Chapter 241: Hohenzollern Enters the Scene
A loan isn't as simple as just handing over money. If one wants to maximize gains in the Franco-Prussian War, one must also make political demands.
As a southern German state, Hohenzollern has a duty to get involved. Although Hohenzollern belongs to Prussia, the Hohenzollern royal family's name can still be used.
"Uncle Wilhelm, as a member of the German Confederation, Hohenzollern also has an obligation to participate in Prussia's resistance against France."
"Mhm!" William I was a bit puzzled. Ernst's words made him wonder: the company money has been loaned, but now how do the Hohenzollern royals plan to contribute further?
"Although Hohenzollern is indeed an inseparable part of Prussia, our East African Kingdom is another Germanic state that's obliged to make an effort."
"Uh… you mean your East African Kingdom wants to go to war too?" William I practically heard a joke. While the day East Africa was founded, everyone acknowledged it was a German state, that land in Africa—people only ever thought of it for novelty. No one seriously counts Africa as Europe, right?
"No—Hohenzollern will go to war as a German state."
"Ernst, forgive me for being frank, but Hohenzollern is essentially just a German principality in name—can't Prussia handle that on its behalf…?"
Suddenly, William I stopped. He realized that Hohenzollern, although part of Prussia, actually had some fairly competent military personnel that Prussia had no power to conscript.
Prussia had long enforced compulsory military service, but that only applies to citizens in Prussian territory. The cadets of Hohenzollern's military academy, from the start, were nominally "overseas students" brought over by Ernst, so they weren't Prussian citizens. Later, when the East African Kingdom was founded, this group naturally became citizens of the East African Kingdom.
In fact, Prussia has long been aware of Hohenzollern's Military Academy. After all, conscription is Prussia's greatest priority, while Hohenzollern's Military Academy is registered in Prussia as a non-official institution—essentially a "diploma mill."
Initially, the Prussian government didn't pay much attention to Prince Konstantin founding a "diploma mill." Hohenzollern was tiny, with a small population. What could they pull off?
They never imagined this diploma mill wouldn't recruit in Prussia at all but instead bring in a big wave of so-called "overseas students" from the Far East.
It still didn't matter. A diploma mill, with students from the distant major Far Eastern country—Prussia's impression of that land was that it was on par with the southern Ottoman Empire.
Later, after the Austro-Prussian War, the Prussian view changed: Hohenzollern's local conscription office reported that these academy cadets were disciplined and well-trained. Observing them in drills, their military competence even approached that of a regular Prussian army unit.
In practice, Prussia wanted to drag this large group (relative to the tiny Hohenzollern area) of cadets out as cannon fodder. But the Hohenzollern royal family refused—these were "overseas students," not Prussian citizens. Besides, East Africa also needed men, and Hohenzollern's Military Academy had only produced crash-course graduates who were sent off to East Africa, so the matter ended there.
Later, William I's attention was drawn to Hohenzollern's Military Academy by way of the Berlin Military Academy.
Prince Konstantin, using his connections, forcibly arranged for two of Hohenzollern's best academy students to study at the Berlin Military Academy. Back then, Ernst had only three prized talents in mind. Currently, the East African Kingdom's army Chief of Staff, Sviate, was among them—because Ernst needed a highly capable figure in East Africa to keep the hired-mercenary faction and corporate faction in check.
The other two top students Ernst sent to the Berlin Military Academy.
They had connections, so yes, it was nepotism. Thus, at first, those two encountered hostility at the Academy. But soon they amazed everyone with their abilities.
At Berlin's premier Prussian institution for military education, the two constantly ranked among the top in academic performance. Both came from Hohenzollern's so-called "diploma mill," plus they were from the Far East, plus nepotism, plus all the attention that brought. Even William I heard about them.
He personally met the two at the Berlin Military Academy, finding them extraordinary. These two, labeled "Hohenzollern's Double Heroes," did so well that they changed some Prussians' attitudes toward the Far East. People realized Far Easterners might not be so bad; they had many brilliant talents—only stifled by their government's ineptitude. It also flattered Prussia's own educational system.
William I, with that positive impression of Hohenzollern's academy, asked:
"Why not have the East African Kingdom itself join the war, instead of going as Hohenzollern Principality?"
Ernst explained that, though East Africa was indeed a Germanic kingdom, it was overseas, whereas Hohenzollern was a typical southern German state. If war broke out, it would surely affect southern Germany. Thus they should fight as Hohenzollern.
In reality, that separates the East African Kingdom from any official hostilities. The East African Kingdom can't afford to clash openly with France—after all, one day they might be face-to-face in Africa. But the East African Kingdom also wants spoils. The plan: let the "little account," Hohenzollern, take the spoils, then pass them on to East Africa.
With that intermediary step, everything's covered. If East Africa directly declared war on France, the French would certainly retaliate in Africa later. But Hohenzollern is truly part of Prussia. Whatever Hohenzollern pockets, the French will attribute to Prussia's doing.
"What are your demands?" William I asked.
After all, no one acts without gain. The Hohenzollern royals volunteering to fight must want something.
"Uncle Wilhelm, it's no big deal, really. You know East Africa's geographical setting. We just want a small French island in the waters off East Africa."
"An island?"
"Yes, it's part of the Comoros. Right now it's a French colony, called Mayotte. For East Africa, it's strategically very important, but for France it's not. If we defeat them, we hope negotiations afterward can grant us Mayotte."
It seemed an insignificant demand. William I had never even heard of it. Indeed, if exchanging a single island for the Hohenzollern Military Academy's involvement is possible, it's certainly worthwhile. Prussia needs all the troops it can get, facing the "first army of Europe," the French.
"All right. If Hohenzollern fights, we'll give that island's ownership to the Hohenzollern royal family once the war ends."
"Right. Also, Uncle Wilhelm, though Hohenzollern enters the war, we'd like Prince Leopold (my cousin) to command that force," Ernst added.
"That's no problem at all!" William I regarded it as a trivial request.
For Ernst, though, it was crucial. Hohenzollern's Military Academy was his "Huangpu," not a pool of cannon fodder for Prussia.
This Franco-Prussian War would test Hohenzollern's Military Academy, letting these cadets see real combat. After all, a battlefield is where soldiers truly grow. One can't produce genuine military leaders just by classroom instruction. If East Africa wanted to face stronger enemies than tribal groups in the future, these "Huangpu" cadets needed real battle experience, forming the backbone of East Africa's army in years to come.
As for Prince Leopold—he was, of course, the same "Leopold" who'd become the Franco-Prussian War's immediate spark: the Spanish throne fiasco. Since France upset that plan, Leopold still served in the Prussian army, likely following in his father's footsteps. With Karl (Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen) once being the Prussian Army's Commander-in-Chief, Leopold had advanced smoothly. His brother Carol had gone to Romania, so Leopold's rank in Prussia's army was at least top 10 in seniority.
Entrusting the Hohenzollern Military Academy's cadets to Leopold suits Ernst just fine—they're all family.
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