This is a reboot of a TL I started a while ago and never went very far with. However my work with Duck and Cover has given me the strength to try again. So here is The Kongo:
[FONT="] Berlin 1905:[/FONT]
[FONT="]The meeting was held in his private meeting room, but to call it a secret meeting place was stretching the truth a bit too much. If the two sentries were anything but a giveaway, the few but influential people entering the room would surely confirm that something important was happening inside. However, in this day and age privacy was the equivalent of secrecy, and of the small number of guests invited kept the secret a better kept one. As to what was to happen inside the room few of the “guests” had any indication, but they knew it was to be dramatic and important.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Kaiser Wilhelm II sat at the head of the small table in the surprisingly spartan room. The Kaiser himself was known for petty frivolities and obsessions of personal grandeur, at the appropriate time he was known for his practicality. This was one of them. Sitting around the table were his three closest advisors and political allies. Bernhard von Bulow, the Chancellor sat to Wilhelm’s right. To the Kaiser’s left sat Alfred von Tirpitz, the father of the German navy, and across the table from Wilhelm sat Alfred von Schlieffen who represented the German Army. While the seating of Bulow was absolutely a political statement, the seating of the “Two Alfreds” was purely chance. The Kaiser’s well known benefaction of the Navy’s dramatic growth, at quite an expense, always prompted Tirpitz to come to any meeting with his patron quite a bit earlier than Schlieffen. Schlieffen himself looked haggard, and worst of all he came late. “Sorry my Kaiser,” he said bowing “I had been caught up in our most recent project.” The last statement invoked a curious glance from both Burlow and Tirpitz. The Kaiser never kept much from them. This secret project with the Army was something unusual. They waited anxiously for the Kaiser to begin.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Gentleman” the Kaiser pronounced “I have decided to cancel my trip to Morocco.” Ignoring the surprised look Bulow gave him, (the trip was supposed to be only two weeks out!) the Kaiser continued. “I have come across a better opportunity for the Reich.” Dramatically he flourished a newspaper onto the table. The headline screamed ATROCITIES IN THE CONGO! It was nearly a month old. Most of the men knew what the so called atrocities were, just what every empire, including their own, used to keep the native people under control. It was just fate that the Belgians had a particularly ruthless ruler. “As you very well know the Empire is without much of an empire at all, we are encircled by both Russia and France. The treaty of Berlin left us with a pitiful empire, smaller than the Portuguese!” his voice was now venom dripping with the wounded pride of a great Empire dominated by lesser ones. “We have the strongest Army in the world, and the second strongest navy only to the massive British! We deserve a colonial empire! The Americans denied us, the Europeans denied us, but we will not deny ourselves!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Tomorrow I will give a speech imploring Belgium to leave the Congo, for the betterment of the natives. If they do not leave in 48 hours I would like count on your support wresting the Congo from the Belgians.” The Kaiser looked at his supporters. “There is another point to this plan I want you to consider, a week after hostilities begin I will sign an agreement with the Belgians, proposing that neither of our armies will clash in Europe.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You can count on my support” Bulow acknowledged. “I will marshal the Reichstag to support you with any laws required for that treaty to pass. Yet as to the aim of such a treaty I see no reason why we do not just conquer Belgium? And how in 48 hours will we get an Army half-way across the globe?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“The treaty is simply because of two things: We do not need to bring Britain into this argument. And secondly we are supporting the natives against a dictatorial regime. It will look all the better for us. We will be liberators not conquerors” explained Kaiser Wilhelm. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Navy is completely up to the task” exclaimed Tirpitz “yet an army across the globe in 48 hours and up the Congo River you are asking almost too much of my ships and men!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“That is for Schlieffen to explain” conceded the Kaiser ignoring the outburst from Tirpitz, Tirpitz was obviously jealous, anxious and, confused.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Schlieffen slowly stood up and pointed to a map of Africa on one of the walls. He took a pointer pointed to different portions of the map as he talked. “We will use the Congo’s rivers to our advantage. Our [/FONT][FONT="]Schutztruppe will attack the posts along the Lukuga River, floating up on rented and requisitioned boats. They will raid until they meet the junction of the Congo River. Two months ago I sent a unit of engineers up to Lake Kinus, where they made a road to the Oso Lake.” He paused for effect; it was noticeable on both Tirpitz and Bulow’s faces. This plan had already been enacted behind their backs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Schlieffen continued[/FONT][FONT="]” From Oso Lake a second unit will float down the Congo River to the ocean, attacking and raiding. Both of these attacks are hit and run, simply buying us time for the navy to arrive with the rest of my troops. We will then enter a second phase attacking up and down the rivers simultaneously. The Belgians should give up quickly. The troops we will most likely encounter are mercenaries hired as thugs to attack the locals. Few of them will have experience fighting a real army and they should flee quickly.” He nodded to the Kaiser. “I just had gotten a telegraph saying that the road was completed last week and all of our troops are positioned and ready before the meeting. That is why I was late.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Kaiser stood “I expect that you will need some time to iron out the particulars of the long term plans. I will retire now; you three may continue the discussion.” He picked up his hat and headed out the door. “I have a speech to give.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]Chapter 1:[/FONT]
[FONT="]Kings[/FONT]
[FONT="]The meeting was held in his private meeting room, but to call it a secret meeting place was stretching the truth a bit too much. If the two sentries were anything but a giveaway, the few but influential people entering the room would surely confirm that something important was happening inside. However, in this day and age privacy was the equivalent of secrecy, and of the small number of guests invited kept the secret a better kept one. As to what was to happen inside the room few of the “guests” had any indication, but they knew it was to be dramatic and important.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Kaiser Wilhelm II sat at the head of the small table in the surprisingly spartan room. The Kaiser himself was known for petty frivolities and obsessions of personal grandeur, at the appropriate time he was known for his practicality. This was one of them. Sitting around the table were his three closest advisors and political allies. Bernhard von Bulow, the Chancellor sat to Wilhelm’s right. To the Kaiser’s left sat Alfred von Tirpitz, the father of the German navy, and across the table from Wilhelm sat Alfred von Schlieffen who represented the German Army. While the seating of Bulow was absolutely a political statement, the seating of the “Two Alfreds” was purely chance. The Kaiser’s well known benefaction of the Navy’s dramatic growth, at quite an expense, always prompted Tirpitz to come to any meeting with his patron quite a bit earlier than Schlieffen. Schlieffen himself looked haggard, and worst of all he came late. “Sorry my Kaiser,” he said bowing “I had been caught up in our most recent project.” The last statement invoked a curious glance from both Burlow and Tirpitz. The Kaiser never kept much from them. This secret project with the Army was something unusual. They waited anxiously for the Kaiser to begin.[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Gentleman” the Kaiser pronounced “I have decided to cancel my trip to Morocco.” Ignoring the surprised look Bulow gave him, (the trip was supposed to be only two weeks out!) the Kaiser continued. “I have come across a better opportunity for the Reich.” Dramatically he flourished a newspaper onto the table. The headline screamed ATROCITIES IN THE CONGO! It was nearly a month old. Most of the men knew what the so called atrocities were, just what every empire, including their own, used to keep the native people under control. It was just fate that the Belgians had a particularly ruthless ruler. “As you very well know the Empire is without much of an empire at all, we are encircled by both Russia and France. The treaty of Berlin left us with a pitiful empire, smaller than the Portuguese!” his voice was now venom dripping with the wounded pride of a great Empire dominated by lesser ones. “We have the strongest Army in the world, and the second strongest navy only to the massive British! We deserve a colonial empire! The Americans denied us, the Europeans denied us, but we will not deny ourselves!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“Tomorrow I will give a speech imploring Belgium to leave the Congo, for the betterment of the natives. If they do not leave in 48 hours I would like count on your support wresting the Congo from the Belgians.” The Kaiser looked at his supporters. “There is another point to this plan I want you to consider, a week after hostilities begin I will sign an agreement with the Belgians, proposing that neither of our armies will clash in Europe.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“You can count on my support” Bulow acknowledged. “I will marshal the Reichstag to support you with any laws required for that treaty to pass. Yet as to the aim of such a treaty I see no reason why we do not just conquer Belgium? And how in 48 hours will we get an Army half-way across the globe?”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“The treaty is simply because of two things: We do not need to bring Britain into this argument. And secondly we are supporting the natives against a dictatorial regime. It will look all the better for us. We will be liberators not conquerors” explained Kaiser Wilhelm. [/FONT]
[FONT="]“The Navy is completely up to the task” exclaimed Tirpitz “yet an army across the globe in 48 hours and up the Congo River you are asking almost too much of my ships and men!”[/FONT]
[FONT="]“That is for Schlieffen to explain” conceded the Kaiser ignoring the outburst from Tirpitz, Tirpitz was obviously jealous, anxious and, confused.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Schlieffen slowly stood up and pointed to a map of Africa on one of the walls. He took a pointer pointed to different portions of the map as he talked. “We will use the Congo’s rivers to our advantage. Our [/FONT][FONT="]Schutztruppe will attack the posts along the Lukuga River, floating up on rented and requisitioned boats. They will raid until they meet the junction of the Congo River. Two months ago I sent a unit of engineers up to Lake Kinus, where they made a road to the Oso Lake.” He paused for effect; it was noticeable on both Tirpitz and Bulow’s faces. This plan had already been enacted behind their backs.[/FONT]
[FONT="]Schlieffen continued[/FONT][FONT="]” From Oso Lake a second unit will float down the Congo River to the ocean, attacking and raiding. Both of these attacks are hit and run, simply buying us time for the navy to arrive with the rest of my troops. We will then enter a second phase attacking up and down the rivers simultaneously. The Belgians should give up quickly. The troops we will most likely encounter are mercenaries hired as thugs to attack the locals. Few of them will have experience fighting a real army and they should flee quickly.” He nodded to the Kaiser. “I just had gotten a telegraph saying that the road was completed last week and all of our troops are positioned and ready before the meeting. That is why I was late.”[/FONT]
[FONT="]The Kaiser stood “I expect that you will need some time to iron out the particulars of the long term plans. I will retire now; you three may continue the discussion.” He picked up his hat and headed out the door. “I have a speech to give.”[/FONT]
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