Chapter 336: The Emancipation Proclamation
To a certain extent, Austria played the role of the troublemaker this time. Normally, this is something the British would usually do.
However, the British were apprehensive, worried that after selling a large number of warships, they would not have the ability to suppress the challenges from various European countries.
For a maritime power, the navy is the core. Once the Royal Navy shows weakness, challengers will pounce on the opportunity.
Dont be fooled by the fact that France is currently ruled by a pro-British faction. Once an opportunity arises, the French would not hesitate to take over. This is usually the reason why the worlds number one power suppresses the number two.
Historically, the British supported the Confederate government, but most of the ships they sold were old warships. The core warships of the Royal Navy were never brought out.
Franz had more conscience. Although he also mixed in many old warships, those ironclads were all masterpieces of Austrias modern industrial technology. He didnt give them a weakened version.
Technically speaking, Austria was still ahead of the Americans by at least a dozen years. Two warships engage each other at a distance of several hundred meters, firing until ammunition is exhausted with zero hit rate, only the American Navy could achieve such a feat.
Of course, the human factor is also a major reason. One cannot have high expectations for two novice navies. However, substandard artillery technology is also an important factor.
Austria is not a maritime power, so even if the Confederate government reverse-engineered the warship technology, it wouldnt matter much. Without sufficient industrial capacity, it would be difficult to replicate.
As for devising corresponding countermeasures based on the construction of the warships, thats thinking too much. If theyre already building new ships, why worry about old ones being targeted?
Dont be fooled by the short time span. In this era, technological advancements happen rapidly. The technology behind Austrian ironclads has been improved multiple times. The warships still on the slipway now are completely different from the original ironclads.
The same firepower that once required ironclads weighing eight or nine thousand tons can now be achieved with ships weighing just over seven thousand tons.
Having larger warships doesnt necessarily mean greater combat power. Its more about the firepower installed. Generally, warships with more powerful and more numerous cannons have greater combat capabilities.
Armor thickness is also a measuring standard, but currently, its not a priority. Since its for a colonial empire, consideration must be given to long-range operations. A defensive navy isnt suitable for Austria.
New York, where the federal government has just relocated from Washington, has once again been struck by lightning from a clear sky.
They had just mobilized the people, taking advantage of everyones enthusiasm for land to obtain enough soldiers to gain a numerical advantage over the Southern government.
The Department of War was planning a counterattack, preparing to use their numerical superiority to wear down the rebels. Unfortunately, before this plan could be implemented, news arrived that the Southern government had purchased a fleet.
This meant that the plan to blockade the South by sea had completely failed. Moreover, for some time to come, the federal governments navy will be at a disadvantage, and theres a possibility that the Southern government might even turn the tables and blockade them instead.
Theres no doubt that the key to the Southern governments naval strength lies in their investment and the support of the Great Powers.
If Austria could sell a fleet to the Southern government, then Britain, France, and Spain could do the same. The Northern government cannot compete with the industrial strength of those four countries. They are simply not in the same league.
President Lincoln forced himself to remain calm, looking at the Secretary of the Navy with an inquisitive expression. He asked expectantly, If this fleet were to join the Confederate Navy, can the Navy Department guarantee the smoothness of our maritime transportation?
Clearly, he had given up on using the navy to blockade the Southern states. Lincoln had the self-awareness to understand that rather than dwelling on unachievable tasks, it was better to consider whether the federal government itself might be blockaded.
Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles pondered for a moment before responding, There may be some minor difficulties, but the enemy does not have the capability to blockade our coastal areas.
The fleet sold by Austria is powerful because they have five state-of-the-art ironclad ships at its core, accompanied by more than thirty sailing warships.
However, their number of warships is not large, and apart from these main battle vessels, the rest are auxiliary ships.
Our shipbuilding capacity is limited, and if we rely solely on our own resources, it would take at least two years to surpass the rebels.
But war cannot wait that long. To quickly gain maritime superiority, we can only purchase or lease warships from abroad.
Shipbuilding takes time, and the American shipbuilding industry cant construct hundreds of warships in just a few years.
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Historically, during the American Civil War, the Union Navy primarily relied on purchasing and leasing ships, with only a portion being self-built.
After all, warships are not that easy to build. Not to mention ironclads, which are a manifestation of the new eras industrial capabilities, even wooden sailing battleships have high requirements.
Even obtaining the necessary wood poses a challenge. A single sailing warship often requires the felling of thousands of trees, and the processed timber typically needs several years to dry out.
The most critical component, the keel, can only be made from oak or teak, demanding trees of exceptional quality.
Fortunately, with the advancement of shipbuilding technology, many of these components can now be replaced with steel. Otherwise, after years of deforestation, it would be a mere dream for Americans to find enough timber.
When it comes to steel, there is undoubtedly a need to import from the British. For many consecutive years, the United States has held the illustrious title of the worlds number one steel importer. Now that the war has broken out, the steel demand is even greater.
This is also the reason why Lincoln is worried about being blockaded. If their supply of materials is cut off, they might as well admit defeat and acknowledge the independence of the Southern government.
President Lincoln said fiercely, Proceed according to your plan. We have reached the point of pitting our financial strength against the Southern governments, to see who can persist longer.
War is fought with money. In this era, many things can be bought with money, including warships.
Any European country would gladly accept such a deal. As long as theres enough profit, who cares which side the warships are sold to?
Secretary of State Seward said, That might not be enough. The European powers are supporting the Confederate government. Even if theyre willing to sell warships to us, at most itll only balance the scales between the two sides.
The naval blockade has already failed, and the key to deciding the outcome of this war has returned to the army. Only by winning on land can we win this war and maintain national unity.
This is a very realistic issue. Despite the Union government having economic advantages, in a contest of financial strength, they might not necessarily be able to match the Confederate government.
During this era, the power of the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) wasnt as strong, and naturally, capitalists wouldnt obediently pay taxes. In contrast, it was easier for plantation owners in the South to collect tariffs when exporting their goods.
To raise funds, the federal government issued multiple bonds domestically. Unfortunately, these were in US dollars which no one would accept internationally.
The Confederate government, on the other hand, issued bonds overseas backed by cotton, which brought in foreign currency directly. Occasionally, in major commodity transactions, they could also pay a portion of it through bonds.
As for seeking support from various European countries, the federal government has already attempted it, but with no effect. Even if some people support them, its merely lip service.
Currently, Napoleon III was busy annexing the Kingdom of Sardinia and was unlikely to offend the three countries of Britain, Austria, and Spain for the sake of the federal governments interests, losing the opportunity to expand on the European continent.
President Lincoln tentatively asked, What if we abolish slavery?
Secretary of State Seward immediately opposed, saying, Private property is sacred and inviolable, which goes against the US Constitution and would push the slave states loyal to the Union towards the Confederacy.
The sanctity of private property not only protects the interests of slave owners but also safeguards the interests of capitalists.
Everyone has concerns about losing what they have. If the federal government were to open this door, capitalists would also worry that the government might one day turn against them too.
Lincoln explained, What I mean is to emancipate the slaves in the rebellious states; the other regions will remain unchanged.
Secretary of State Seward still shook his head. Currently, out of the 16 slave states in the Union, 15 have joined the Confederacy, and the institution of slavery in the remaining state, Delaware, has long been practically nonexistent.
The effectiveness of this decree remains uncertain, but the negative consequences it may bring are extremely serious.
If the people in the Southern states perceive that the federal government wants to deprive them of all their property and push them into a corner, it would be disastrous.
Even if the slaves are excluded, there are still 7 to 8 million people there, and with the support of the great powers, if they are united in their desire for independence, the federal government will never have a chance for unification.
President Lincoln added, We have no choice. A large number of black troops have emerged among the rebels. If we cannot divide them, the rebels will use these cannon fodders to consume our elite forces.
As far as I know, the rebels have also signed a labor importation treaty with the Austrians, averaging three hundred thousand strong laborers per year.
What are they trying to do? Nothing more than compensating the slave owners for their fight for independence now and using these laborers to compensate them in the future.
Anyway, once they are in their territory, whether they end up as laborers or slaves, in the end, its all up to them.
Not to mention the plantation owners in the South, even the capitalists in the North had some people who wanted to bring in a batch of cheap labor to work in the mines.
People were driven to this out of desperation. Due to insufficient population, the Southern governments military forces could not rival the numbers of the Northern government, so using slaves to fight was another option.
Secretary of State Seward did not continue to oppose. According to the current situation, to gain an advantage on the battlefield, it is necessary to divide the relationship between slaves and slave owners.
Otherwise, the Southern rebels using two or three black slaves to kill one Union soldier would be a cause for concern.
Despite the heat of the war, the business of labor export companies has never stopped. The rebels could afford the losses.
In September 1862, President Lincoln submitted the Emancipation Proclamation to Congress. After a heated debate, it passed with a narrow majority due to President Lincolns insistence.
The proclamation stipulated the abolition of slavery in rebellious states from January 1, 1863, and allowed slaves to enlist in the Union Army as free men.
The Emancipation Proclamation immediately caused a sensation in the United States. There was even a wave of slave escapes in the Southern states, and black figures began appearing at Union government recruitment points.
It even affected the Confederate governments army. To maintain the morale of the army, the Confederate government had to grant freedom to black soldiers.
With the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation, the Confederate government found itself in a politically disadvantageous position. To change this situation, they took action.
Following the suggestions of representatives from various countries, the Confederate government began to court Native Americans and promised to support their independence and establishment of an independent country.
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