Oranje - A Boer struggle for survival.

1836-1848 The First 12 Years

Much of the first years were a struggle. We scrapped and toiled in the mines and fields to just make enough to get food on the table with not much to spare.
We have sent a few younger miners back to the cape to learn some of the new ways that we hear lets us get more out of the coal and iron mines for less work.

1837 - We have had some tension with our southern neighbours. They have arrested some of our men near the border claiming they have crossed it. Our men are claiming they never did cross it. It has now happened several times. Are the Brits really trying to go to war?

Some of the remote settlers to the west have spotted a British column around twenty thousand strong heading into the middle of the wilderness. Speaking to some of the ill soldiers left behind they are going to attack a Netherlands colony way north. How can they be such a big power when they are that stupid. Word has come back the column lost over three thousand men in the first week alone.




1838
After the first couple of years we have heard back from those in the cape on how to improve the mines but we will need schematics for some of the new tools and some better explosives which will take a while. In the mean time we have managed to scrape enough money to start opening schools. We do it primarily for our children but some of the native children have taken to hanging around outside the schools to learn as well. I don't have the heart just yet to have them arrested or beat to scare them away as we are all struggling.

There have been some papers now circulating that we have not approved. These are proving to be popular but sometimes mocks our government style which increases dissent on how to run the country. We have not been able to shutdown these papers as our patrols do not have enough money yet to keep themselves in bullets and rifles.


1839
It is now three years since we have arrived. We have managed to turn the economy around so we are getting along better and can afford nicer things. We are able to now fully clothe, provision and arm our patrols. Now that times are getting better we have not had as much grumbling and the papers are putting us in a more favorable light. I wonder sometimes if it is the money or the new uniforms and rifles on our armed patrols. Either way it looking brighter for us.

1840
We have had word from the continent that last year our cousins in Netherlands have relinquished their claim on Belgium. Are they getting weak up there? Maybe we should move back to the continent and toughen them up. Not really as it is too nice down here even with the natives hanging around and begging for food. We have also had word of a large war between Austria and Prussia. Austria was getting too full of themselves but it took over a year for them to lose.

1841
This has been a bad year. Typhoid has struck across the country. We have been able to contain it but it has taken so many lives including that of my youngest son. I mourn for him and visit his grave frequently as it is on the way to our new parliament house.

There are more disturbing news from the continent of major wars with Prussia. The governments up there are worried Prussia is getting to strong and are trying to slow them down. This time France and Russia are attacking form both sides. There has also been grumbling from the people again. Transvaal has discovered gold close ot our borders and is using the money for construction near our border.

1842
The fools. Do they think we will stand there while they taunt us with their new towers of gold? Transvaal goes too far this time with their fort line along their border. We have started recruiting from our young men and they will pay for this insult. We will show them their place when we take the gold mines away from them and let them struggle like we have.

1843
Our brave men have trained hard on their horses. We now have three thousand men with rifles and another three thousand on horses. We move on Transvaal now. God go with our young men.



1844
Our young men have come back from the cape with the improved mining tool schematics. We have implemented them but the bonus in mining is less then we were led to believe. We shall have to find a better way to ship the minerals, maybe we can use the new way of transport that uses metal rails instead of roads.

As our men where on the way to Transvaal we have heard of a mass migration to that country through Zulu territory. There are confirmed reports of the Zulu slaughtering all the men, women and children. These are our cousins and I vowed revenge in front of the upper house, they will pay for this.



We have finished the conquest on the gold mines of Transvaal and it was costly. We have lost all the cavalry and a lot of our riflemen. We must rebuild to teach the Zulu a lesson.



1845
It has been almost a year since our golden victory and now we are ready for the Zulu. Our plan is simple. Lead the army into the mountains and kill them off slowly until our rivers run red.

1846
We have managed to kill all twenty four thousand men they sent at the cost of two thousand of ours, yet they keep sending men in streams to die. Do they have no sense? Our men are tired but moral is high as the news continues of the mass slaughter of the trekkers at the Zulu hands. We are no longer happy to just get them to stop. They now must pay with their way of life. We will now go to their coast and stop them from ever doing this again.



1847 - The way to the coast is filled with bodies. Our trekkers and Zulus blood mix in the ground.



1848
It has now been two years but we have done it. We have now stopped the Zulu and have them under our heel. They will never touch another of our kin. Now we must build our army so that the redcoats will not even think about freeing their friends the Zulu. We have a bright future ahead.



Our future looks bright.

That will have to wait.
We have angered a lot of people outside our country with our brusk and so called "backward" ways. Laying low and getting some industry will be the word of the day for the next bit until we can get rid of this resentment of our glory with our neighbours.

1848-1858 A Tumultuous Time

1848
With the rise of dissent I have decided to allow for open elections. The voters can choose among several Vortrekker representatives.



Hopefully this will quell some of the grumbling because they can now choose whomever they like best.

There have also been complaints on allowing Sotho children into the schools as they have been hanging around the schools. I have denied them for now as we Boer have striven hard and made this nation strong with our sweat and blood.

We have also founded a school to train more doctors. I hope to have them around the country to prevent anymore outbreaks of diseases. I have dedicated this school in the name of my son. Some of these doctors will go off to the Cap and the Portuguese colonies to learn from them and find new medications to combat these diseases.

Our nation will not get caught unprepared. We have started a campaign of national fortification. Every province shall build a series of small forts to protect against incursions from our untrustworthy British neighbours. Hopefully this will put an end to their "border arrests".

1849

The grumbling has not stopped. People are complaining that all of our party members are not progressive enough being of the older generation. I have decided to allow for more parties to be formed confident that most people will show enough sense to not go off track. We will hold our first election in February to allow the other parties a chance to get organised... Not too organised though.

Our election campaign went well and we have the lower house in our full control. The voter response was excellent.

We have had word of a foolish British expedition. They have sent thirty thousand men on to map some of the interior. Again we have helped some of the sick as they have lost two thousand men before getting the first river. I get worried sometimes that if they can waste so many men lives on pity accomplishments what will happen if they ever put their minds to it.

1850

We have our first reform to voting. The plantation owners and new arrived capitalists do not seem to have much sense. They are starting to become more agitative and want to have more control. We will allow the shop owners, soldiers and government workers voting rights to balance this out.

We are celebrating today as the first steel mill has opened. This is the beginning of a new age for our country.

Sadly three months after the opening the steel mill was torn down to make way for a fertilizer production center. I shake my head in sadness and wonder if we are really head down the right path.

I have sent several letters of concern to our brothers in Transvaal. They do not seem to be interested in protecting themselves. They do not even have patrols against potential raiders.

I have joy in my heart again. We have proven we are an enduring nation. We have built a rail road from the mountains to the sea to facilitate our exporting. I have renewed hope in the nation.



1851
There is renewed grumbling in certain provinces. We have arrested and executed severals priests for holding meetings in their church organizing for a open protest. I would have thought the right to vote would have put an end to this. We have had word from farmers and miners that they would like the right to vote as well. They show a lot of support for our cause so I will have to consider it.

I have yet again warned our brothers in Transvaal of the lack of care they show in their nation. They still refuse to put up patrols. This worries me as it will leave them open to open rebellion or god forbid allow the British to move in. I am deeply concerned for the safety of the Boer people.

We have had word from our border patrols that the mapping expedition has returned. They were hit hard with disease and sometimes starvation as that many soldiers cannot be fed easily. They have lost most of their men and the seven thousand that returned will not be good for much in the next while.



1852

Our doctors we have sent to the Cape and Portuguese colonies have returned with promising new medications and treatments for the diseases that have come to our area. Hopefully this will be an end to the epidemics.

We have now sent some of our farmers and crafters sons away to learn some of the new ways to increase efficiency.

We are nearing the end of fortification of our nation. I have yet again tried to convince Transvaal to protect themselves but they are refusing our messengers. Something will have to be done soon before someone else takes control of them.

1853

I am done trying to convince them. If they will protect themselves I have no choice but to do it for them.



As our men cross the border they are being welcomed with open arms. It is a very happy day as we are now uniting our brothers into a single Boar nation.

1854

We have finished the reunification. We can now move forward as a single nation to protect our culture.



1855

There is a lot of dissatisfaction from the governor from Cape Town. He has protested the unification and calling us warmongers. He has almost doubled troops on our border. I have replied with our peaceful intentions of protecting all Boer people. I have also taken steps to protecting ourselves with the construction of a naval base.

1856

We have invited the British governor for a tour of the country to show our good intentions. Hopefully he will also notice that he would pay a great price if he attempted to interfere with us.

The governor seems quite content after the hunting safari we put on for him as well as the fishing expedition in the mountain streams. The fine wine and amiable female companionship went a long way as well. He is still keeping the armies along our border but there is a lot less grumbling now.

Our boys we have sent away have returned with some promising new advances in farming and crafting. We have started several schools spread this information to the more remote regions.

We are now looking to some education reforms to improve the literacy rate. We have even decided to allow non-Boer children to attend school so that they can also help us. We will need everyone to keep the British from any influence in this nation.

1857

We continue our efforts to keep the Cape governor happy. Even if we have to kowtow some to inflate his ego we are willing to do this for our nation's safety. We will back this up with our three new frigates and two new divisions of cavalry that we are recruiting.

I have also strengthened my hold by allowing our farmers and miners to vote as well. The support they are showing our party is tremendous. I hope it continues as we prove our ability in forming Oranje into the greatest nation in Afrika.

1858

Our great nation is becoming a great nation. It moves my heart to see the progress we have made in less then 20 years. Our people will defend this nation with to their last breath.