Chapter 134: Conclusion of the First-Phase Operations
Afterward, the conflicts between the East African army and the Kingdoms of Rwanda and Igara proved uneventful. They encountered virtually no resistance; in some places, the natives had fled before the East African forces even arrived.
Rwanda and Igara, seeing what happened to the Kingdom of Burundi's nobles, chose not to fight the East African colony to the bitter end but to relocate and start anew elsewhere.
Look at the nobles of Burundi and Karawi now, reduced to pitiful refugees. By the time they reached the territories of Rwanda and Igara, they'd lost more than half their servants, who had taken off with much of their wealth.
Given Rwanda and Igara's current condition, their leadership had no confidence in standing up to the East African colony's attack—nor did they think the colony would accept surrender. Hence, it was best to move on early.
They relinquished their land, preserved their own strength, and evacuated elite forces to Central and West Africa, determined to let the natives there experience the might of "civilized fists."
Just as the northwest states had been outmatched by East Africa's modern firepower, they would hold a similar edge over those tribes living further west. Their ironworking ability and organizational skills already eclipsed what most nomadic groups could manage, and these northwest states were not deeply entrenched agrarian kingdoms, so they still retained a fair measure of martial vigor. Confronted with foes on an equal footing, they would not be timid.
Furthermore, unlike the Eastern Bantu, who were reckless and only knew brute force, if the Bantu had tried to cozy up to the local aristocracy, both sides might have avoided fighting to the death. But some of the Eastern Bantu tribes were so arrogant they paid no heed to local nobles, committing endless murder, arson, and plunder. The local nobles might have tolerated it—until those Bantu turned on them, looting their fortunes. At that point, the aristocrats of the northwest states had to unite to crush the Bantu.
Now that the East African colony was invading, the Kingdoms of Rwanda and Igara had no intention of mounting a desperate defense. They truly couldn't afford another war.
Anyway, all the East African colony wanted was the land. They didn't literally want the natives' lives, wealth, or slaves. And there was plenty of land in Africa; they'd just let the Germans have it and go elsewhere. Apart from the Sahara, anywhere else could offer a new lease on life.
Therefore, the high authorities of both kingdoms dispatched envoys to the East African colony, requesting that its troops hold off their advance; they themselves would depart. The East African government was glad to accept.
Thus, a strange scene unfolded in the two kingdoms: the nobles of Rwanda and Igara gathered their assets (including slaves) and, along with their own regimes, traveled north to begin a new venture in Central and West Africa, while the East African army strolled in behind, taking control of their lands.
Rwanda and Igara planned to unite and carve out a new realm in central or western Africa, dealing with the scattered tribes there one at a time. Not that they had studied any particular military strategy—rather, the fragmented nature of central African tribes prevented unified resistance. Step by step, the two kingdoms could build new states in Central or West Africa.
…
June 27, 1868.
Following closely behind, the East African forces pushed onward to Ruhengeri, the largest city in northern Rwanda, effectively ending the fighting there.
June 30.
The entire territory of the Igara Kingdom fell, with the East African middle column pressing on to the border between the Kingdom of Ankole and Buganda.
July 1.
The first phase of combat was basically complete, bringing the four southern states wholly under the East African colony's control.
The newly annexed land amounted to roughly 83,000 square kilometers (excluding any water area).
During the short period of hostilities, the East African government had relocated eighty thousand new settlers to this region, making it one of the most densely populated areas of the colony. In an instant, it surpassed many of the midwestern districts in population.
Granted, local infrastructure in this newly claimed territory wasn't particularly advanced, but it was still better than in the Omo River region—after all, these lands had already been under native cultivation for years, providing fields and roads that could be adapted with relative ease.
Moreover, large numbers of South German immigrants were settled here, along with Paraguayan widows and orphans. This arrangement balanced both ethnicity and gender-age ratios, focusing on a younger workforce, making the population structure relatively sound.
All that remained was to ensure good connections with the Soron Lake and Great Lakes Districts, guaranteeing efficient transport and communication. Then East Africa's control here would be firmly established.
This rapid advance inevitably meant some natives remained. The ever-attentive East African colony promptly rounded up these stragglers and handed them over to the rulers of Rwanda and Igara who were heading off to rebuild, going so far as to escort them out at the Ankole Kingdom's border.
With the four southern states fallen, shock waves rippled north to the remaining four states. In particular, the Kingdoms of Ankole and Buganda bolstered their border garrisons with East Africa. Their newly returned laborers were conscripted again, as Ankole was weak, while Buganda faced two-front pressure. Neither kingdom was in a good place.
Whether the second phase of war would break out, and how it might differ from the first, remained to be seen. The four northern states had emerged far less damaged by the Bantu invasion. Especially the Toro and Gitala Kingdoms, shielded by Ankole and Buganda, had hardly been touched at all.
That reality gave the northern four states the boldness to challenge the East African colony. Rwanda and Igara, ravaged by the Eastern Bantu, simply sold off their birthrights, while the northern four had lost nothing in those conflicts.
Their resolve to resist could pose real problems in the second phase. East Africa's advantage, though, was that by then, enough reinforcements would be on hand at the border. Furthermore, the first phase had allowed them to stockpile frontline resources, preventing a repeat of the scramble to supply themselves at the start of the northwest campaign.
In the first phase, the greatest impediment to the East African army's progress hadn't been the enemy; it was the long supply line.
A second advantage is the so-called double-front strategy—East Africa could attack from both south and east simultaneously. Buganda's population was largely concentrated along the shores of Lake Victoria, enabling the colony to deploy troops and supplies by water for a direct assault on Mengo, Buganda's capital.
Mengo is only about 150 kilometers from Kisumu by water—two or three days' travel to strike directly at the heart of Buganda.
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