Richard Werner

Because literally the world's number one military power made war on farmers to control agriculture.

This country, this area, why?

Well, it was of strategic relevance, but also oil, sorry, not other resources, gold and diamonds were found there.

And London was very keen to have those.

Actually, surprisingly, the farmers were so well organized.

They won the first farmer's war.

and the second Boer War.

And then they had to use, Britain had to use their usual devious techniques to win the third one.

Murdering women and children in concentration camps.

Yes.

And the Kaiser, the German leadership, criticized the British intervention.

And so Britain also... What future British prime minister fought in that war?

Yes.

Well, Churchill had a role there and writes about it in his... I think he even got captured.

And was treated well enough to escape alive, which wasn't really true for people in the concentration camps necessarily.

So there were other factors, no doubt, but it's clear when you look at the old documents that anti-German sentiments whipped up as soon as there were early plans for this railway.

It didn't come from Norway.

It was discussed right in the late 1880s, 1890s, and then became a proper investment project at the end of the 19th century and 1900s onwards.

And of course, the First World War succeeded in stopping that.

Now, also, just another point before we look at what this means for today, what are the lessons for today?