Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Venezuelan Crisis (1)
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1902, June.
Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
"Return the Queen to Britain immediately and release the crew."
"That's impossible. As long as they're suspected of aiding the rebels, we can't return the ship or release the crew until the investigation is complete."
"President Castro!"
"Haven't you heard enough? The Venezuelan government has no intention of yielding to British pressure."
"The British Empire will not tolerate the Venezuelan government's actions!"
"Oh, really?"
Venezuelan President Cipriano Castro replied to the British ambassador's protest with a disinterested tone.
His attitude made it clear he had no respect for the other man whatsoever.
This caudillo of Venezuela had never intended to listen in the first place.
The British ambassador felt his blood pressure rising as he issued a final warning to Castro.
"Fine. If that's how you want to play it, I'll take my leave. But remember this well: the British Empire never lets an insult like this slide!"
"......"
Bam!
Clearly still fuming, the British ambassador stormed out, slamming the office door hard enough to nearly break it.
Watching him go, President Castro lit a cigar with a dissatisfied expression.
"Goddamn imperialists."
He muttered with a scowl.
Whether British or German, the European imperialists were all thoroughly unpleasant.
Venezuela had won independence from Spain through Simón Bolívar over seventy years ago.
Yet the Europeans still threw their money around, manipulating Venezuela as they pleased.
'This country is mine, not theirs!'
Castro's rage toward these European imperialists had reached its peak after prominent banker Manuel Antonio Matos launched a rebellion to topple him.
Not because he was losing the civil war against the rebels, of course.
The rebels outnumbered his government forces, but Castro had turned the tables on them.
His army was armed with German Mauser rifles and Krupp cannons, unlike the poorly equipped rebels.
'Arrogant pricks, but the Germans sure know how to make weapons.'
Those arms had come at a cost, though—debts owed to the Germans.
And those debts were the problem.
Venezuela had clashed with Germany and Britain over debt repayments even before Castro took power.
Endless civil wars over the past decade had left the country unable to pay its foreign debts.
'Why the hell should I have to pay them off?'
If that had been all the Europeans demanded, Castro might not have pushed back so hard.
But their greed went further.
Germany, Britain, and other Europeans demanded compensation from the Venezuelan government—and Castro personally—for damages suffered by their nationals due to the civil war.
They claimed Venezuela was responsible for losses to innocent Europeans caught in the crossfire between Castro and the rebels—a ridiculous assertion.
'Why the hell should I pay those bastards a dime?'
Castro had no intention of compensating Europeans harmed in battles with the rebels.
The endless foreign debt repayments were the same story.
But the Europeans kept pressuring Venezuela for money, forcing its great leader, Cipriano Castro, to make a fateful decision for national salvation.
'From this moment, I, Cipriano Castro, and the Venezuelan government refuse to repay all debts owed to Europe!'
Castro declared a halt to debt repayments to Germany, Britain, and other European nations.
He flatly rejected their compensation demands for damages from the Venezuelan civil war, as well.
This naturally provoked fury from Germany—which had invested heavily in Venezuelan railroads—and Britain, which had loaned vast sums to the country.
An expected reaction.
No empire would sit idly by while a backwater like Venezuela stiffed them on debts.
German and British entrepreneurs, wide-eyed at the prospect of lost fortunes, rushed to Berlin and London demanding action from their governments.
Thus began the Venezuelan Crisis.
Germany and Britain didn't start aggressively, though.
Both governments initially sought a peaceful resolution by requesting arbitration from the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague.
But true to form for the madman who picked fights with both the British and German Empires at once, Castro ignored it all and flipped off the European imperialists.
Germany and Britain finally lost their patience. Then the Kingdom of Italy—also stiffed on debts by Castro—joined in, placing Venezuela under unprecedented military pressure from three nations.
Yet Castro remained defiant.
Supporting his confidence, the Europeans had only dispatched a few warships to Venezuela's coast so far, showing no aggressive moves.
Or rather, they couldn't.
"Your Excellency. Ambassador Herbert Wolcott Bowen is here."
At his secretary's voice from outside, Castro immediately stood, straightening his disheveled appearance.
A stark contrast to his treatment of the British ambassador moments earlier.
There was good reason for this sudden courtesy.
Herbert Bowen was the special envoy from U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt and America's full ambassador to Venezuela.
The reason Castro could smirk confidently despite antagonizing Germany and Britain.
"Ah, you've arrived. Ambassador Bowen."
"President Castro. What the hell have you done?!"
"What do you mean?"
"Seizing a British ship! Do you really intend to go to war with Britain?!"
Bowen shouted, eyes bloodshot.
But Castro just shrugged, as if it were no big deal.
"That ship was suspected of aiding the rebels. We seized it to investigate. I believe that's our sovereign right as Venezuela?"
Utter nonsense. Such sophistry wouldn't have flown with the British Empire—or there'd have been no Opium Wars.
Yet even as Bowen ground his teeth in frustration, he was powerless against Castro.
"Besides, you know full well Britain can't declare full-scale war on Venezuela. With the Monroe Doctrine in place, attacking us would draw unavoidable U.S. intervention."
"President Castro! The Monroe Doctrine wasn't made to excuse your madness!"
"But it's true the U.S. won't tolerate European interference in Venezuela. As long as we're on the American continent. Hahaha!"
"You son of a...!"
The Monroe Doctrine.
A traditional U.S. foreign policy still in effect even in the 21st century.
In simple terms, America's declaration that the Americas were its turf—Europeans, stay out.
Of course, when first announced, America was a weak, freshly independent nation whose White House had been burned by the British. No great power paid it any mind.
Britain openly expanded in North America afterward, and Russia colonized Alaska across the Bering Strait.
But times had changed.
America was now the undisputed hegemon of the Americas, still a step behind the European powers but on the cusp of surpassing the British Empire in economic and industrial might—a blessed land destined for superpower status.
Ignoring the Monroe Doctrine over tiny Venezuela risked full-scale conflict with America, a burden even for Germany and Britain.
This emboldened Castro's brazen attitude.
America didn't approve of Castro's recklessness, either, though.
Just as Germany and Britain wary of America, the U.S. was wary of the world's strongest navy and army.
In original history, when Britain, Germany, and Italy blockaded Venezuelan waters, America drew a line despite Castro's pleas: as long as they didn't occupy territory, it wasn't a Monroe Doctrine violation.
America merely warned that it wouldn't stand by if they seized land or concessions.
But for some reason, America's actions now diverged slightly from original history.
"So, when is the 'gift' President Roosevelt promised me arriving?"
"Just wait a bit. It won't come faster if you nag."
"Hm. Should be fine. It'll take the European imperialists at least a few months to mobilize in earnest."
Castro exhaled a long plume of cigar smoke, eyeing the weary ambassador's tired face.
A sly, fox-like grin spread across his features—one that would make Bowen sick to his stomach.
[Venezuela Seizes British Ship the Queen! Will Britain Finally Draw the Sword Against Venezuela?]
"Crazy bastards."
I muttered while reading the morning paper.
Venezuela's dictator, Cipriano Castro, had kicked off a massive shitstorm.
I could understand Venezuela seizing a British ship.
That was Britain's usual playbook.
But Venezuela seizing a British ship?
Knowing how hypocritically Britain played, I couldn't fathom Castro being sane.
And Britain wasn't the only one at odds with Venezuela.
Currently, Venezuela was in serious friction with Germany and even Italy, which had jumped in midway—not just Britain.
The German Empire, British Empire, Kingdom of Italy.
If I were Venezuela's leader, antagonizing even one would have me seriously contemplating suicide. Castro had made all three enemies at once.
How did he plan to handle that?
'Oh, right. He couldn't in original history either.'
One reason Castro ranked among Venezuela's worst leaders.
Not that a typical South American military dictator would have fared better, crisis or no.
Knock knock—
"Baron. Chancellor von Bülow is here."
"The Chancellor?"
I tilted my head at the news.
What brought von Bülow to me?
Nothing came to mind.
Since returning from Russia, I'd kept a low profile.
Still, I couldn't leave the Chancellor waiting.
Scratching my head, I went to greet him.
But his first words upon seeing his face caught me completely off guard.
"Persuade His Majesty, would you?"
"Pardon?"
Suddenly asking me to convince Wilhelm II? What was this about?
I gave von Bülow a baffled look.
"Persuade him how? About what?"
"The Venezuela matter. The Venezuela problem."
"Venezuela?"
He nodded gravely.
I already knew the German Empire was involved in the Venezuelan Crisis.
But I hadn't paid it much mind.
In original history, it ended well: Venezuela buckled under the British-German-Italian naval blockade, requested U.S. mediation, and the three powers accepted.
Why ask me to persuade the Kaiser over Venezuela?
Considering von Bülow usually saw me as a useful headache, this was unexpected.
"Care to elaborate?"
I'd need to hear his side first.