Chapter 234 Brothers pulling together
Schönbrunn Palace, Austria.
"Humph, what! You are not satisfied with your job as the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, do you want to regret it! My silly brother."
Franz said to the Commander-in-Chief of the East African Navy who had just returned to Vienna Commander Ferdinand was full of cynicism.
Ferdinand, who had long since become a veteran, immediately countered: "In East Africa, as the commander-in-chief of the navy, although I don't have many ships under my command, I am much stronger than the 'bathtub' navy of Austria. In the future, East Africa As the navy developed, I ordered the closure of the Gulf of Aden and prohibited Austrian ships from entering the Indian Ocean.”
Franz did not respond to Ferdinand's joke.
Block the Gulf of Aden? It seems that the geographical location of East Africa is really feasible. Although East Africa has no ports on the Red Sea coast, Djibouti, or the northern coast of Somalia, its northernmost Mogadishu is not far from the Gulf of Aden, just like the North German region. Although there are A port facing the Atlantic Ocean, but if the British really wanted to use the navy to block Prussia in the Baltic Sea, it was entirely possible.
Actually, Franz has not thought of one thing. If East Africa really plans to blockade the Red Sea, it is impossible to use the so-called East African Navy. How high is the East African Navy compared with Great Britain? It is not possible to expect the East African Navy to block the Gulf of Aden. The East African Army's blockade of the Gulf of Aden is reliable.
According to the current military strength in East Africa, the Army can rush directly to Djibouti and Somaliland at any cost, wipe out the British and French colonies in one fell swoop, and mount a few artillery pieces to pose a serious threat to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The latest plan for East Africa The military town of Dire Dawa in the Northern Province is only more than 300 kilometers away from Djibouti.
The narrowest point of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is only 26 kilometers. In the current era, most East African artillery ranges cannot reach this far. A few large-caliber coastal defense guns are possible, but it is a pity that they cannot be moved. Current technology is not up to it. But the future is hard to say.
This was also the reason why Ernst did not go to the Red Sea coast and the Gulf of Aden to occupy land. It would be too conspicuous and easily targeted. Britain, France, the Ottomans, and Egypt were not good enemies, but East Africa also had the ability to threaten this channel.
And even if East Africa really blocks the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the British will be extremely happy. Originally, the British were reluctant to dig the Suez Canal, and it was all driven by the French. Seeing that France is very likely to succeed, the British It is a virtue to come out and take advantage of others, and to help future generations advance and withdraw from the EU.
Suez is gone. At best, the French are unlucky. Cape Town can return to its peak. In addition, the British Indian cavalry in the Far East is not easy to deal with. The British military in India has the ability to cross the sea. Attacking the Abyssinian Empire and winning shows its ability.
You must know that although Theodore II, the former emperor of the Abyssinian Empire, was arrogant, his vision was much broader than that of the stupid donkeys in the Far East. The Church of Bisinia occupied more real estate, paid soldiers, built roads, purchased modern firearms and cannons, and tried to abolish slavery. These were all achievements of Theodore II. In the end, he saw the defeat, but instead had He had the courage to drink a bullet and commit suicide. Just because he did not choose to live an ignoble existence was considered a hero in this era.
Of course, the fact that East Africa is currently incapable and unwilling to imitate Japan and gamble on its national destiny does not mean that there will be no opportunities in the future. Once East Africa becomes stronger, not to mention Suez, even the whole of Egypt will come to be a licker. Egypt That climate and environment cannot make him a superman in the jungles of Vietnam, and the geographical environment cannot turn him into an Afghan cemetery.
...
"How is it? Are you scared by my words?" Ferdinand said, having regained the game.
“Humph, as far as East Africa is concerned, even if it develops for another fifty years, it won’t be able to reach this level. Look at how many years the United States has been since its founding. It’s pretty good at bragging. You just want to replace it with the British. Isn’t that right? I just dare to shout across the Atlantic Ocean.”
“It’s just a joke! Seriously, Franz, it seems you are still so stubborn.”
Franz said speechlessly: "Tell me! How come you have time to come back!"
"I wish I had been so serious earlier! Of course I came back this time to visit my mother and Karina."
"It should be on my way! I heard that I was building a ship in Trieste a few days ago. The factory is surveying several gunboats that have just been completed!"
"It's just a way, so what? You should know that such a trip on the sea is not easy, and I am very busy every day!"
< br>Ferdinand was not lying about this. He was really busy. The East African Navy was founded. In order for these sailors from the river and lake forces to form combat effectiveness as soon as possible, many things required Ferdinand and the Austrian naval youths who were "exiled" to East Africa. The officers are hands-on.
"Since you are back to visit your mother and Karina, why are you angry with me, my elder brother?" Franz was worthy of being the topic stopper.
"What do you think? That guy Ernst asked me to come and talk about cooperation with you."
"He told me about this a few days ago."
< br>"Of course I know, but he only said the intention of cooperation, not the content, No! This is the cooperation list drawn up by our East African Kingdom, take a look!"
Ferdinand didn't know from A large stack of cooperation lists was brought out, and Franz took it and read it carefully. Two hours later.
"Ernst, he is indeed suitable to be a shrewd businessman. He has hidden so many things for so long." Franz said with a smile.
"As long as the area is large, you can always find some resources. I think the resource situation in East Africa is much worse than that of the Austro-Hungarian Empire." Archduke Ferdinand said.
"It would be great to have such conditions. Austria is the land of choice for the Habsburg family. How can the conditions be comparable to a marginal place like East Africa." Franz was quite proud. said.
Ferdinand despised his brother fiercely, but East Africa was indeed unsatisfactory. With a land of millions and only such few resources, it is no wonder that it has not been targeted.
As the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy of the Kingdom of East Africa, Ferdinand is relatively familiar with many situations in East Africa. Naturally, he has read the list of resources provided by the economic department of the Hechingen Consortium in advance.
Eastern East Africa has a land area of more than two million people, which looks much larger than the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but its resource endowment is indeed at the same level as the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There is also a large area of invalid territory in the desert in the north. Fortunately, although Somalia is also a tropical desert, Two large rivers, Shabelle and Juba, pass through it.
Even so, the resources in the eastern part of East Africa alone can reach the level of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which should attract the attention of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Why is the effect so mediocre!
This is because the list was tampered with by Ernst. The list contains some detailed mineral resource analysis reports in East Africa, as well as the mining plan of the East African Kingdom.
This list mainly discloses the distribution of coal and iron ore in southern Tanzania (eastern shore of Lake Malawi), as well as the mineral resources in Kenya.
As for the gold mines in the Great Lakes region, they will naturally not be opened to the outside world. The copper mines on the Katanga Plateau have also been hidden by East Africa. That copper mine is so huge that it can change the pattern of the world's copper mining industry. Just like Middle Eastern oil can breed mold in previous lives.
Copper, a scarce resource in the world, is also one of the most important, most popular, most widely used and most used metals in the world.
Copper has been one of the most important metals since it was discovered and utilized by humans, especially before the Iron Age.
There are also many wars caused by copper mines. Ernst has thought about this problem in his previous life, that is, what is the reason why the Shang Dynasty in the Far East likes to launch wars, among which copper mines are an indispensable factor. , just like fungi like oil, copper mines were the most important strategic resources in that era.
Cooperation must also be cautious. Kenya’s resources alone are enough to make Austria rich. As for coal and iron minerals, to be honest, they are not very attractive to Austria. The main minerals of the Austro-Hungarian Empire The resources are among the best in Europe and are completely sufficient. If the value is not high, if you have the time to think of a way to transport it from the Balkans, it will be better than shipping it from East Africa.
The East African government's idea is also very simple, which is to develop the three provinces of South Kenya, namely Oriental Province, South Prussia Province and Western Great Lakes Province.
If you want to transport these resources to the port of Mombasa and export them to Austria, why don't you help build a railway in East Africa?
At the same time, it can also solicit orders for the railway departments and companies of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The steel production capacity in East Africa cannot support such a large project. At the same time, other equipment must be imported from Austria, and the locomotives are also provided by Austria. East Africa used mineral resources to repay the debt.
Now that the Suez Canal is open, transportation costs have also been reduced. The distance from Trieste to Mombasa is not far, and it is still very cost-effective. After all, no one will be too dissatisfied with the loss of the Lorraine Iron Mine. France is an example.
At the moment, priority is given to developing the South Kenya area. As for what to do with Tanzania, there is actually no good way. Just farm the land well. In the previous life, Tanzania was an agricultural country, and its resource situation was not as good as Kenya. In this life, it can be better at best. Whether Tanzania can develop depends on the development of Zambia. Once Zambia develops, Tanzania will not be a problem. After all, the ports are concentrated in the east, and the geographical conditions of the East African Plateau are very good. The traffic will become the crossroads of East Africa like Germany in the previous life. It's possible.
The basis of cooperation is to make money. Don’t worry about this. The East African government itself is also a buyer. It can also digest part of the produced minerals, or even eat more than half, and the rest is shipped back to Austria. Supporting Austria's development will solve the problem.
The intention of cooperation is very clear, it is Austria, not the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Ernst has been thinking of ways to strengthen the German national advantages in Austria, especially the advantages of the Germans near the Adriatic Sea. There are many Italians in Trieste Very dangerous.
Trieste is the channel connecting Germany and East Africa. Naturally, it is better to be in the hands of its own people. Therefore, the Hechingen Consortium has been committed to recruiting Italian immigrants in Trieste, and the effect is only To be fair, Trieste's economic situation under the rule of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was very good. It was the only excellent port and the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire was the economic hinterland, which could even radiate to Eastern Europe and South Germany.
Reducing the Italian population has little effect, so increase the German population. The grain processing factory area in Trieste has attracted a large number of Germans to work.
The fact that Trieste's population problem cannot be solved now does not mean that it cannot be solved in the future. Ernst had already thought about it. As an industrial city, Trieste should not be able to escape the sanctions of the economic crisis.
(End of this chapter)