Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Military Industry Primary Ticket

As part of the agreement with Prussia, Ernst secured a significant entry ticket into the arms industry, marking the beginning of his ventures in this sector.

Ernst had explicitly stated that this venture into the arms industry was for the purpose of providing weapons and equipment for the East African colonies under the jurisdiction of the Hechingen royal family. While producing weapons and equipment in Europe was feasible, the challenge lay in setting up production lines without drawing unwanted attention.

Emphasizing the use of these weapons for colonization purposes made the Prussian government more willing to cooperate. They agreed to provide Ernst with a small arsenal, decommissioned flintlock production lines, and bullet production lines. Additionally, Prussia promised that Ernst could order other necessary materials from Prussian military enterprises like Krupp in the future, as long as these materials weren't used in Europe.

Ernst was content with the availability of these old weapon production lines. His plan was to equip the East African colonies with these weapons, which were becoming outdated but suitable for their purpose.

As the Chinese immigrant population in the East African colonies continued to grow, the need for armed forces increased. Ernst currently had more than 2,000 hired German troops in East Africa, but with over 3,000 Chinese immigrants, the balance needed to shift. Ernst's approach involved organizing a small Chinese army.

The goal was to have this army assist in controlling the vast territory of East Africa, where future expansion would inevitably lead to conflicts with neighboring tribes and other colonists. Ernst aimed to prevent a scenario where German East Africa would be overwhelmed, as had happened during the First World War.

He understood that relying solely on native forces was unreliable, as evidenced by the poor performance of native armies during colonial conflicts. While it might be possible to improve the situation through education in future generations, it would be a costly and time-consuming endeavor that the colonists were unlikely to support.

In the meantime, Ernst planned to build a Chinese army of 50,000 in East Africa over the next three years. To maintain control, all officers were to be German, with graduates from the Hechingen Military Academy serving as staff officers and deputy staff to assist in management.

Ernst also considered expanding the German community in East Africa, but he acknowledged that this would only be feasible once infrastructure development was complete and Europe faced the threat of war. At that point, ordinary Europeans might be more inclined to migrate to East Africa.

The Chinese army was expected to serve as a special-type force, participating in daily production and construction activities in addition to their military duties. Given the relatively primitive weaponry of the indigenous tribes, Ernst believed that arming Chinese immigrants with retired flintlock guns from Europe would provide a significant advantage.

Ernst's approach to military development in East Africa was tailored to the specific challenges and opportunities of the region.

(end of Chapter 25)