HK Composite: Starting from Shenghe Leading

Chapter 585 Final Plan

Eisen Nimitz has an impressive resume within the Navy and is highly capable. In addition, his mentor was Chester William Nimitz, a former five-star admiral of the United States Navy. It's hard not to believe in his abilities.

Of course, the proof is in the pudding; now it's time for practice to tell.

"Now, I hereby appoint you as the supreme commander of the Hutchison Fleet, and you shall be responsible to me alone."

"I hope you won't disappoint me, and you won't tarnish your reputation as a rear admiral."

Lin Zehao patted Eisen Nimitz heavily on the shoulder and placed the pre-prepared appointment letter, or contract, in front of him.

After all, in terms of systems and institutions, Hutchison is just a private company that has not yet gone public, and Lin Zehao is just a private business owner.

He certainly wouldn't manage this fleet using military systems; like Hutchison Security, it's just an armed merchant escort fleet.

As for whether others believe him, he doesn't care at all; from a legal perspective, it's reasonable enough.

"Mr. Lin, please rest assured, I will live and die with the fleet!"

Eisen Nimitz's expression was resolute, his tone filled with anticipation and excitement.

There was a time when he thought he would never be able to serve as a fleet commander again, and that he would have to say goodbye to the sea he loved so much...

Unexpectedly, he got such an opportunity again, and he was even commanding the Black Sea Fleet, one of the four major fleets of the Polar Bear Alliance!
This feeling is like a swordsman obtaining a peerless sword; that feeling of jubilation emanates from the very marrow of his bones!

That feeling of excitement was absolutely the most intense I've ever experienced in my life!
"Well, there's no need to talk about sharing the same fate. We live in a time of peace, and we're just a company that prioritizes profit."

"In short, there is only one principle: obey my orders and carry them out without fail. This is the duty of a soldier."

In addition to the 6,000 people that Gorbachev had given him, he carefully selected an extra 2,000 and successfully used his financial power to get them to join Hutchison.

The fleet, totaling eight thousand men, was sufficient for both combat and logistical support.

Moreover, the Polar Bear Alliance has dismantled many weapons that cannot be exported, reducing its combat power and making them easier to operate.

"Understood, I will definitely carry it out!"

Eisen Nimitz gave a military salute, his eyes filled with determination!

Lin Zehao nodded and handed him the A4 paper with the coordinates written on it.

The exact coordinates of this operation are clearly shown above.

北纬59°44′42″—北纬83°39′46″

西经73°15′13″—西经11°20′11″

Upon seeing these coordinates, Eisen Nimitz immediately began searching his memory for them.

For a professional soldier, having coordinate maps memorized is a fundamental skill.

To become an excellent commander, relying solely on theoretical and book knowledge is not enough; adaptability is the key to success on the battlefield.

"Mr. Lin, if I remember correctly, this place... should be... Greenland?"

Eisen Nimitz looked hesitant, but his mind was in turmoil.

Although Greenland is the largest island on Earth, it is not a no-man's-land, but a country with considerable controversy and historical stories.

Greenland, located in northeastern North America, has an area of ​​2.18 million square kilometers, making it the world's largest island.

The English name "Greenland" means oasis, which sounds like a vibrant place, but in reality, most of Greenland is covered by ice and snow for a long time, with an average temperature of zero degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus sixty degrees Celsius in the coldest times.

It borders Canada to the west and Iceland to the east, but its ownership belongs to Denmark, which is more than 3,000 kilometers away.

Although Greenland's area is equivalent to fifty times the size of mainland Denmark.

More than a thousand years ago, the original inhabitants of Greenland were the Inuit, also known as the Inuit, who lived in igloos.

Due to its high latitude, harsh climate, and hard soil, Greenland is destined to be unsuitable for agricultural development, both in terms of temperature and soil hardness.

To survive, the Inuit people rely on the sea for their livelihood, living by fishing and hunting, mainly by hunting Arctic creatures and sea fish.

Even today, with advanced technology, the Inuit people of Greenland still rely on traditional fishing and hunting for their livelihood.

Before Europeans embarked on the Age of Exploration and arrived with their powerful ships and cannons, the inhabitants of Greenland lived a self-sufficient life, relatively isolated from Eurasia.

However, this state of affairs was broken in the tenth century by a Norwegian Viking from Iceland.

Located in the transition zone between the northern temperate and northern frigid zones, Northern Europe experiences harsh climates for most of the year, making survival conditions extremely difficult.

In order to survive and thrive under such harsh conditions, some Nordic inhabitants took advantage of the Scandinavian Peninsula's proximity to the European continent by sea and sailed out to plunder. These were the "Vikings" who struck fear into the hearts of the entire European continent.

During their raids, the Norwegians discovered Iceland, a small island suspended in the Atlantic Ocean, in the 9th century AD.

With the influx of Norwegians, Iceland gradually became Norwegian territory.

After conquering Iceland, the harsh climate and icebergs at sea seemed to become obstacles for the Norwegians to continue their advance.

Migrating from a frozen land to another frigid island at the cost of blood and fire, fate seemed to be playing a cruel joke on the Norwegians.

Just when many were about to give up, a turning point came in 982 AD when a pirate named Eric the Redbeard was expelled from Iceland by the government for committing a crime.

Left with no other choice, Eric had to set sail in his only small boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

At the time, the Atlantic Ocean was considered a deadly green sea by Europeans, and many believed that Eric's journey there was fraught with peril.

But three years later, Eric unexpectedly discovered land during his voyage.

According to records, the southwestern part of Greenland was covered by lush green tundra when it was discovered, during the summer.

Therefore, Eric named this place covered with green vegetation "Greenland," meaning oasis.

Eric's unexpected discovery shattered the tranquility of Greenland. Upon hearing of this new discovery, Europeans began to utilize their traditional skills, migrating here to trade and preach, preparing to develop the area into a colony.

From then on, Greenland's relative isolation from the European continent was broken. Not long after the Norwegians first landed in Greenland, in 1261, Norway declared its occupation of Greenland.

From that time on, Greenland became Norwegian territory.

As time progressed into the Middle Ages, a turning point in fate arrived without anyone noticing.

Because most European royal families were related by blood at the time, if a monarch died without leaving any heirs, his direct blood relatives would have the right to inherit the throne.

Therefore, the phenomenon of "common rulers" where two countries share the same monarch would occur in Europe at that time.

Between 1376 and 1380, under the influence of Margrethe (Queen Margrethe I of the Norse), who held the dual titles of Princess of Denmark and Queen of Norway, her son Olaf succeeded to the thrones of both Denmark and Norway, becoming the common ruler of both countries.

From then on, Denmark and Norway were transformed from two independent kingdoms into a united kingdom.

After the establishment of the United Kingdom, Norway's overseas territories of Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland, which were previously solely owned by Norway, became jointly administered by Denmark and Norway, and thus became the common property of both countries.

Although according to the relevant laws, all property of the United Kingdom belongs to both countries, there is struggle wherever there are people, let alone between two countries.
Due to geographical and climatic factors, Denmark is more suitable than Norway for developing agriculture and animal husbandry.

In that historical context, agriculture and animal husbandry represented a nation's productivity, which led to Denmark's strength far surpassing that of Norway.

Gradually, within the United Kingdom, Denmark, backed by the European continent, gained more and more support, and the overseas colonies that originally belonged to Norway were gradually occupied by Denmark.

Until 1534, Denmark simply abolished Norway's kingdom status and turned Norway into a province of Denmark.

Norway lost its independent status and had no say in the division of its territory. Greenland's ownership thus became entirely and completely in Denmark's hands.

In 1771, with the permission of the Danish royal family, Danish merchants established a trading post in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland.

Subsequently, the Danish royal family went even further in monopolizing all trade activities in Greenland, making Denmark the de facto controller of the island.

Until the early 19th century, Europe was embroiled in the protracted Napoleonic Wars, and Denmark sided with Napoleon.

What happened next was quite simple: after Napoleon's defeat, Denmark, having chosen the wrong side, naturally had to pay a heavy price.

In 1814, Sweden, a member of the anti-French coalition, signed the Treaty of Kiel with Denmark.

The treaty was simple: Denmark agreed to cede part of Norway to Sweden.

Although Norway was ceded, Greenland still belongs to Denmark.

The signing of the Kiel Treaty greatly displeased the Norwegian people, leading to several independence movements, all of which were forcefully suppressed by Sweden.

Perhaps to soothe the fragile and sensitive hearts of Norwegians, Sweden announced the formation of a united kingdom with Norway, thereby concealing the fact that it had been colonized.

Of course, this attempt to cover up the truth did not reassure the Norwegians, and the resistance movement continued unabated.

Even though Sweden eventually granted Norway a high degree of autonomy in all aspects except diplomacy, the Norwegians still did not accept it.

In their view, autonomy is nothing more than a nice-sounding name for being ruled.

After tireless efforts, Norway finally gained formal independence from Sweden in 1905 through a national referendum.

Since then, Norway has refused to recognize Denmark's ownership of Greenland.

In their view, Denmark was like a robber who took advantage of the owner's weakness, sneaking into the house and stealing the most precious things.

After years of disputes, the conflict between the two countries intensified until neither side could persuade the other. The diplomatic departments of the two countries even resorted to hurling insults and cursing each other's mothers and families whenever they met.

Until 1931, Denmark and Norway went to court over the ownership of Greenland.

After two years of proceedings, the International Court of Justice, under the League of Nations established after World War I, arbitrated the case concerning the ownership of Greenland, and Denmark emerged as the winner.

Then, with the outbreak of World War II, the world was plunged into chaos once again.

Even though the Allies ultimately won and defeated the fascists, many old colonial powers never regained their former glory and strength.

For example, the sun never sets, France, and so on.

Seeing the colonizers weaken, the colonized regions and countries seized the opportunity to launch wave after wave of independence movements, and the local residents of Greenland also began to seek independence under the influence of this ideology.

Greenland is vast in area, but its population is less than 80,000, and more than 80 percent of them are of mixed Inuit and early European descent, with Danes making up only one-sixth of the population.

Despite their small population, Danes held most of the important government positions during the more than two hundred years of Danish rule.

Furthermore, Danes enjoyed privileges in Greenland at the time. For example, the same crime might result in the death penalty for locals, but for Danes, the case would be reviewed back in Denmark. They could then spend money to pull strings and resolve the matter quickly.

I must say, they did this 'very well'.

Therefore, the Greenlanders, who had had enough of Danish oppression, were calling for independence very loudly.

Finally, in 1953, after a period of political maneuvering, Greenland became a canton of Denmark.

Furthermore, Denmark granted Greenlanders equal voting rights.

However, this so-called equal rights, just like the American claim of never discriminating against those in the EU, are something that those who understand will understand.

The fact is that those people are still considered inferior in America, but become highly sought after after leaving the country.

I wonder what Lincoln would think if he saw this.

Getting back to the main point, after relentless struggle, Denmark finally decided in 1979 to grant Greenland more autonomy. Apart from defense, foreign affairs, and some financial powers remaining with Denmark, Greenland essentially achieved autonomy.

After reviewing this history, it becomes clear that Greenland, in the name of international law, still belongs to Denmark.

If Lin Zehao chooses to attack Greenland, it would be tantamount to declaring war on Denmark, a move that would be as explosive as World War III!

If that time really comes, other countries will definitely take the opportunity to profit from it, and the consequences... Eisen Nimitz dares not imagine.

"Relax, I have no intention of doing anything that violates international law."

"The fleet only needs to stand by in the high seas near Greenland. It would be best to put on some exercises. You should understand what I mean."

(End of this chapter)