Chapter 922 Massacre
As the saying goes: Good goods are not cheap, and good goods are not cheap. Soon East Africa learned the pain of Spain.
In May 1897, with the withdrawal of Spanish troops, East Africa successfully took over several Spanish strongholds on Mindanao Island. East Africa directly transferred some of the garrison troops from Lanfang Overseas Province to station in Mindanao Island.
"The Moros are the main residents of the island and believe in the Green religion. This is also the reason why the Moros are difficult to deal with. Under the Spanish rule, most of the northern Luzon Island believed in Christianity, so the Moros' hatred of 'pagans' is Innately, they are not as easy to conquer as the indigenous people in the northern Philippines, and the terrain of Mindanao is complex and the vegetation is lush. Therefore, Spain has encircled and suppressed the Moros several times before, but the results were not great. Instead, they could only live in wretchedness along the coast. Several strongholds operate and the Moro people are promised a high degree of autonomy, which means that their rule is in name only.”
An intelligence officer from the Defense Security Service briefed the first East African Governor in Mindanao on the situation on the island.
“Actually, the Moros are Spain’s collective name for Green Religion believers on the island. They are also divided into several ethnic groups and tribes, but they are more united because of the unified belief.”
In fact, Mindanao has always been the most turbulent region in the Philippines in its previous life. The local Moros not only fiercely fought against Spain, but also did so after the Americans came. The Americans also failed to establish effective rule there.
So the United States gradually conducted political negotiations with the southern Muslims and signed the Treaty of Gillam-Bac with the Moro Sultan and the Sultan of Maguindanao. According to the treaty, Americans will not enter the southern part of the Philippines, and affairs in the region will be managed autonomously by the Moros.
Later, the U.S. and Philippine governments gradually changed the local population structure through immigration, turning the Moros, who originally accounted for 100%, into a minority, and achieved overall local stability.
But until the 21st century, Mindanao was also an area with a strong desire to secession in the Philippines, with warlords, separatist forces, independent armed forces, and separate governments.
Faced with such a complex region, the East African Governor in Mindanao, Berkeley, also looked grim.
“At present, the only areas we can control are Zamboanga and Davao. However, it may be very difficult to stabilize local rule.” Berkeley said.
Fortunately, Zamboanga is located at the western end of Mindanao and is Spain's most important stronghold on the island. Davao was not a municipality in the Philippines in its previous life. It is currently just a small town. However, the port conditions are excellent, so East Africa chose these two places. Log in.
"During the Spanish rule, Zamboanga often encountered Moro attacks. Last year alone, it happened three times. As for the situation in Davao, it is more preferable because our people are mainly concentrated in Davao and have already formed an advantage in the local area." said someone from the National Defense Security Agency.
Just by hearing the name Zamboanga, you will know that the area has a long history, but Davao has not yet become famous, so it is easy for the National Defense and Security Bureau to settle there.
This is also the area with the largest Chinese population in Mindanao. In fact, except for Zamboanga and Davao developed by the East African Defense and Security Agency, other areas on the island are basically undeveloped. Even the natives of East Africa will "cry" when they go to these areas.
This is not nonsense. After all, it can be seen from the population beliefs of the island that Green Religion originally originated in the desert area, and the tropical rainforest climate is a "green desert", so it is very consistent with the population distribution of this belief.
Of course, this is also related to the commercial activities of the Green Cult. Especially in ancient times, the Green Cult regarded these indigenous people as a higher-level civilization. In addition, the local indigenous people were easily greened because they were near the water and the buildings were on a first-come-first-served basis.
“So if you want to establish effective rule on the island, one of the first steps is to get rid of the Moros on the island. Otherwise, this may become the most turbulent and expensive colony in East Africa.”
Mindanao is different. This group of Moros has a firm attitude towards external invaders. Berkeley, among others, does not believe that Mindanao is easily conquered.…
Berkeley's idea was quickly verified. Less than a month after East Africa started to straighten out the Zamboanga area, the East African colonial troops suffered three small-scale rebellions.
“Your Majesty the Governor, we lost more than a dozen soldiers this time. Although we killed more than 60 enemies, most of them ran directly to the jungle area, and we did not dare to pursue them rashly!”
After hearing the report, Berkeley looked so embarrassed that he could squeeze out water. Since he took office in Zamboanga, more than 40 soldiers have been sacrificed. Don't look at the small number, but Berkeley only has a total of more than 500 soldiers.
"These natives must have been tipped off by the Moros in the city. The third attack was obviously premeditated. The first two enemies were wiped out, but this time it was obviously more organized. The enemy's escape route and combat coordination You can see the clues.”
“So we have to expel the Moros in Zamboanga area and give them a deadline of fifteen days to evacuate Zamboanga.” Berkeley ordered directly.
These barbarians can be killed if they do not submit to the king's rule. This is the attitude of East Africa. Ernst had given instructions long before Berkeley arrived.
After all, in Ernst's view, land is more important than the value created by the colony. The annexation of Mindanao itself is not for the primary purpose of exploiting and squeezing these Moros. Moreover, even if the Moros are honest and stable, East Africa cannot leave these troubles behind. Come down, and the Moro people have shown a sense of resistance that is several times stronger than that of the African natives, it is even more impossible to stay.
And Berkeley's order really caused an uproar among the Moros in the Zamboanga area, and it was impossible for anyone to accept such conditions from the East African government.
Sure enough, four days after the order was issued, the Moros launched the largest rebellion in the history of Zamboanga.
As the most developed region in Mindanao, the total population of Zamboanga is only more than 10,000, most of whom are Moros, as well as some Spaniards, northern Filipinos, and Chinese.
Berkeley, who had borrowed weapons from the National Defense and Security Bureau, was naturally unafraid. On June 17, 1897, as the rebellion broke out, Mindanao Governor Beleland, who had already been prepared, ordered the extermination of the Moros in the Zamboanga area.
Previously, some Moros had fled from the Zamboanga area, and there were only 3,000 unwilling Moros in the city who wanted to resist.
With the addition of National Defense and Security Bureau personnel, the number of East African armed forces in Zamboanga reached more than a thousand. Therefore, as soon as the war started, the strong East African armed forces launched a purge of the Moro people.
This is also the rare targeted massacre of colonial natives since the founding of East Africa.
This day was extremely shocking to the Spaniards and Chinese in the Zamboanga area. Throughout the streets of Zamboanga, East African soldiers searched house to house. Anyone whose identity was verified as a Moro was executed on the spot. It can be said that there are nine out of ten houses in Zamboanga City. null.
On the same day, the National Defense and Security Bureau also launched a large-scale purge of the local population in Davao City. This allowed the Spaniards and Chinese in Mindanao to see the true "cruelty", and the policy of leaving no land but no people was thoroughly implemented by the East African colonial government. Completely implemented in these two main strongholds in East Africa.
Spanish businessman Mosier later recalled: “I will never forget the darkest day in Zamboanga. The East African executioners slaughtered the natives of Zamboanga like cattle and sheep, and launched a bloodbath against the natives of Zamboanga. …This is one of the most serious tragedies in human history. Production and commercial activities in Zamboanga have almost come to a standstill, and no one is alive except the Spaniards, Filipinos, Chinese and East Africans.”
(End of this chapter)