Max Sinister
Banned
OTL A-H Polish language was rapidly moving from a dialect of Polish to another Slavic Language.
It was? Really?
OTL A-H Polish language was rapidly moving from a dialect of Polish to another Slavic Language.
Were the African colonies really magnets for European settlement though? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always been under the impression that the equatorial/tropical colonies never really attracted many settlers (Something about unpleasant humidity and proliferation of illness, I gather). Even if there's no active colonization via government policy or preferential treatment, I imagine Germans looking for a better life would be more likely to move into Poland of their own initiative than attempt to strike it out in the Sudafrikan jungle.
There was a political block in Germany via a colonialist organization that pushed for emigration to the colonies and championed their cause. The colonies for the most part never generated enough profit to offset their cost. Most Germans didn't want the often spartan planters life, so while they had a very vocal minority, the idea wasn't very popular, at least not popular enough to move there. Much of the desire for colonies was driven by that minority, and the prestige that having colonies brought to nations in that time. Given time, there was always the possibility that colonies could become profitable, so between that and the prestige issue I don't believe any European nation would willingly part with them, at least not without some s
Euro settlement is possible in the high areas. That is why the highlands of Kilimanjaro were popular, higher up a little lower temperature and Southwest Africa was at least dry. However air conditioning and good anti-malaria drugs are currently at that time being invented so that could change quickly to allow more areas to be accessible.
The central part of Angola is pretty high up, hilly and mountain areas, drier, that could be attractive for settlement. If war between Germany and Britain does not happen and Germany settles this conflict reasonably soon with reasonable terms, Germany will find some excuse to just take Angola with Britain's acceptance which will initiate the split of the Portuguese colonies. It makes too much sense. Developing these colonies will keep Germany busy for a long time.
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Were the African colonies really magnets for European settlement though? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always been under the impression that the equatorial/tropical colonies never really attracted many settlers (Something about unpleasant humidity and proliferation of illness, I gather). Even if there's no active colonization via government policy or preferential treatment, I imagine Germans looking for a better life would be more likely to move into Poland of their own initiative than attempt to strike it out in the Sudafrikan jungle.
It was? Really?
I feel Tirpitz overplayed his hand to get the fleet he desired, a fleet that filled his and Wilhelm's boyhood egos, not a fully useless fleet but after 1905 mismatched to the actual enemies of France and Russia, by 1914 looking more rational yet in between giving the Admiralty ecuse to over buy and inflate the budget for new toys too. The biggest misstep was not building the fleet but Wilhelm's hamfisted diplomacy and bragging about usurping the RN, his insecurity and envy made the fleet a threat far more than its hulls. And to the extent I see arguments of its use to actually defeat Britain, the more I must concede the wartime propaganda won. At best it could have forced a stronger stalemate at sea and leveraged a better armistice, and in any scenario with it performing better versus the RN that is about all it could actually accomplish. The best route to break the blockade was to buy American and set Hamburg as delivery under the Stars and Stripes.
Possible, yes. What I'm asking is what would motivate any substantial number of Germans to prefer settling in the Angolian highlands compared to Poland or the Baltics; which are much closer, better developed, contain connections back to home, ect., or even moving overseas to America. Its not as though Germany is facing a population density/labor oversupply crisis.
Bump.
Any more ideas from you fellows?
(on a scale such as the defensive plan)