Chapter 234: The Brothers' Pull and Tug
Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.
"Hmph. So, you find being the naval commander isn't so satisfying after all? You want to back out, my foolish younger brother?"
Franz made a mocking remark to Ferdinand, who had just returned to Vienna from East Africa.
A seasoned Ferdinand retaliated at once: "Whatever East Africa's navy may be—lacking many ships—it still outdoes the Austrians' 'bathtub fleet.' One day, once East Africa's navy grows strong, I'll order a blockade of the Gulf of Aden and ban Austrian ships from entering the Indian Ocean."
That teasing line drew no reply from Franz.
Indeed, blocking the Gulf of Aden might not be absurd: East Africa's location theoretically allows it to threaten Red Sea shipping. It lacks Red Sea ports near Djibouti or northern Somalia, yet from Mogadishu to the Gulf of Aden isn't that far—like how Great Britain, if it wished, could trap Prussia in the Baltic. If East Africa tried to blockade the Bab-el-Mandeb, it wouldn't be its navy that does the job—at present, East Africa's naval capacity is too small. Using its army would be more realistic.
Given current East African forces, if they spent all effort, they could occupy Djibouti and British Somaliland, even toppling them. Planting a few cannons would threaten the Mandeb Strait. The recently planned Northern Province in East Africa, with Dire Dawa as a military town, lies only 300 kilometers from Djibouti. At Bab-el-Mandeb, the strait's narrowest point is about 26 kilometers wide; typical artillery might not reach that far, though East Africa's largest coastal defense cannons might—if only they could be moved. Right now, technology can't manage it, but who knows about the future?
Even if East Africa truly blockaded that strait, the British might well laugh. After all, the Suez Canal initially benefited France, and Britain was reluctant. If East Africa halted the Suez route, France would get burned, and Cape Town might regain its status. Meanwhile, Britain could rely on its Indian Army across the sea, proven able to conquer the Abyssinian Empire.
At present, East Africa neither has that capacity nor the motive to go "all in," but the future is unknown. If East Africa grows formidable enough, it might threaten the entire canal. Egypt, in such a scenario, would come bowing to East Africa, since in a hot climate, no mountainous terrain can become a quagmire for large armies the way Afghanistan or the Vietnamese jungle might.
…
"What, shaken by my remark just now?" Ferdinand, regaining an edge, taunted.
"Hmph, East Africa would need another fifty years to attempt that. Look at the U.S.: they've been around quite a while, bragging they'll replace the British. But across the Atlantic, they do nothing but bark," Franz retorted.
"Come on, it was just a joke. You take it too seriously—haven't changed a bit," Ferdinand said.
"All right, enough. Why have you come back?" asked Franz.
"Fine, I'm here to see Mother and Karina," Ferdinand said plainly.
"Yes, presumably 'on the way.' I heard you were in Trieste at the shipyard, inspecting some newly built gunboats?"
"Sure, so what if it's on the way? You know it isn't easy crossing the sea, and I'm really busy!"
That was true: East Africa's navy was in its infancy, so for the sailors—mostly from the river-lake forces—to become combat-ready, everything required Ferdinand's personal attention alongside the young Austrian naval officers "banished" to East Africa.
"Well, if you came to see Mother and Karina, why bother provoking me?" Franz said, sealing the topic.
"Think I want to? That Ernst kid told me to talk to you about cooperation," Ferdinand sneered.
"I already discussed cooperation with him a few days ago," Franz said.
"Yes, but apparently you only touched on intentions, not the specifics. Here—these are the East African proposals. Look through them." Ferdinand pulled out a thick set of documents from nowhere. Franz took them and read carefully.
Two hours later…
"Ernst really is suited to be a shrewd merchant—he's been hiding these proposals for some time," Franz said cheerily.
"Any territory that big is bound to have some resources. I find East Africa's actually less endowed than Austria," quipped Ferdinand.
"That's normal. Austria under the Habsburgs is obviously a prime land, while East Africa is but an outlying region," Franz said proudly.
Ferdinand gave him a sour look, but East Africa was indeed unimpressive—a million or so square kilometers in the east alone. He, as commander of its navy, knew them well. The official data on resources were middling. The "east" region was on par with Austria in some respects but overshadowed by worthless deserts. Meanwhile, that hardly interests Austria.
Yes, from purely Kenyan resources alone, it should catch Austrian interest. But the results were lukewarm because Ernst had doctored the list. It disclosed only certain Tanzanian (southeast Lake Malawi zone) coal and iron deposits, plus Kenyan mineral wealth. East Africa withheld the huge deposits in the Great Lakes and Katanga copper fields, large enough to reshape the world's copper market. Over centuries, copper triggered many conflicts—Ernst had known that from his prior life's knowledge of how certain powers thirsted for oil or strategic metals.
The plan was simple: develop southwestern Kenya, requiring a railway from Mombasa. Then Germany-based rail experts and equipment would come from Austria. East Africa would repay with minerals. Since Suez was open, shipping was cheaper: Trieste to Mombasa wasn't too far. No one minded more minerals, especially after France lost the Lorraine iron ores. But it's also true that Austria's not short on standard iron and coal, so maybe it sees limited appeal. Possibly investing in the Balkans yields more than hauling from East Africa—but perhaps East African resources remain tempting.
The East African government's idea: build lines into southern Kenya, produce plenty of ore, keep some for themselves, and ship the rest back to Austria to spur Austrian industrial growth, thus forging deeper ties. Right now, the local East African market is negligible, since wages are basically in worthless Hechingen bank notes. Austria might profit from arms orders: big coastal guns or gunboats, etc.
Royal money alone can't swiftly grow East Africa. Rerouting some immigrants to factories can help. Meanwhile, they want a bigger army to secure four million square kilometers, maybe over a hundred thousand men, plus slaves in agriculture. Eventually, those slaves aren't there forever, but for now, East Africa needs Austrian synergy for education, research, and weapons manufacturing—fields unfeasible at home. Education especially: that first wave of East African children is still quite young, and the older ones who went abroad must finish basic through advanced schooling. Without advanced learning, industry and science can't progress.
But Ernst is untroubled—just three years have passed since East Africa's founding. Many countries have zero mass education. East Africa's not that late; as the second generation matures, schooling will catch up.
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