Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Rebellion (2)
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“How dare these barbaric natives raise a banner of rebellion against me and the German Empire!?”
Wilhelm II roared as he read the urgent telegram from Africa.
It hadn't been long since the new year had begun, and the Herero people in German South West Africa—modern-day Namibia—had risen up against the German Empire.
Honestly, on the surface, it seemed like a trivial matter.
Rebellions in African colonies rarely affected international affairs.
This was the age of imperialism, and uprisings by colonial subjects against the discrimination and exploitation by the imperial powers were nothing new.
But this rebellion was different.
This was the Herero War.
It would later be known as the first genocide of the 20th century and one of the worst atrocities committed by the German Empire: the Herero and Namaqua genocide.
‘Unlike the Jewish Holocaust or Nazi war crimes, Germany never properly apologized or compensated for the Herero and Nama genocide, even in the face of demands from Namibia and the affected tribes.’
Of course, Britain and France also tried to gloss over their colonial massacres and exploitation from the imperial era.
That didn't make it right, though.
Wrong was wrong, no matter what.
“We can't let these filthy scum get away with this. Schlieffen, assemble a punitive force for South West Africa immediately!”
“Of course, Your Majesty. We'll show the Herero rebels what it costs to betray the Emperor and the Empire!”
As I had expected, Wilhelm II was furious about the Herero uprising and ordered Chief of the General Staff Schlieffen to suppress it. Schlieffen, who had always staunchly supported me, was now fully on board with the Kaiser's rage, foaming at the mouth.
This left me clutching my head in frustration.
Of course, I wasn't some modern softie naively crying, “Massacres are bad! Stop it!” like a child.
With the Herero having rebelled, the Empire's stability demanded we resolve this quickly, one way or another.
It just didn't have to be a total massacre, like in the original history.
“Please wait, Your Majesty.”
At that moment, Chancellor von Bülow stepped forward, sweating profusely.
“Suppressing the Herero rebellion is a given, but if we do it too harshly and brutally, it could harm the German Empire instead.”
“Chancellor von Bülow, what weak nonsense is that? The Herero are full-fledged rebels. And rebels must be uprooted from the core!”
Chief of the General Staff Schlieffen declared firmly.
It was a radical statement, but it reflected the views of most Germans.
The prevailing opinion in the German Empire was that the Herero rebels needed to be taught the full might of the Empire, just like Schlieffen said.
Even in the Reichstag, as soon as news of the Herero rebellion spread, Junker voices everywhere demanded the extermination of the Herero from the face of the earth.
Already, German blood had been spilled in Africa.
Not only had these savage blacks rebelled, but they'd murdered German citizens—an unforgivable crime to any German.
In reality, the Herero had only killed fighting-age men and spared women and children, showing a certain chivalry.
At this point, it was hard to tell who the barbarians and who the civilized were.
Yet amid this bloodthirsty atmosphere, some voices opposed it.
A minority of intellectuals and Social Democratic Party lawmakers argued on moral grounds that the Herero were humans with blood and immortal souls just like us, pleading against their massacre.
But hardly anyone listened.
Just as Germans had demanded Chinese blood after the Boxer Rebellion took lives including envoy Ketteler, now they craved bloody revenge on the Herero.
Schlieffen spoke.
“Your Majesty, I recommend dispatching Major General Lothar von Trotha to the colony as the suppression commander. Please grant permission.”
“Trotha? Ah, the one who performed well in China. As you wish, Chief of Staff...”
“Trotha? Absolutely not!”
Chancellor von Bülow turned pale at the name and cried out in horror.
It was a natural reaction for someone who knew what kind of man Trotha was.
Adrian Dietrich Lothar von Trotha.
The suppression commander sent from Germany to Africa during the Herero War, the very man responsible for the Herero and Nama genocide.
Even before the Herero War, Trotha was infamous in Germany for his brutality and extremism.
The governor of South West Africa, Leutwein, and even local Schutztruppe officers begged Wilhelm II not to send Trotha, pleading in petitions.
‘They knew. If Lothar von Trotha came to South West Africa, suppression would quickly turn into a massacre.’
That's why Chancellor von Bülow, who opposed overly harsh suppression like the colonial officials, was desperate to block Trotha's dispatch.
“Your Majesty, anyone but Trotha. Have you forgotten how Britain became internationally isolated after the Boer War?”
“That's...”
“If we send Trotha to South West Africa, he'll try to wipe out every last Herero. We'll face the same backlash Britain did. Please reconsider.”
During the Boer War, Britain had committed war crimes—internment camps, scorched earth tactics to eradicate Boer guerrillas—leading to diplomatic isolation.
If Germany now massacred the Herero on a massive scale, as Bülow said, our already poor international reputation would plummet, heightening the risk of diplomatic isolation.
Even if it was against African natives, a massacre was a massacre. Morality and conscience still existed in this world.
‘That's a big reason I'm against the Herero massacre.’
Of course, I also wanted the country I served to avoid war crimes.
If this massacre was truly necessary for the Empire or unavoidable, that'd be one thing—but it wasn't.
Even if it went like original history, there'd be no gain for the Empire, just a sour taste in my mouth.
So I wanted to resolve the Herero rebellion as peacefully as possible.
“Hans, what do you think?”
Just then, Wilhelm II asked for my opinion.
I took a light deep breath and slowly opened my mouth.
“Does Your Majesty know King Leopold II of Belgium?”
“Huh? Of course I do.”
“Then do you know what Leopold II did in the Congo, his royal colony?”
“The Congo?”
Wilhelm II tilted his head.
Bülow and Schlieffen did the same.
It was early days; the truth about the Congo, newly under Belgian control, was just surfacing.
Without specific interest, it was natural not to know yet.
“As you know, rubber is the Congo's main product. But harvesting it in the rainforests is grueling, so even native blacks avoided it. Do you know what Leopold II did to secure rubber?”
I paused briefly before continuing.
“He sent soldiers to take women hostage and forced natives to gather rubber. If they refused, the soldiers raped the women and killed them on the spot.”
“W-what!?”
“That's not all. Belgians cut off natives' hands if they didn't meet rubber quotas.”
“Heavens, what a horrific tale!!”
Wilhelm II gaped at the mention of severed hands.
Bülow and Schlieffen were speechless.
Imperial powers like Germany ruled harshly, but Belgium took it to another level.
Even Britain, the pinnacle of imperialism, recoiled at Belgium's Congo atrocities, insisting they weren't that bad.
“That's not all.”
I went on listing Leopold II and Belgium's crimes in the Congo: collective punishment, imprisonment, whippings, torture, rape... Every imaginable horror poured from my mouth. As time passed, Wilhelm II, Schlieffen, and Bülow went from disbelief to trembling with rage at Leopold's deeds.
Wilhelm II wasn't exactly kind to colonial subjects like the Herero, but Leopold's self-serving atrocities in the Congo were enough to make even him mutter, “Is that bastard even human?”
“It's a rumor, but some say Belgian forces are even practicing cannibalism in the Congo.”
“What!? Disgusting. Leopold!”
“That son of a bitch...!”
The cannibalism rumor was actually about black mercenaries hired by Belgians, but it didn't matter.
It was enough to enrage everyone present against Leopold II.
Like a muddied dog barking at a shitter, but the Kaiser, Bülow, and Schlieffen all condemned Leopold.
Now was the time for the main point.
“But don't worry. Britain has sent investigators to the Congo since last year, gathering massive evidence of the truth. Soon, Leopold's ugly secrets will be exposed across Europe.”
“They damn well should. Chancellor von Bülow, protest to the Belgian government in my name. As a civilized European, I can't let that man Leopold slide.”
“But that's precisely the concern. If we massacre the Herero now, ignorant fools might lump Your Majesty with Leopold II.”
“Wh-what!?”
Wilhelm II stammered in panic at my sudden words.
I subtly tugged Bülow's clothes from behind, signaling him to chime in.
“Ah, y-yes! Quite right. It could really happen!”
Bülow, who had been dazed, awkwardly agreed.
It was obvious acting, but enough to unsettle Wilhelm II further.
“I-is that so?”
“Your Majesty! We can't abandon punishing the rebels!”
As Wilhelm II hesitated, Schlieffen snapped back and shouted.
He glared at me as if to say, “How could you?”
‘Sorry, but I can't side with you this time, Chief of Staff.’
I bowed slightly to Schlieffen with an apologetic look.
But he pouted sulkily, quite offended.
‘Grandpa acting like that is embarrassing, but Schlieffen will understand later.’
In original history, Schlieffen eventually ordered Trotha to stop the massacre at Bülow's repeated requests and when Trotha really tried to exterminate the Herero.
By then, countless Herero bodies were piled up.
And afterward, the Empire enslaved survivors in mines or let eugenicist Eugen Fischer—the precursor to Josef Mengele—perform human experiments on them.
“Even so, I can't be treated like that Leopold. Chief of Staff Schlieffen, we must suppress the rebellion swiftly, but let's deliberate more on the methods...”
Knock knock—
[Your Majesty.]
As the hesitant Wilhelm II spoke, his attendant outside lightly knocked on the office door.
And the attendant's next words caught everyone off guard.
[Field Marshal Waldersee wishes to see Your Majesty regarding the rebellion in South West Africa.]
I instinctively frowned at that.
Waldersee, you again?