A Shift in Priorities

[rast]

Rescuing Bwana Obersti

On Saturday, November 5th, 1921, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck was ‘rescued’ by a squad of his old Askaris. Sent via Mozambique in order to train the black soldiers in the Drakenberge, Captain Ahmed Teraufi, EK2, EK1, HHO 1st Class, SWB, 1st Lieutenant Saffet M’budibe, EK2, EK1, BWB, and 2nd Lieutenant Musa G’Norebbe, EK2, EK1, BWB, had decided that bailing out their old commander, Lettow-Vorbeck, was more important than drilling some stupid tribal warriors.
The three battle-hardened Askaris had sliced through the Boer military like a sword through butter. Nevertheless, this had raised alarm, and Jan Smuts had hastily been evacuated.
Thus, Teraufi, M’budibe and G’Norebbe, still wielding their bloody knifes, only met Lettow-Vorbeck, their good old ‘Bwana Obersti’ alone on Smuts’ front porch.

“Look out, there are some Boer guards around.” Lettow-Vorbeck greeted them.
“No longer.” stated Teraufi, “they are all gone. – Only one big fellow still was around...”
“Piet – my batman, does he live?”
“Quite a fighter, that one.” Teraufi pointed at the bruises on his head. “He’s all right, only his bollocks suffered a little bit.”
“Good so. He’s a nice chap. – South African Secret Service, but very decent.”
“Bwana, ready to go?”
“No, no, - I’ll stay here. This is the best place I can be. – This front porch is worth ten battalions. – As long as I can influence Smuts and Maritz that’s more important than leading some guerrillas in the High Veldt.”
“Any one we should take out of action?”
“No, they are done. – Just go back to your unit. – Don’t kill too many of them, it’s no longer necessary. We’ve won this war.”

EK2 = Iron Cross 2nd Class. EK1 = Iron Cross 1st Class. SWB = Silver Wounded Badge. BWB = Black Wounded Badge. HHO = Hohenzollern House Order.

[trekchu]

One day this will make an awesome movie, and somewhere in Germany a certain someone will add it to his DVD collection.

[Helga]

I think there is already enough material for a couple seasons of a tv series, and I hope there is lots more to come.

I really liked the second last update as those snippets of daily life are showing whats going on behin the front lines quite good. And yes I so can see the Mittelafrikan students being called "black Prussians" in Saxony, great insight you show there rast.

Thanks for sharing.

[trekchu]

True. The Germany shown here is one where I could find myself at home if ISOTed there, unlike OTL Weimar Germany.

[rast]

The Treaty of Luanda

On November 23rd, 1921, the German and the South African delegations, following an urgent request issued by Prime Minister Maritz, met at Luanda, Angola. The Portuguese Government had – on short notice – agreed to host the negotiations.
After Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck had – to the surprise of his Boer interlocutors – not used the opportunity intentionally provided for him to escape, he was now part of the South African delegation, as a kind of advisor on things German to Smuts and Maritz.
The German delegation was headed by Gustav Stresemann and his chief diplomat Richard von Kühlmann.
Negotiating with the Afrikaaners turned out to be a time consuming business. Especially Jan Smuts, that old fox, always found another argument to support his view. But in the end, the treaty became a typical Kühlmann product.

Article I.
Germany for the one part, and Union of South Africa for the other part, declare that the state of war between them has ceased. They are resolved to live henceforth in peace and amity with one another.

Article II.
The Union of South Africa hands back German South-West Africa to Germany and compensates Germany and the inhabitants of German South-West for all damage done by the forces or by individual citizens of the Union of South Africa. The exact fixation of the recompenses will be established by a joint commission from both sides.
All South African forces and citizens will immediately evacuate German South-West Africa.

Article III.
The Union of South Africa will not dismantle the railway line from Upington to Keetmannshoop, but leave all infrastructure in place and maintain the part of this line, which is situated inside the borders of the Union of South Africa. Joint railway commission from both sides will determine future rail traffic between the Union of South Africa and German South-West Africa.

Article IV.
The Union of South Africa provides naval bases at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth for use by the German Navy. The German Navy will have exterritorial rights within the boundaries of these naval bases. The details will be regulated in a Support of the German Forces Agreement between both sides.

Article V.
The Union of South Africa accepts German arbitration for a restructuring of the Union. Germany will name a Plenipotentiary who will direct the restructuring process in conjunction with the parliament of the Union of South Africa and the representatives of the coloured native entities. The Plenipotentiary will determine the sizes and borders of autonomous areas by plebiscite.

Article VI.
The Union of South Africa will – once the restructuring process had been completed – introduce a new constitution that will bestow equal rights and equal duties to all citizens of the Union. Under the new constitution, all citizens of the Union of South Africa shall have equal access to information, education and work; and nobody shall be discriminated because of faith, gender or race

Article VII.
Germany will support the process of emancipation of the autonomous native areas within her means and capabilities. The Union of South Africa will publish an annual report showing how national funds have been distributed between the various autonomous regions.

Article VIII.
The prisoners of war of both parties will immediately be released to return to their homeland – or in case of the German prisoners to German South-West Africa. The settlement of the questions connected therewith will be effected through the special treaties provided for in Article XII.

Article IX.
The contracting parties mutually renounce compensation for their war expenses, i.e.: of the public expenditures for the conduct of the war. The duty of the Union of South Africa to recompense damage inflicted in German South-West Africa as regulated in Article II remains unchanged.

Article X.
Diplomatic and consular relations between the contracting parties will be resumed immediately upon the ratification of this treaty of peace. As regards the reciprocal admission of consuls, separate agreements are reserved.

Article XI.
As regards the economic relations between Germany and the Union of South Africa, the regulations contained in Appendices I-III are determinative.

Article XII.
The reestablishment of public and private legal relations, the exchange of war prisoners and interned citizens, the question of amnesty as well as the question anent the treatment of merchant ships which have come into the power of the opponent, will be regulated in separate treaties, which form an essential part of this treaty of peace, and, as far as possible, go into force simultaneously with the latter.

Article XIII.
In the interpretation of this treaty, the German text is authoritative for the relations between Germany and the Union of South Africa. English and Afrikaans versions of this treaty shall be provided as well.

Article XIV.
The present treaty of peace will be ratified. The documents of ratification shall, as soon as possible, be exchanged in Luanda. The Union of South Africa obligates itself to execute the exchange of the documents of ratification within a period of four weeks. Unless otherwise provided for in its articles, in its annexes, or in the additional treaties, the treaty of peace enters into force at the moment of its ratification.

In testimony whereof the Plenipotentiaries have signed this treaty with their own hand.

Executed in duplicate at Luanda, December 2nd, 1921.

It soon leaked out that Germany would nominate Walter Rathenau (NL) as Plenipotentiary for the Restructuring of the Union of South Africa.

[Kvasir]

I really cannot see 1920's South Africa run by Boars accepting that, it looks too rosy.

[Neroon]

Originally Posted by Kvasir

I really cannot see 1920's South Africa run by Boars accepting that, it looks too rosy.

These aren´t OTLs 1920 Boers. These are the Boers who saw their rule fall apart at the seams over the last few months. Remember the updating process of the TL is moving WAY faster than events in the TL. What was only 2-3 weeks here on the forum went over months in "real time" during which the Boers got a lot of figurative buckets of cold water splashed into their faces.
As long as they also get to keep their autonomy instead of having to face the prospect of being Zimbabwed after the Nie-Blanks seize power at the ballot box they´ll grumble and swallow it.

[rast]

Perhaps that helps to explain why the Boers didn't have better options.

[rast]

The Second Mexican Revolution


All through October and November 1921 the situation in Mexico had deteriorated. Strikes, walkouts and riots had been answered by police raids, mass arrests and political murder. In response, arson, robbery and murder had been adopted by the protesters. In response, the army had been employed, wreaking carnage among the protesters. But quite a number of ordinary soldiers had solidarised with the protesters; a number of officers had been shot by their own men.
On November 30th, after a third attempt on his life had been prevented by his guards, Pancho Villa publicly called for the overthrow of the Obregón regime. At the same time, he asked for volunteers for his new ‘Hueste del Pueblo’ (People’s Army).

Obviously, the Mexican people had only been waiting for this. The next day, the population of Ciudad de México, lead by Hermila Galindo de Topete, a well known feminist and propagandist of the revolution, stormed the presidential palace, only to find that President Álvaro Obregón had fled.
All over the country, haciendas of the landlords went up in flames, even if the peasants incurred heavy losses against the well armed mercenaries of the landlords.

Because of high investments by US companies and large-scale ground ownership by North Americans, the US Administration soon started to produce concerned messages. Like in the 1910 revolution, it was believed that the US would side with the propertied class.

Then, on December 3rd, a mob of armed peasants intercepted a convoy of several motor cars near Vera Cruz. When the men guarding the convoy opened fire in order to break through, a hidden machine gun operated by deserted soldiers went into action. Two automobiles managed to escape. But in one of those that didn’t make it, the body of Álvaro Obregón was found, riddled by bullets.

On December 5th, 1921, Pancho Villa and his hodgepodge People’s Army entered Ciudad de México under the jubilations of the crowds. Villa proclaimed the Mexican Socialist Republic, announced new elections, land reform, nationalisation of the oil industry, socialisation of the other industries and the advent of a classless society.
For the time being, he would fill the position of ‘Guardián del Pueblo’ (Guardian of the People) – until a new national parliament had been elected by universal suffrage.

International observers noted that Leon Trotsky always was seen with the inner group of Villa’s intimates. Trotsky now wore a moustache in the popular Mexican style and normal business suits with a bowler hat.

[glowjack]

damn! if this was a book i would've already brought it.
Great work

[rast]

Training on the Job


The man was shaking and trembling. Blood was coming from his nose and his mouth. One leg was badly broken. It was a slater, who had fallen from the roof and broken through the upper scaffold. His skin was pale and sweaty.
“So, this man needs your help. What are you going to do?” demanded Professor Doctor Heinrich Weißgerber from the black physician-in-training, a certain Paul Hananene from Togo.
Hananene was staring with wide eyes at the accident victim and fingering at the little golden cross dangling below his throat. His lips were quivering.
Weißgerber noticed that one of the nurses, Sister Emma, was whispering to Hananene.
“Dare you help him, Sister!” roared Weißgerber, “He’s the doctor, he must know what to do!”
But Hananene had already started to move. Weißgerber nodded approvingly, while the black trainee was conducting a body check.
“Would you care to inform us about your findings?” Weißgerber inquired bitingly.

The black man in the Bavarian police uniform made an interesting contrast to the snow white surroundings. With his signalling disc he stopped the motor car approaching from the left.
Police sergeant Xaver Krottenhuber was watching the scene from the inside of the police car. He was training Joseph Pidotaye since four weeks now. The man had come from Cameroon, where he had had a basic police training for twenty-four months. He was to spend his final year of training in Germany.
Krottenhuber at first had found this ‘Black Prussian’ arrogant and frosty, just like Bavarians perceived Prussians in general. But he soon found out that Sepp (the Bavarian short word for Joseph) was a decent guy, perhaps a little bit too polite and well educated to fit easily into the burlesque Bavarian world, but bountiful and open.
“Sir, do you know that your left headlight isn’t working?” Sepp now addressed the driver.
“What do you Nigger want from me?” barked back the driver, “Go back into your jungle and leave me alone!”
That was Krottenhuber’s catch-word, he shot out of his car and positioned himself beside Sepp.
“You certainly see that this man is wearing the uniform of the Royal Bavarian police!” he yelled at the driver. “Do you think you can insult an officer of the King only because he has a black skin? – Your papers! Hurry up!”
Sepp was staring at the scene in wonder. He hadn’t felt insulted, after all he was a Negro and he came from the jungle. He just had been about to ask the man for his papers. Why was Xaver so agitated out of a sudden?
While Sepp was tall but lean, Xaver was a heavyset giant, towering over the motor car and its driver.
“Mh, yes…” Xaver was searching the papers. “Mr. Streicher, right? Mr. Julius Streicher – That’ll be 25 Marks for driving with defective light – and 150 Marks for insulting an officer of His Royal Highness, King Rupprecht. - That’s 175 Marks in all, if you agree to a police fine – and do not want to be accused in court…”
With a sour face, the driver handed over the money and accepted Xaver’s bill, then he drove away.
"Well, laddie,” Xaver addressed Sepp, “to call you Nigger is an insult, never let that happen to you. Negroe is correct, but Nigger is not acceptable.”
Sepp nodded. He hadn’t known that. He had believed Nigger to be the Bavarian version, their language was rather peculiar after all.
“What will you do with the money?” he asked.
“Me? Nothing. – It belongs to the state. The administration may buy some fine cigars for King Rupprecht from it, or may give it to an orphanage, I don’t know.”

Captain Joseph Veltjens stared at the ten figures that were falling in line on the snow covered parade ground.
“I thought Negroes are black.” He remarked to his wing sergeant. “These look grey.”
“They are cold.”
“Cold? It’s only two degrees minus, and there ain’t no wind.”
“Well, Sir, where they come from, it’s 26 degrees above at minimum all over the year. – Our average is 15 degrees, imagine you’re suddenly exposed to minus 13, wouldn’t you think that’s damn cold?”
“Mh…”
Veltjens stepped closer, the black men went into attention.
They really looked grey, their teeth were clattering, they shivered all over the body.
“So, you’ve come to be trained as pilots? – But you’re cold already now. In the air, it will be much colder, and the weather in East Prussia may also remain like this for the next three months. – No, that won’t work. I’ll see that you’re transferred to Egypt, you can learn over there from the Ottoman air service.”
“No, Sir, no, you can’t do that!” protested the senior trainee. “We’ve been sent to Germany to become pilots and then train new pilots in Middle Africa. – With a training in Germany we will be well respected instructors. With a training in Egypt nobody will want to be trained by us. – No, Sir, we will not go to Egypt!”
“Mh…”
Veltjens turned to his wing sergeant.
“They’ll get double underwear and fur lined flying suits – and extra coal for their oven.”
Then he turned to the trainees.
“All right, Gentlemen. – You wanted it, now you’ll get it…”

[rast]

Bwana Boss

Despite the Treaty of Luanda, it took some time for the fighting to die down. Several tribal units – and also some Boers – didn’t care for the treaty. But when Walter Rathenau finally arrived at Cape Town on December 15th, 1921, fighting had stopped everywhere.
Already prior to his arrival, Rathenau had designated Jan Smuts and Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck his personal advisors, while Fritz von Loßberg had been charged with running affairs in German South-West Africa.

The task Rathenau faced was one of extreme complexity. South Africa was a multiethnic and multilingual hodgepodge. There was no universal basis upon which one could try to develop a common understanding. Some tribal entities were clearly medieval, while the Boers employed contemporary high-tech.
But Rathenau, one of the German top industrial managers, knew that without intimate knowledge of the situation, an adequate solution was unlikely to be found.
After some initial talks with Maritz, Smuts, Hertzog and Lettow-Vorbeck, he departed for a grand journey of the Union, leaving Smuts and Lettow-Vorbeck behind with the task to develop some initial proposals.

Rathenau had a definite notion how he should be seen by the population. For this, he employed Major Erwin Rommel, who – promoted on Lettow-Vorbeck’s proposal – commanded a mixed force made up from the Ukhahlamba Askaris and German naval infantry.
To the sound of the Ukhahlamba regimental band, the Askaris and the Marines would parade. Then Rathenau would arrive in his snow white summer dress, receive Rommel’s report and proceed to greet the locals and start the parley.

This martial ritual and his lordly air soon earned Rathenau the nickname “Bwana Boss”. Nevertheless, his visits made clear that he really cared and was interested in people’s views.
While Rathenau thus made people aware that he was the new viceroy, Smuts and Lettow-Vorbeck were discussing at Cape Town how to square the circle.

[rast]

The Landlord’s Resolve

The Christmas surprise for the British came in form of several columns of Persian Cossacks and irregulars moving into Khūzestān, Fars and Kerman and disarming the South Persian Police.
Upon receiving the news, the British Ambassador, Sir Percy Loraine, immediately asked for an interview with Prime Minister Mirza Hasan Ashtiani Mostowfi al-Mamalek, which was granted without any delay.
Mostowfi received Sir Percy for second breakfast, but the Englishman was too agitated to sit down.
“What are your soldiers doing in our zone of influence? Why are they disarming our police?”
“Sit down, Sir Percy. Sit down, please. – Have a cup of tea. – Nothing terrible is happening.”
Sir Percy stopped pacing, stared with wild eyes at Mostowfi – and finally took a seat.
“Dear Sir, what is this all about?”
“Have some tea and nan-e sangak, the bread is lovely. Please.”
Mostowfi motioned a servant to pour tea for Sir Percy.
“Also have some dates, they are fresh. – How is your family?”
“Your Excellency, please, I’m not in the mood for small talk. – I need to know what you are doing. What is happening down there?”
“Well, would you agree that the provinces of Khūzestān, Fars and Kerman are part of Persia?”
“Yes, of course...”
“So, why shouldn`t the Persian Army be there?”
“But our police...”
“Sir Percy! Your police? Really? – If the provinces belong to Persia, as you just have agreed, why should there be any other police than Persian? – Our soldiers just disarm illegally armed persons, who have no license to carry arms in public.”
“But this is our zone of influence...”
“Oh! Really? – Then somehow the knowledge that this is like you say has evaded the Persian Government. I do not recall any treaty between our nations to this topic.”
“Errr... – The Madrid Accord...”
“Which is between your nation and the Sublime Porte. Persia is no signatory to this accord, nor have we been involved in the negotiations leading to it.”
“But, we have... – The oil wells...”
“That, Sir Percy, is a good point. – While nobody needs to worry about Persian troops moving along in Southern Persia, there are some concerns about the future of the APOC concession. – In fact, we cannot be sure to warrant the safety of the sites. – There are strong voices in this country, which call for a nationalisation of these facilities.
Seyyed Modarres has strong backing with the religious portions of our society. You know him, don’t you? – No friend of the English, truly not.”
“So, you disarm our police – but cannot warrant the safety of the oil facilities? – What are you up to?”
“Now, now, Sir Percy. – Don’t get the wrong ideas. We are not your enemies. We are your friends. We welcome the British because we can learn from you. – But we need to discuss the terms of the APOC Treaty. Sixteen percent appear to be a share that doesn’t seem acceptable to Modarres and the likes of him.”
“You understand that I’ve no influence of the APOC?”
“Yes, of course, Sir Percy, of course. – It is not so that we – today and here – need to solve this little problem, not at all. But your government should be aware of the issue, shouldn’t it? – You know of course, that the oil that comes out of the Persian soil belongs to Persia – and only through the APOC Treaty becomes property of the APOC. – And I certainly betray no secret, when I tell you that we have received a very good offer from another great power, which might – in due course – tempt us to cancel the APOC Treaty...”
“Who? – Germany? The Ottomans?”
“No, no, don’t worry. – Just transmit my words to your government. – You can already provide them a hint:
50 : 50 would be an acceptable first offer...”
“What? – Your Excellency, that’s...”
“Very generous, I know, but His Majesty the Shah has asked me to make a reasonable offer. He’s also determined to hold back Modarres, if an agreeable solution can be found. – You know, His Majesty is a determined enemy of violence, he would always prefer a peaceful solution.”
“My Goodness, Your Excellency, fifty percent is outrageous. I don’t think anybody in Britain will ever agree to that. – We will...”
“Dear Sir Percy, please, no need to go into detail right now. – This is not an official negotiation, it’s just a chat with an old friend to provide him some ideas what is going to come. – Just report my remarks to London, and we’ll see what’s going to happen. – Another cup of tea?”
But Sir Percy had already stormed out of the room.
Mostowfi shook his head. “No countenance. – Strange, the English were the masters of the game. Nowadays, they behave like the Germans did before 1914.”
He turned to the servant. “Please call Seyyed Modarres, I need to talk to him.”

[Amit]

Bump! More please!

[clifton]

wow three days without update.

[glowjack]

argh! i am so spoiled by the daily updates.
now im going into withdraw....
ne-need,hi-historical-intrIGUE!

[Sir John A.]

Originally Posted by rast

The Second Mexican Revolution


International observers noted that Leon Trotsky always was seen with the inner group of Villa’s intimates. Trotsky now wore a moustache in the popular Mexican style and normal business suits with a bowler hat.

Oh noooo! Trotskyist Mexico, An Action Francaise France, An India lost to the British much earlier, Airships as a major mode of transport, "Black Germans", this timeline is truly BREAKING MY HEART! It is becoming too eerily similar to the dream CP Victory TL I've been planning in my head for years now. I've had this idea for a CP Victory TL with all the features I've just mentioned above, since about 2007 when I started asking alot about CP Victories[1]. I've been developing it in my head ever since but have never been able to write anything concrete about it, I've done other TL's about other things but this CP Victory TL has been so elusive to me. To procrastinate I've started other threads such as [2] (of which rast was a great contributor of the latter) but again, I have never been able to write my planned CP Victory TL but it seems that I don't need to anymore, as rast seems to be doing it for me!

I don't mean to say anything bad about your TL rast, this is a fine, fine TL and you deserve all the praise and credit for that and I also enjoyed your contributions to the Collaborative TL I started and I'll admit that there will be one aspect of my future TL that was influenced by one of your contributions (and I'll be sure to credit you and the other contributors where credit is due). But I just hope and pray that when I finally get to write my Central Powers Victory TL, no one will comment "Hey this is just a rip-off of rast's TL!".

I just can't believe it, I was just fine with the other things like the AF France, Airships and Black Germans because they could be expected in most CP Victory scenarios but TROTSKY AS MEXICAN LEADER! I thought that that was one idea no one else was gonna come up with. [3]

[1] http://wiki.alternatehistory.com/dok...ry_timeline?s=
[2] http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...ad.php?t=92383, http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=101439 and http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...d.php?t=107228
[3] http://www.alternatehistory.com/disc...22#post1356922

[thales]

bump!

You are starting to scare me with the lack of updates, rast.

On the other hand it could be that i am just to spoiled by the update rate ealier

Even if you take a little break, the timeline is great and i hope you keep up the good work!

[glowjack]

Its gonna be interesting to see a Germany that wasn't deprieved of some of its brightest minds due to a certain discriminate government later on.

[Amit]

Indeed - Einstein is still in Germany right?

Maybe he is going to write a letter ITL to the kaiser instead....should be most interesting..