(The content of the previous chapter has been revised, and the review book is in the public chapter-)

Because of the Suez Canal, Egypt has become a transportation artery connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.

The opening of the Suez Canal shortens the distance between Europe and Asia by 8,000 to 10,000 kilometers, and connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean through the Mediterranean Sea and the Suez Canal, which is an international shipping waterway of great economic and strategic significance.

In 1888, the Congress of Constantinople declared the canal a neutral zone under the protection of the British Empire, and made it open to ships of all nations, both in peace and in war.

During the Spanish-American War in 1898, Spanish warships could not pass through the Suez Canal, during the Russo-Japanese War, Russian warships were also unable to pass through the Suez Canal and eventually had to bypass all of Africa, and during the Italian-Turkish War, Britain did not even allow the Ottoman Empire to provide support to North Africa through Egypt.

Therefore, even if the promises of some countries are heard, don't take it seriously, Russia is just taking it too seriously, so it will be pitted and it has not turned over now.

At the time of the Russo-Japanese War, King Edward VII of England was still the brother-in-law of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia, and his relatives were just as merciless.

Like India, Egypt is an absolute core interest for the UK to protect, India represents Britain's human resources, and Egypt represents Britain's control over the world.

As a country with a long history, Egypt's current situation does not match its long history, ancient Egypt has been ruled by aliens since the 11th century BC, and is now part of the Ottoman Empire, but it is occupied by the British, not even a protectorate, and the second most miserable of the four ancient civilizations, after the vanished ancient Babylon.

The current British High Commissioner to Egypt is Roque's long-known McMahon, and Roque's memory of this man comes from the famous McMahon Line, and McMahon's self-initiated letter to Sharif Hussein, although the letter has not yet been sent out, and probably never has the opportunity to be sent, but these things speak volumes about McMahon's character.

As long as it is not the kind of fair and honest one, Roque hopes that officials in southern Africa can be fair and honest and clean themselves, but the more officials outside southern Africa, the better, which is also an obvious double standard.

After returning to the Ministry of Defense, Roque first selected a senior instructor from the Nyasaland Army Academy as his chief of staff, Paul Coker, like Derek Dodd, who is now the deputy secretary of defense, is from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and is a standard white British, and Roque selected Paul Coker to make it easier to contact McMahon.

Of course, it is also to reduce Roque's burden, after all, there are still many things to deal with before the troops set off, and the role of the chief of staff is reflected in these specific tasks.

Paul Cocker was indeed very efficient, and it only took three days to complete the preparations for the departure of the troops, but Roque still found a lot of problems when checking the operation.

"The supplies that Egypt can provide have to be removed from our lists, and we have to not only carry out the mission, but also test the endurance of the troops." Roque was demanding, and Paul Cocker was indeed a bit excessive, and even the drinking water needed by the troops had to be sent from southern Africa.

The force to be sent to Egypt consisted of two regiments, and Roque decided to draw one each from the Northern Rhodesian Division and the 1st Cavalry Division, the 1st Cavalry Division now had little to do with cavalry, and the troops did not have as many mules and horses as cars, but this was a difficult situation in Egypt because cars were more logistically demanding.

In order to make the professional soldiers have stronger combat effectiveness, Roque spared no expense in the supply of materials, in southern Africa, it is very convenient to mobilize various resources, it is not difficult to ensure the needs of the troops, in Egypt it is very troublesome, in order to ensure the combat effectiveness of the troops, in the plan of the General Staff, even the drinking water needed by the troops must be transported from southern Africa.

Fortunately, there is Roque to correct it in time, when the materials are sufficient, the troops can ensure strong combat effectiveness, and when the materials are short, they also have to endure all kinds of difficulties, and Southern Africa needs a victorious army that can overcome all kinds of difficulties and win victories, and there is no need for young master soldiers who are afraid of cold and hot clothes.

In southern Africa, a few million square kilometers can supply less than 40,000 professional soldiers, and it is true that the supply of all kinds of materials can be guaranteed, but once war breaks out, all kinds of materials will begin to be in short supply, and at this time, the endurance of the troops will be tested.

"Drinking water is still a priority, and the situation in Egypt is different from that in southern Africa, and drinking water can be a big problem if it is not safe." Paul Cocker also has good reasons for the fact that the regulations in southern Africa are also very detailed, not only for the troops, but also for the colonial pioneers who are going to unfamiliar lands, and the safety of drinking water is also very important.

Unsafe water quality can lead to serious health problems, and the heavy losses of early European colonization are inseparable from the diseases and plagues caused by various viruses in the colonies, and water is a serious problem.

If it is the 21st century, if the water is not clean, it will be done with a bad stomach, but in this era when the price of penicillin is more than golden, drinking a bad stomach may be fatal, so Paul Cocker has to send water from southern Africa to Egypt.

"It's a problem that can be solved locally in Egypt." Roque insisted that the problem of water, while important, could be solved if it was taken more seriously, and that what could not be solved was people's dependence on habits, which would be exacerbated if the armies of southern Africa were accustomed to adequate logistical supplies.

"Okay, I'll revise it right away—" Paul Cocker had already expressed his attitude, and even if Roque did not adopt it, Paul Cocker would obey Roque's orders.

"The equipment of the troops should also be adjusted, the mechanical vehicles should be reduced as much as possible, there are camels in Egypt, which can replace the role of vehicles, and there is no need to carry many bullets, although our automatic weapons are numerous, but the caliber of our bullets is common to the local garrison in Egypt, and this problem can also be solved in Egypt." Roque can save the province, Egypt lacks an army, not a shortage of materials, Britain's industrial capacity is still very strong, and the two regiments of several thousand people are not too much to supply.

"Our base is in El Alamein, where is this El Alamein?" Paul Coker searched all the maps of Egypt and couldn't find El Alamein, so you can imagine how small the words were.

It is indeed remote, but this Alamein is the same Alamein that broke out in the "Battle of El Alamein", and now it is still nameless, it is just an ordinary small fishing village, and this place will not gradually flourish until the discovery of oil in the future.

"It looks like it's near Alexandria." Roque gives a hint.

Paul Cocker went to look for it next to Alexandria, and sure enough, he found El Alamein, and then looked at Roque's eyes full of admiration.

In such a remote place, we all know that we have done enough homework.

"Now our military camp has not been built, I don't know if we can be stationed in time." Paul Coker is a little worried about the efficiency of the Egyptian government.

"It should be fine—" Roque knew more about Egypt than he could.

In this place of Egypt, the local aborigines are indeed indisputable, and they have been blind to the identity of the four ancient civilizations.

However, under British colonial rule, the Egyptians were still very efficient.

Again, for that reason, don't associate the current Egyptians with the Egyptians of the future, the Egyptians were still very industrious under British colonial rule.

When the Suez Canal was built, a total of 120,000 Egyptians died, an average of 738.5 people per kilometer, and these people lay down and lined up longer than the Suez Canal, so the consequence of not being diligent is not to lose their salaries, but to die.

Compared with the cruelty of Britain in the construction of the Suez Canal, the various infrastructure construction in southern Africa is simply merciful, although the construction of infrastructure in southern Africa will inevitably have to pay a price, but not to such a cruel extent, the numbers are cold, can reflect a lot of history that has been deliberately concealed, in the popular saying, it is not that 120,000 people died of exhaustion of the canal, but that this kind of thing happened 120,000 times, so it is indeed bloody.

It is estimated that the situation in Egypt is indeed very dangerous, and the Ministry of War sent four telegrams in a week asking when the troops of southern Africa would leave, and on August 15, the troops of southern Africa finally boarded ships in Port Edward and headed for Egypt, and after a long voyage of eight days, the troops of southern Africa crossed 7,000 kilometers and finally arrived in Cairo, Egypt.

It was only when Roque arrived in Cairo that he learned that Cairo was not next to the Suez Canal, but more than 100 kilometers away from the Suez Canal.

The river next to Cairo is called the Nile, and Roque has an impression of the name Nile because of the movie "Nile Massacre", which is set around this time.

The whole of Egypt was eagerly awaiting reinforcements from southern Africa, and the British High Commissioner in Cairo, McMahon, personally greeted him at the docks, and Ade had previously worked in Cairo and had written to McMahon asking him to take care of Roque and the troops in southern Africa.

I don't know how McMahon felt when he saw the letter, the whole of Egypt needed the protection of the army in southern Africa, and McMahon couldn't take care of it even if he wanted to.

"Lord, welcome to Cairo—" McMahon looked at Roque with the same enthusiasm as the scorching heat of August.

It is estimated that it has a lot to do with Roque's identity, after all, Roque is a viscount, and McMahon is not even a sir.

"Colonel, it is a pleasure to meet you, and I wish you the best wishes of Lord Hellwood, and good health." Roque reported that Ade's name still has some effect in Egypt.