Chapter 192 Java Raiders
Josie originally planned to return to the United States one month after marriage.
But because Margot was pregnant with a second child, this plan had to be changed.
Although Margot felt that the problem was not serious, Josie, who was cautious in everything, still believed that it would be best for Margot to have a fetus in Neuschwanstein Castle in the next year.
Anyway, for Josie now, his various industries are basically on the right track, and basically he doesn't need to do it himself.
Even the CIA job is the same.
So for the next few days, in addition to handling some daily official duties that required him to make decisions during the day, he took the two children to ride horses, hunt, and ski.
The mountains where Neuschwanstein Castle is located are part of the foothills of the Alps, and the scenery and wildlife resources are top-notch.
The two children ran all over the mountains with their father every day, and played like wild children.
In the evening, contact with the trading partners to connect with each other, and then hug my wife to make stickers.
Although Margot couldn’t do much because she was pregnant, sleeping with her wife in her arms was also a kind of comfort for her.
However, this kind of stable life did not last long.
"Josie, I'm sorry, I failed to persuade Salazar to give up Magang, but to be honest, Magang is too small, and the situation in the East is not very good, so I have prepared another piece for you. Big land!" In the living room, a middle-aged man who was not tall said to Josie.
However, although this person is not tall, he can even be said to be short—163 cm, which is even shorter than Napoleon.
But Josie will not underestimate the other party.
Even in this day and age, not many people underestimate each other.
Because of the other party’s name, it’s called Francisco Franco.
Dictator of the Kingdom of Spain.
From launching a coup in 1936 to officially becoming a dictator in 1939, he was called neutral in World War II and actually helped the mustache deal with the bearded man. After the war, he was not liquidated. Although he was isolated, he still controlled Spain steadily. He died in 1975.
This person's life is completely a legend.
That is to say, he was born at an untimely time. When he appeared, it was already the era of Spain's decline. Otherwise, a hundred years later, I am afraid that he will be another hero.
And it can not be liquidated after the war, and it can still thrive even when it is isolated.
The very important reason is that he made the right bet, and started to do his best to befriend the United States before World War II was over.
It is precisely because of this relationship that Josie, who was once the representative of the American business community in Europe, is also familiar with him.
Josie came to Europe, and when the cruise ship passed through Spain, he had a meeting with the other party.
Josie's wedding, he also attended.
The purpose of Josie contacting him is to use him as a lobbyist in his own name to persuade the ruler of Portugal to cede control of Magang.
In exchange, Josie will open the door for Portugal in terms of Continental's future investment in Europe and the upcoming Marshall Plan.
As for Josie's purpose for wanting a mother port... Well, the Buddha said don't say it, don't say it!
Originally, in Josie's opinion, this was not a very difficult thing, including Franco, who also thought it was a very simple thing when he heard Josie's purpose.
Because the times have changed, Magang, one of the most important Portuguese strongholds in Asia, lost its economic status as early as the end of the 19th century. After all, Magang is too small and so close to the Bauhinia Flower Market. It is basically impossible to restore the former important trading city.
That is, at the end of the 19th century, Magang transformed into a gambling and entertainment industry, which made its economy rebound a lot.
It’s just that with the special situation in East Asia in recent years, the situation in Magang has become more and more unoptimistic—even the British people in the Bauhinia Flower Market next door are not very optimistic about the situation in Asia, let alone Portugal?
Don’t think that Britain is vulnerable now.
In fact, Britain during this period was like a wounded wolf, and the danger was not low.
After all, the Great War has only been fought for a few years, and the British army has not been reduced on a large scale, especially the navy, which is still the second largest navy in the world.
It is still a different thing from the completely deindustrialized Britain that lost almost all its colonies decades later, and the three armed forces were reduced to a disastrous state.
So even when Josie was facing Britain, he mainly secretly poked behind his back instead of directly turning the table.
And Britain like this is also helpless when facing the situation in Asia.
What's more, you are only Portugal?
With regard to this situation, coupled with the fact that Spain and Portugal were both dictatorships during this period, they had an extremely close friendly relationship.
Franco naturally didn't think this matter would be difficult.
Especially the price offered by Josie, even Franco was very impressed.
What Josie and Franco didn't expect was that during this period, Salazar's extremely dictatorial government, which had always acted relatively moderately, was surprisingly stubborn on the colonial issue.
Almost without any hesitation, he rejected Franco's lobbying.
This made Franco very unhappy, but there was nothing he could do.
But Franco didn't want to lose Josie's overweights—although he was a dictator, Franco was not the kind of hedonist, and he had always been committed to the economic construction of Spain during his reign.
And Josie's conditions, especially the economic support of the Marshall Plan, are very important to Spain.
But what if Portugal disagrees?
Just when Franco was at a loss, a piece of international news in a newspaper caught his attention.
So before coming to Josie, he went to Holland first.
"So, you are talking about Java? What is the attitude of the Netherlands?" Josie couldn't help but look at the Dutch ambassador to Austria who followed Franco's visit.
This man was already standing in front of Josie, and he was not a fool, so he naturally understood what Franco meant.
Just last December, when Josie was still floating at sea, the Netherlands launched a "Second Guard Operation" against Java.
Both take military measures against the Republic of Java.
The Java Islands have been a colony of the Netherlands since the 16th century, until 1942 when they were occupied by foot pot chickens.
And when World War II was about to end, seeing that the chickens in the foot pot were dying, the local local resistance forces were quite thieves and declared independence and established the so-called Republic of Java.
It's just that things obviously didn't end that easily.
In the second half of 1945, with the surrender of the foot pot chicken, the British fleet in Asia landed in Java and occupied the main cities of Java, released the Dutch colonial troops imprisoned in the city, and armed them. The two sides formed The Anglo-Dutch allied forces did not recognize the so-called Republic of Java, and conflict broke out between the two sides.
But immediately because of Josie’s massive arms sales in Africa, the African colonies were in chaos, coupled with the war against Wakanda, the British army withdrew from Java in 1946 and handed Java over to the Netherlands.
It is rich in sugar cane, coffee, indigo (dye), and quinine (cinchina cream, a special drug for treating malaria. Java's quinine production accounts for 92% of the world).
The Netherlands is a small country. The specialties produced in the Java region have been the economic pillar of the Netherlands for hundreds of years. Naturally, it is impossible to give up this fertile land easily.
So in the first half of 1947, the Netherlands used a large amount of military force and began to attack the area controlled by the Republic of Java. This was the first security operation.
Although the Netherlands is a small country, its armed forces are obviously much more advanced. The Republic of Java can only be forced to sign an alliance under the city. gave up control of most of the territory.
Originally, the matter should almost be over.
But just after the war, things changed in the Netherlands.
After the right-wing forces came to power, they were not satisfied with the contracts signed with the Netherlands and Java.
Since we have won the battle, we want the whole of Java.
So launched an attack on Java again, which is the second guard operation.
In the original time and space, the Netherlands also won this second security operation, but because of the opposition of some surrounding countries headed by India and the pressure from the United Nations, the war had to be ceased and the contract re-signed.
Of course, any opposition from surrounding countries is actually false. In the final analysis, it is the boss of the United States who has spoken.
In the early days, the United States supported the Netherlands' actions against Java, because the Netherlands has always been an important partner of the United States.
It’s just that the Netherlands’ successive actions in the later period have interfered with the interests of the United States in Southeast Asia, so the attitude of the United States has also begun to change, and it has put pressure on the Netherlands in the name of the United Nations.
But in this world, I don’t know if Josie’s actions against the British and French colonies caused a chain reaction.
The second alert operation in the Netherlands was not as successful as in the original time and space, but fell directly into the quagmire of war.
The attitude of the United States has also begun to change.
If it continues to drag on, the interests of the Netherlands in Java will definitely suffer. Therefore, the Dutch authorities during this period are also anxious like ants on a hot pot.
At this time, Franco approached them, and to some extent, fell right into the arms of the Dutchman.
Why is the Netherlands in the quagmire of war now?
To put it bluntly, it is actually a lack of money, arms and supplies.
Before World War II, the economic strength of the Netherlands was very strong, belonging to the level of the little overlord in Western Europe.
But during World War II, the mustache was shaved, and now it has lost Java, an important source of income, and the Netherlands appears to be relatively poor.
In this era when Europe has not yet moved towards a community, it is not easy to quickly restore its economic strength.
As for the post-war compensation—the red skull with the mustache and the chicken in the foot pot, it’s not enough to fill the pits of Britain and France. Which round will you get the Netherlands?
So the longer the war in Java drags on, the more unfavorable it will be for the Netherlands.
And who is Josie?
Since World War II on the Western Front, he has been known as a big donor throughout Europe.
According to outside speculation, Josie's current personal wealth may have exceeded two billion dollars.
The assets it directly or indirectly controls may even exceed tens of billions.
In this era, this is definitely a very scary number.
Of course, this is only the superficial assets that the outside world can barely count.
Not to mention the hundreds of years of accumulation of Dracula that Josie just took over, the material and wealth that Josie has accumulated through the exchange of planes in recent years is definitely more than tens of billions.
It's just gold, in Josie's system space, it can be described as piled up like a mountain.
If you really want to take it out, the global gold price will plummet immediately.
So if you can get the support of this benefactor, it will definitely not be a problem to support the Dutch war against Indonesia.
More importantly, Josie's influence in the United States.
It would be even better if the United States could continue to support the Netherlands’ actions in Indonesia with Josie’s influence.
Anyway, doesn’t Josie want a place in Asia? There are as many as tens of thousands of islands in the Java archipelago, and there are also thousands of large islands suitable for development. Give it to him!
And there is no need to give it to Xiao Dao, but directly to Da Dao.
Except for the most important Sumatra and Java, the rest of the islands can be given, even Sulawesi can be considered.
"If I want Sulawesi, can you really agree?" Josie asked the Dutch ambassador in surprise.
I have to say that the conditions offered by the Netherlands moved Josie's heart.
The whole of Sulawesi, that is the eleventh largest island in the world, covering an area of 170,000 square kilometers.
Although compared to Sumatra and Java, which are on the brink of the Strait of Malacca, Sulawesi's geographical location is relatively less important, and the entire island has many mountains, few plains, earthquakes and volcanoes, and the overall environment is not perfect.
But the place is big enough, this is enough.
And Java, speaking of it, when Josie was a Xia native in her previous life, she had a lot of resentment towards the country’s actions towards Xia descendants in her early years.
Sufficient benefits, plus a little grudge from the previous life, there is no reason for Josie not to be moved.
"Yes Your Excellency, if our country finally regains its complete interests in the Java region, Her Majesty the Queen will also grant Your Excellency the status of Governor of Sulawesi and hereditary Earl!" Seeing Josie's move, the Dutch ambassador immediately added.
"I see. Speaking of it, this matter is actually very easy!" Josie touched his chin and said.
"Oh? How do you say it?" Hearing Josie's words, the Dutch ambassador immediately asked, and Franco, who was on the side, was obviously also very interested.
"The problem you have now is nothing more than the problem of military strength and ammunition. In fact, there are still a large number of powerful military forces in Europe that are abandoned, and food is wasted every day." Josie said.
"You mean... the Germans?" Hearing what Josie said, the Dutch ambassador immediately thought of it, but his brows were still frowning.
That's right, although Josie got a lot of German and Hydra prisoners of war from the US military through personal relationships, there were hundreds of thousands of them.
But compared to the total number of millions in the Rhine Camp, this number is insignificant.
In the past few years, these millions of captives have basically been released one after another.
However, in the hands of various countries in Western Europe, due to various reasons, a large number of German prisoners of war are still stranded.
As long as it is armed a little, it is a good military force.
But hiring an army of war criminals... has a bad reputation.
The Dutch ambassador couldn't help but hesitated.
(end of this chapter)