Chapter 1164 Controversy
Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s military performance was poor due to various factors, the same was true for Russia. It can be said that the problems that existed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire also existed in Russia, and the Eastern Front battlefield and The battlefield on the Western Front was different. On the battlefield on the Eastern Front, Russia faced Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the same time.
And Russia was restrained by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the German army showed great power on the Eastern Front battlefield. This gave the Allies an advantage on the Eastern and Western Front battlefields, and the Ottoman Empire, Russia's feud, also made a move at this time. A decision was made.
"Basra Railway!" Crown Prince Friedrich calculated in his mind after knowing the intentions of the Three Kingdoms.
The Basra Railway is the unfinished part of the 2B Railway and is of great strategic significance. Once the construction is completed, the Allied Powers' ability to obtain supplies will be greatly enhanced, which will inevitably further amplify the Allied Powers' advantages.
After all, the Allies now have an overall advantage on the battlefield. With the support of the Basra Railway, the chances of victory will further increase.
The extraordinary nature of the Basra Railway is not only of great significance to Germany, but also of great significance to the entire Allied camp.
It can radiate to the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and "Balkan Prussia" Bulgaria, and can string the four Allied members together in a line.
Of course, railways are not maritime transport after all. Even if the Basra Railway is fully connected, its bonus to the four countries will be relatively limited, not to mention the construction of a railway line hundreds of kilometers long, and it must be completed in a short time. The requirements are relatively high.
“This matter still needs to be discussed within the East African government. Of course, I will report your opinions directly to my father. Whether we can finally achieve it depends on the outcome of the internal discussion within the government.” Friedrich said .
Soon, Friedrich submitted the proposal of the three-nation mission to the Rhine Palace, and East African senior officials also launched a heated discussion on whether to build the Basra Railway.
Minister of Railways Kasso: "The Basra Railway can definitely be built. The geological conditions from Basra to Baghdad are not complicated. Although it also passes through desert areas with arid climate, it is far inferior to the railway construction in our domestic deserts and other terrains. The difficulty is high. It passes through the Mesopotamia Plain, which has a good industrial and agricultural foundation and a relatively rich population. It is one of the few excellent lands in the Middle East. "
The Mesopotamia Plain has always been one of the Middle East plates. It is an important grain-producing area with developed agriculture, convenient irrigation, crisscrossing rivers and fertile land.
This is all due to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, which are the real Mesopotamia. After all, the Shabelle River and Juba River in northeastern East Africa are also called Mesopotamia by East Africans, which is considered a pirated version.
“If we build a railway line led by East Africa, our East African influence can go deep into the two river basins and further expand our advantages along the Persian Gulf.”
"At present, our domestic railway standards have never been exported to the outside world on a large scale. This time is a relatively good opportunity."
East African railway construction is basically concentrated in the country, and even colonial construction is relatively small. Of course, this It is related to the poor conditions of the East African colonies. The East African colonies are mainly islands and the population is relatively sparse, so railway construction is somewhat wasteful.
However, as East Kalimantan and Lanfang Overseas Province are connected, the feasibility of building a railway on the island of Kalimantan in the future has greatly improved. After all, the two areas combined have nearly half a million people. square kilometers, which is equivalent to the area of some large European countries, but this is a matter of the future.
The domestic railways in East Africa have tended to be saturated. If it were not for the annexation of Gabon and other regions, the era of great expansion of East African railways may have ended in the future.
So the railway department is still very interested in the Basra Railway. With East Africa’s infrastructure capabilities, it can be said that the difficulty of building a railway of only a few hundred kilometers is quite low. In the past few decades, East Africa’s railway growth has been increasing every year. Close to the 10,000-kilometer level.
Merkel put forward the opposite opinion: "The Basra Railway must not only consider economic factors, but also the international situation. After all, this railway involves two major camps, and Britain and Russia have relatively extensive interests in the Persian Gulf region. Influence, and military presence, so it will be difficult for this railway to be completed smoothly unless Britain and Russia are settled." Merkel only said that it would be completed smoothly. After all, if East Africa really wants to build this railway, it can be completed.
Sweite: "Since Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire have all agreed to build this railway, then we should not worry too much about the attitudes of countries such as Britain. After all, the 2B railway mainly passes through the Allies. Region, this is part of normal economic cooperation. As long as we reach an agreement with the Ottoman Empire government, it will basically be no big deal.”
“Of course, as a compromise, we will definitely not follow Germany’s rules. In this way, the railway still needs a transfer in Baghdad. After all, for us, we don’t expect the 2B railway to be fully connected.”
In addition to strategic needs, Germany’s construction of the 2B railway is not. In addition, economic factors are equally important. Germany's economic core is mainly the countries bordering Germany, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, etc. In the years before World War I, it expanded rapidly to the Balkans and the Middle East.
The Middle East is also one of the overseas markets that East Africa values more. In the past, trade between East Africa and the Middle East was basically dominated by sea transportation, consisting of complex routes such as the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.
So if the 2B railway is fully connected, it will not be very attractive to East Africa, because East Africa does not rely on railways for trade with Middle Eastern countries.
However, it will be different if the Basra Railway is built according to the East African Railway standards. Although it connects Baghdad and Basra, as we all know, the East African Railway is unique in the world, and the railway gauge is different from other countries. In the future, even if the Basra Railway is built, the 2B Railway will not be completely connected, and the goods will need to be transferred again in Baghdad.
Generally speaking, most East African officials support the construction of the Basra Railway. After all, East Africans are also Germans. Most East Africans have a good impression of the Allies and hope that the Allies can win the final victory of the war.
Emperor Ernst left the final decision to Crown Prince Friedrich.
He asked the crown prince: "Friedrich, what's your opinion!"
Friedrich said: "Father, I think this railway can be built, and as Duke Sweet said, This railway must be constructed in accordance with our country's standards. Although this will make the three countries feel dissatisfied, at this stage, they have no choice, right?"
"Besides, we and the alliance have no choice? The country’s trade has been affected by the influence of Britain and France, so the construction of the Basra Railway is completely morally defensible for us. Now there are no other forces in the Indian Ocean region that can interfere with the empire’s decision.”
With the outbreak of the European War, Britain and France both transferred their main forces back to the European battlefield. This caused the East African Navy to shift its naval power to the Atlantic Ocean, but East Africa's strength in the Indian Ocean was significantly enhanced.
Furthermore, the Allied Powers are far more important to East Africa than the Allied Powers. Although the Allied Powers also bribed East Africa, Americans still compete in the Allied Powers’ market, while most of the Allied Powers’ business is monopolized by East Africa. This is Completely different concept.
The wealth of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was no less than that of the Allied Powers, not to mention that East Africa also did business with Russia. In fact, in the final analysis, the place where East Africa salvaged oil and water during World War I was the most important market in East Africa before the war, the entire Central and Eastern Europe region.
Russia is also a big customer in East Africa, not inferior to any of the Allies. After all, if Russia wants to obtain external material support, it can basically only go through East Africa and the United States, but the trade between Russia and the United States mainly passes through Siberia. Railway to achieve.
Ships from East Africa can directly reach the Black Sea and trade with Russia. After the war with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia basically lost its trade channels with Europe, especially Western Europe.
(End of this chapter)