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I was thinking the other day that its too bad Africa is so divided and messed up. I mean its minerally very wealthy its people are just as industrious as any other, so being a fan of AH I got to thinking. "If only there was some way for that minerally wealthy continent to have become united and/or better governed?" But what am I thinking of course there is after all look at what the British did for India.

India is not all that minerally wealthy, but they have a functioning democratic government and a good shot at becoming an economic superpower in the coming century. But before the British ousted her European rivals from the subcontinent, India was divided between many rulers who were often in conflict with one another, until Britain became powerful enough to impose a central authority on all of India.

So WI Britain was able to do for Africa what she did for India only on a grander scale?

POD Aug. 1914 German armies roll through Belgium and Holland(Pure Von Schielfinn no changes). The RN(which was manuevering upon the outbreak of hostilities)is already in position for what would become known as Flashman's Manuever. RN's battlecruisers were grouped into a special advanced force tasked with bombarding the German fleet and its facilities in a pre dawn surprise attack. Once dawn broke, the battlecruisers were to make haste north and lure any major German units in pursuit right into the midst of the main RN battlefleet.

Even before the formal declaration of war by Britain the battlecruisers were heading south. At 3:00 AM local time the battlecruisers HMS Lion fired the first broadside into the graving docks and ships lying at anchor in Keil harbor. It being nighttime visibility was of course poor and many shots found only the sea but several found there target and before the initially action was over a German dreadnought and several battlecruisers were lying on the bottom of the harbor.

As dawn approached the battlecruisers began their withdraw, seeing this the German Admiral ordered an immediate pursuit hoping to run down the enemy and gain vengeance for his battered fleet. Several hours in the pursuit something seemed a miss to the German admiral however, the British battlecruisers could easily outrun his battlefleet biut seemed to be staying only steady distance ahead. Mentioning this to his second-in-command the younger German responded saying that he was not surprised as the British must have had to use most of their coal in racing from the North Sea into the Baltic so quickly. Contenting himself with the reply, the Admiral continued pursuit but only for a short while longer, because the British warships suddenly turned as to give battle. Strange as it may seem as the RN ships were hopelessly outnumbered and outgunned and certainly out armoured against his ships most of which were undamaged by the British bombardment. But his enemies logic would soon become clear.

Upon the reception of a pre-determined signal from the battlecruisers Admiral John Jellicoe gave his force the command all had been waiting for. The order was to turn west before turing back north too surrounded the German fleet pursuing the battlecruisers in an epic naval version of Cannae.

The German Admiral felt his throat tighten as he received the report that the British Home Fleet had emerged in his rear. He was now cut off from home by a superior force. Upon the request of orders from his ships Captains he simply said "there is nothing to do but fight and die".
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