Chapter 198 Oolong Conversation
Hearing this, Prince Constantine knew the purpose of Maximilian I, which was to persuade Ernst to form a naval force in East Africa through himself.
Before Prince Constantine came to East Africa, Ernst really had not explained the situation of the East African coastline. Some of the information he read were also about land, population and revenue.
However, since Maximilian I mentioned this matter to Ernst, Ernst did not respond, so he probably had his own plans.
So Prince Constantine did not intend to agree immediately. He would first chat with Maximilian I before making any further considerations.
"So this is what you are worried about?" Constantine said, "I don't know much about East Africa. I really didn't think about the defense of the coastline before arriving in East Africa. After staying in Germany for a long time, I even forgot about the navy. "
Heixingen is located deep in the heart of Europe. , even the edge of the sea is out of reach, not to mention the navy, even fishing boats are rare goods in Hechingen. There is a Danube river passing through Sigmaringen next door, and ships are indispensable for cargo transportation. However, there is no big river flowing through Hechingen. And it is surrounded by hills in a small plain.
Even if Constantine later spent some time in the Prussian army, he only worked in the army.
If Ernst had not developed the East African colony, Prince Constantine might not have had much interaction with the sea in his life.
“Although I don’t know much about the situation in East Africa now, I still have some common sense about the navy. There are so many countries in Europe, and there are not many who are involved in the ocean.
But I'm afraid there are only a handful of powerful navies in the world. I don't know much about the specific situation of the navy, but everyone knows that the navy is spending more and more money now. The cost of building a ship alone is too much for many countries. It’s an astronomical number.
This money can be used to build a good-sized army, and the expansion direction of East Africa does require an army more. If those European countries that engage in overseas colonization have the ability to expand in Europe, I believe them It will also tend to build up the army.
For example, France has both land and sea, but France still prefers to build an army. In addition to its national defense needs, another point is that it still has opportunities with some surrounding countries.
Although there are countries such as Britain and Austria to contain it, their ability to interfere with France is actually very limited. As long as France does its foreign affairs well, those powerful countries may not sell out the interests of some small countries.
As for Austria, Austria has also tried overseas before, and then backed down. Now almost all its energy is devoted to the mainland. This is also the reason. "Prince Constantine said.
"You can't say that. Although Austria has not organized overseas colonial expansion activities, its naval strength is still good. Moreover, the coastline talent Austria currently has is not as good as that of East Africa. There is only one important port, Trieste, that can play a major role.
There is also the problem of the navy's shipbuilding cost. It is indeed very high, but let's compare it with that! If East Africa does not pursue a large navy, it must have a small fleet. At best, it can get a few small ships! Gunboats are also possible," Maximiliano I retorted.
Of course Maximilian I knew that the current situation in East Africa could not support the construction of a considerable maritime force, and he was not an unmeasured person.
Although the emperor was not qualified, he finally made significant achievements for the Austrian Navy. The reason why he proposed naval construction in East Africa was actually out of good intentions.
And there is a mature plan. After his observation, East Africa is now capable of building a small navy. As he said, at the worst, it can build a few gunboats.
"The coastline of East Africa does not mean that it is completely undefended. Ernst built many forts. I have seen them in Mombasa, Tanga and Dar es Salaam. They are doing a good job, but the coastal defense artillery is always dead. Objects can only be used for limited defense on land
If someone really likes to do things that harm others and not benefit themselves, they only consider attacking the coastal cities in East Africa. East Africa does not even have the opportunity to take the initiative. Allowing foreign warships to travel freely along the coast of the Indian Ocean is, of course, a very bad situation. If a big country is really provoked, East Africa will only be beaten unilaterally.
But the ocean is not. With only national power, those merchant ships that are not armed can easily become pirates if they dare to think about it.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar was also split from the Oman Empire in the Middle East. Zanzibar is not the territory of the Oman Empire.
Ernst's acquisition of East Africa was considered a trick, and he frightened the Zanzibar Sultanate at that time. If it had relied on force, the colonial team at that time would not have been able to land. "
Maximiliano I was right when he said that the first batch of German mercenaries who landed in the East African colonies came aboard Dutch merchant ships.
The Sultanate of Zanzibar did not pay attention. , let more than two thousand people go up The Sultanate of Zanzibar was relatively weak in Dar es Salaam, and since it was the political center, it was not cost-effective to fight. Captain Yaman had a friendly attitude, and his demands were not excessive, so he allowed the mercenaries to stay in Dar es Salaam. The first colonies were built inland.
Ask yourself, this routine can be used in the East African colonies, and other forces can naturally use it. Dar es Salaam is still a free port, and merchant ships can dock at will. This is indeed a hidden danger.
"You said it. Makes sense, However, there are some differences between East Africa and the Sultanate of Zanzibar. The main body of Zanzibar is on Zanzibar Island, while the forces in East Africa are deep in the interior. Even if external forces come ashore, it will not be easy to gain a foothold in East Africa. After all, The land strength in East Africa is very good. "Prince Constantine said.
"This security issue is only one aspect. I have also considered the future development of East Africa before making this suggestion. The navy requires a long period of accumulation, one step at a time, one step at a time. Ships and equipment come second, and personnel must be reserved first. Let's do it!
Building a smaller navy can always accumulate some naval talents. East Africa cannot always expand inland in the future. It will inevitably develop maritime power to a certain extent. If you spend some money now, you can do it in the future. Save more money," Maximiliano I said.
Speaking of this, Prince Constantine was actually convinced. Prince Constantine also knew that East Africa’s future navy was indispensable.
However, what does Ernst think? Has he really not considered the naval power of East Africa?
The answer is definitely no. This is the result of an information gap. Maximilian I did not participate in the administrative work of East Africa. Secondly, a large amount of data in East Africa will eventually be gathered in Ernst's hands. The East African government may not be aware of some of the conditions in East Africa.
After all, the intelligence work between government departments is not interoperable, and the Hechingen Consortium is also involved in the management of East Africa. Some statistical data will not ultimately pass through the East African government.
Of course Ernst has considered the development of East African naval power. In fact, East Africa does have a less serious naval power.
That is, the river and lake troops in East Africa, especially the three great lakes, the Great Lakes, Lake Solon and Lake Malawi.
Although the name is the River and Lake Force, this is the team Ernst created for the future navy. The three major lakes are giant lakes and can fully simulate some maritime conditions. But in the end, the River and Lake Force has no real It enters the sea, so it is not serious.
As for Maximilian I’s advice to Ernst, the main reason was that he chose the wrong time. It was during the Northwest Campaign. It can be said that the entire colony was mobilized to seize such a large piece of land by force. Eight countries were wiped out. At the same time, there were long supply lines and large-scale immigration operations being rolled out at the same time. Ernst naturally had no energy to focus on naval construction.
Since Constantine had not yet taken over the political affairs in East Africa, he naturally did not know about the river and lake troops in East Africa, so this was an oolong conversation.
As for the formation of the East African Navy in the true sense, Ernst had related ideas, but he was always busy with various affairs and has put them on hold until now.
(End of this chapter)