobengula: "With these muskets, the East Africans will never come back."
…
A fast horse galloped on the grassland, heading towards the border troops of South Salzburg Province.
"I have an important military report."
Soon, the scout was brought to Swirt.
"Report, Chief of Staff! We have encountered troops from the South Route Army in the southeast, and they are converging towards us."
"Which unit of the Southern Route Army are they?"
"The Second Brigade of the Southern Route Army has been operating here these days to encircle and suppress the indigenous rebellion."
Sitter said with satisfaction: "Very well, it seems that the South Route Army has almost suppressed the rebellion in the south and east. Let's stay here first, wait for them, and let the soldiers rest by the way."
The South Salzburg border troops marched all the way from the vicinity of Lake Malawi deep into the hinterland of the Matabele Plateau, mainly to fight against the main force of the Ndebele people, that is, the Matabele Kingdom headed by Bulawayo base camp.
As for the counter-insurgency at the local level, there is naturally no understanding, and it is mainly handed over to the South Route Army to start from the east and south.
The Second Brigade Commander Ya'an Reid: "Chief of the General Staff!"
Witt: "Very well, you came from that direction!"
"Chief of the General Staff, our brigade was originally stationed on the north bank of the Limpopo River, and came from southeast to northwest according to the king's order."
"That is to say, the indigenous rebellion in the southeast region has been suppressed?"
"Yes, Chief of Staff, but some remnants of the Ndebele escaped, and we chased them all the way here."
"You guys did a great job!" Sitte praised.
Ya'an Reed: "By the way, Chief of Staff, our army has an important military situation to report to you."
Switt: "What military situation?"
"Chief of the General Staff, please wait a moment." Ya'an Reed turned to his subordinates and said, "Bring over our captives and captured things!"
Soon, several white men were escorted up, along with a bullock cart covered in rainproof cloth.
Ya'an Reid lifted the rainproof cloth, and there were boxes of goods stacked on it, but after seeing the shape of the boxes, Stewart immediately guessed what was inside.
"Is this munitions?"
"Yes, Chief of Staff, and it was the Boers who provided the Ndebele with arms."
"Well, these Boers are really brave!"
Yan Reid said: "Chief of the General Staff, next, you interrogate these Boers, and I am afraid that you will know what really big things they have done."
Switt immediately understood that this matter might not be as simple as it seems.
He came to the Boer captives and asked: "Are you from the Transvaal Republic?"
One of the Boers replied in German: "Yes, may I ask you?"
"I am the Chief of Staff of the Army of the Kingdom of East Africa, Stewart!"
As soon as he heard that it was a high-ranking official in East Africa, the Boer immediately said: "Sir, all this is a misunderstanding."
"Hmph, don't be clever, we've already got information from Ndebele's population, it's fine if you cooperate well, and confess your crimes, otherwise..." Ya'an Reed interrupted.
"Hey, now, we can tell you everything you want to know, but I have one requirement, that is, we must ensure our safety." Said the Boer man who saw being exposed.
Switt: "Of course, I will ask you to answer next. We will absolutely guarantee your safety. The first question is, what is the purpose of your coming here?"
Boers: "We were ordered by the President to come to trade with the Ndebele people. As you can see, we are sending arms to the Ndebele people. The main reason is that the Ndebele people use gold to trade, and by the way weaken the Ndebele people. The strength of your country."
Switter: "How many weapons have you sent to the Ndebele people in total?"
"I don't know this, but there should be a lot of them, at least a few thousand muskets, and a lot of gunpowder..."
ten minutes later.
Sweet: "Okay, we will keep our promise, but then we will wrong you to be a guest in East Africa!"
The Boer captive easily sold all the information he knew about the Transvaal Republic to East Africa, because he knew that East Africa would not let him go back to the Transvaal Republic.
Sweite said to his subordinates: "Huh, the Republic of the Transvaal is really generous. They have produced guns and people. They really don't pay attention to us in East Africa. We will settle accounts with them after we solve the Ndebele people!"
(end of this chapter)