Chapter 391: The Sheep Enters the Tiger's Mouth
The Kingdom of Swaziland is a lesser-known small country. In its history, the United Kingdom turned it into a semi-colonial territory in 1907. The British usually resort to such actions when they are either facing dire circumstances or experiencing severe food shortages. In the case of the Kingdom of Swaziland, it was the latter.
However, the Swazi people found themselves in a stroke of bad luck. As the saying goes, "Disaster strikes when people are at home." An unknown military force suddenly attacked the Kingdom of Swaziland.
The Kingdom of Swaziland, with a population of only tens of thousands, is a small nation geographically. Despite its small size, Swaziland is situated in one of the most densely populated regions of Africa.
In the 19th century, the entire population of Africa was just over 90 million. Egypt (including Sudan), the Abyssinian Empire, and East African nations together accounted for over half of this population. Excluding North African countries, the rest of Africa had a population of approximately 40 million. This underscores the vastness of Africa and the sparseness of its population, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
This demographic distribution is primarily due to the low level of civilization among black populations originating from West Africa. They remained in primitive social stages after spreading throughout the region, where population growth was mostly constant due to a balance between births and deaths, typical of primitive societies.
Environmental conditions greatly influenced population growth in Africa. Regions such as the Nile River coast of Egypt, the Great Lakes region of East Africa, the Abyssinian Empire, West Africa, the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, the Lake Malawi region, and the northeastern part of South Africa stand out as the densely populated areas of the continent.
Swaziland is situated in the northeastern region of South Africa, adjacent to Mozambique's capital, Maputo. It borders the Portuguese colony of Mozambique, the Zulu Kingdom, the British colony of Natal, the Transvaal Republic, and the Gaza Empire—a buffer state between East Africa and Mozambique.
Swaziland lies less than 100 kilometers from Maputo. East Africa's strategic objective in occupying this territory was to gain a direct threat to Mozambique's capital.
The King of Swaziland stood beside Felix and provided a brief overview of the Kingdom of Swaziland's situation.
"To the east of my country lies the Portuguese territory, and to the southeast is the Zulu Kingdom, which I believe you are familiar with. A few years ago, the western part of our country was occupied by the Boers. Due to its barren land and complex terrain, few ventured here, and the Kingdom of Silan serves as the buffer."
Despite the King of Swaziland's assurances of seeking peace, the reality was that the Kingdom of Swaziland had a small population and a weak military. If not for these limitations, they would have left this resource-poor land long ago.
Felix assured the king, "I understand your situation. We will consider favorable conditions for the Kingdom of Swaziland. Your cooperation has been noted."
At this moment, a messenger rushed in with a report, "Commander-in-Chief, our scouts have spotted an unknown force approaching from the southeast, heading for Swaziland."
Felix inquired, "Unknown forces? Are they armed? What's going on?"
"They appear to be a white armed force, but we're uncertain whether they are Portuguese or Boers."
"And how many of them are there?"
"Approximately three to four thousand."
Felix turned to the King of Swaziland and asked, "It seems that Swaziland has offended someone recently."
The King replied, "That's impossible, General! The Kingdom of Swaziland has always pursued peace."
Though the King spoke these words, his thoughts contradicted them. Swaziland's small population and military weakness had always kept them here since the 16th century. They had never had the opportunity to expand outward. The aggressive nature of the Zulu people, their compatriots, had prevented any such attempts. In their eyes, the indigenous kingdoms to the north were considered "large" countries.
Felix addressed the messenger, "Tell our troops to halt them. If they are Portuguese, invite their leaders to negotiate. If they are Boers, engage in combat."
He didn't want to leave the matter unaddressed, as it was difficult to determine the identity of the approaching force at a glance.
At the same time, the Boers on the mountainside were perplexed. They hadn't expected to encounter another force here. Wasn't Swaziland a black kingdom?
Both sides observed each other cautiously. At this point, some recognized the uniforms of the East African forces. They were likely the same troops who had invaded the Transvaal.
"Who are you?" shouted an East African soldier.
Upon hearing this, the Transvaal Republic soldiers on the other side quickly realized the situation.
"It's the Germans, definitely from East Africa!"
"What should we do now?"
The Boer commander decided, "Ignore them, and let's return to our original route."
By this time, Felix's messenger had arrived with orders, "Commander Belk, our commander says if they are Boers, stop them."
It was not yet clear whether the approaching force was indeed Boers, but their attempt to flee aroused Belk's suspicion.
Belk ordered, "Convey my command to prevent the Boers on the other side from escaping!"
Belk's Second Brigade of the Mountain Division moved out swiftly, ready to confront the Boers. As they engaged the fleeing Boers, the challenging mountainous terrain made it difficult for the Boers to disperse, and their retreat turned into a chaotic rout. Meanwhile, the East African Army held the high ground advantage, allowing them to utilize the terrain effectively. Within just two hours, the East African Mountain Division had concluded the battle, capturing all the main Boer forces.
Felix, hearing the sounds of battle, led his troops to the scene. He questioned a captured Boer commander, "Are you the main force of the Transvaal Republic?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Why were you in Swaziland?"
"Ah, because Pretoria urgently summoned our troops back for defense. The Zulu Kingdom noticed our unusual movements and dispatched a large army to encircle and attack us. Despite our efforts to shake them off, we couldn't break through their encirclement. We were forced to pass through the Kingdom of Swaziland to return to Transvaal."
Felix burst into laughter upon hearing this. Their plan to return to Transvaal had backfired, and instead, they had unwittingly achieved military glory.
(End of this chapter)