Chapter 113： ambition

Chapter 113 Wild Hope

Although it is said that the development of agriculture is the main focus, some other industries can also be started, such as some handicrafts and relatively basic industries.

After all, the population of East Africa is increasing, and it is impossible to rely on imports for pots and pans, and the cost will be too horrible.

The handicraft industry is easy to understand. Blacksmith shops, tailor shops, carpentry... These industries that meet the daily needs of the people in East Africa can be released first.

Basic industries refer to those industries that are suitable for the current East African colonies and have low barriers to entry. For example, the cement needed by the East African colonies is not always imported from Europe. In order to save costs, it is better to build factories in East Africa.

There are also some processing industries that can increase the added value of East African agricultural products, such as flour mills, oil mills, and textile mills.

And these factories can’t get around steam engines, so they still need to develop the local coal mine resources in East Africa. The coal mines in Mbeya are developed and want to be transported to various parts of East Africa, and there are requirements for transportation...

In short, it is a relatively complicated process. There is no need to rush, and one by one should be completed first. If it is completed, it will only be icing on the cake for the current East Africa, and there will be no loss if it cannot be completed.

The military industry is an important industry to ensure the security of the East African colonies, its status is second only to agriculture, and the machines decommissioned from the European arsenal are currently being armed in the East African colonies.

Part of the supply of weapons and ammunition can be guaranteed. After the resources in East Africa are developed in the future, artillery ammunition can also be imitated on this basis.

In a short period of time, the self-sufficiency of weapons and ammunition will be formed. Of course, artillery and ammunition cannot be rushed, because the Trieste Hechingen Arsenal has not yet entered the stage of production, and artillery production has not yet been in place. Need to wait some time.

In addition to immigration and industrial work, the expansion task in 1868 cannot be left behind. Now it is focusing on two directions, one is the northwest, and the other is the Omo River Basin (the junction of Kenya and Ethiopia).

Needless to say, the northwest has always been the place Ernst wanted to win. It is the most fertile area in East Africa.

And if the Omo River Basin is not taken while the British are at war with Ethiopia, there may not be such a good chance in the future. Anyway, the British must attack the Abyssinian Empire from the direction of the Red Sea.

The Omo River is located in the southwest of Ethiopia, and East Africa and the United Kingdom are fighting each other without interfering with each other.

As for the energy of the Abyssinian Empire, it must be on the British. After all, the essence of Ethiopia is in the central and northern parts.

The southwest is full of plateaus and mountains, and there are many tribes, and the control of the Abyssinian Empire over the local area is relatively weak.

As for why the Omo River Basin must be captured, the answer is the water source. The whole of northern Kenya is relatively dry, and the Omo River Basin is a rare area with abundant precipitation. At the same time, the Omo River is related to the safety of Lake Turkana.

As for the troubles that the Abyssinian Empire will find in East Africa in the future, there is no need to worry at all. The Abyssinian Empire’s rule over the south is relatively weak, and the local area is dominated by Oromo and Luo tribes.

The Abyssinian Empire's control over the local area is similar to the so-called vassal state in the East, so it is not a big deal not to threaten the core interests of the Abyssinian Empire.

If the Abyssinian Empire is not calm, the weapons of the East African colonies will also calm it down. After all, the East African colonies are not fighting away like Britain and Italy.

In addition to these two areas that may be rough, there is also northern Kenya to be developed. Although the number of local indigenous people is relatively small (desert, grassland), they must not be let go.

Northern Kenya is positioned as a pasture, which is used for grazing. It is definitely not possible to engage in local planting.

Unless it is around rivers, lakes, or places with guaranteed water sources, it is okay to plant some drought-tolerant crops such as millet (millet).

In northern Kenya, many are seasonal rivers and saltwater lakes, so water sources are relatively scarce. Many of these waters have relatively high salinity and are only suitable for livestock to drink.

Water-scarce areas are also suitable for the development of some specialty crops, but the current level in East Africa is not up to it, and grazing is still simple and rough.

However, you should be careful when grazing, and plan the pasture within a reasonable range as much as possible to avoid permanent damage to the pasture.

In addition to these tasks, intelligence work to the west (Zambia, Zimbabwe) can also be carried out.

In 1868, the exploration of Zambia and Zimbabwe was to be completed, especially the copper belt at the intersection of Zambia and Congo.

That is the largest sedimentary copper deposit in the world. It was praised in the previous life as the corundum ore belt. Its copper reserves have reached 15% of the world's. Not only is the amount large, but the quality is relatively high.

Let me ask who can withstand such a temptation. If any of the great powers learns of such news, they will flock to it, let alone Ernst.

And this copper belt is located on the Katanga Plateau not too far from East Africa, passing through Mbeya, about 700 kilometers to the west.

In addition to copper mines, the Katanga Plateau is rich in other resources, including cobalt, tin, radium, uranium and diamonds...

In order to avoid collisions and conflicts with the Portuguese, East Africa can not explore the Zimbabwe region first, while Zambia and southern Congo can conduct reconnaissance activities first, and then act after East Africa resolves the territorial issues in the north.

…

Ernst took a pen to write and draw freely on the draft paper, and soon a few full pages were recorded.

These things were to be done in East Africa in 1868, and Ernst sorted them out and transcribed them into a memorandum.

I have to say that this is an ambitious plan, which means that there are few (basically none) competitors in Africa today, so Ernst took advantage of it.

As for those natives, the East African colonies with thermal weapons are a dimensionality reduction blow to them.

What can really cause huge losses to the East African colonies is not the indigenous tribes, but the harsh environment in Africa.

Especially the primeval forests in the Zambia River Basin, the conditions can be imagined. The northern part of Zambia is good, mainly savannah, so it is not difficult for the East African colonies to win the land between Zambia and the Katanga Plateau of the Congo to East Africa.

And Lake Malawi, the Kingdom of Malawi on the southwest coast, is not within the scope of Ernst's consideration for the time being. A buffer zone is needed between East Africa and Mozambique, and the Kingdom of Malawi has a strong autonomy and is almost independent of Portugal. influence of people.

It can very well isolate East Africa from contact with the Portuguese forces. As for the temporary agreement between East Africa and Mozambique in the east, and with the Ruvuma River as a natural barrier, there is only a short section of direct border, so don't worry too much.

(end of this chapter)