Chapter 94: Arrival of Paraguayan Immigrants
The Paraguayan War created not only a large number of orphans but, even more so, countless single-parent families and widowed women.
Though the war hasn't ended yet, it's estimated that there are already seventy to eighty thousand widows and fatherless children.
With the intervention of the Hohenzollern Consortium, a portion of these people have already left that land of conflict and begun a new life in East Africa.
Based on the timeline of the Paraguayan War in the previous life, this project could continue for another three to four years.
Before the establishment of a new government in Paraguay, the East African colony could take in tens of thousands of Paraguayan immigrants—and if coordination goes well, perhaps over a hundred thousand.
This kind of thing can only be done during wartime.
After all, Paraguay is a small-population country. Before the war, its population was only about 500,000–600,000 (some sources claim over a million, since many countries lacked accurate census data at the time).
East Africa's current approach is essentially cutting off Paraguay's roots—but Paraguay isn't entirely without options.
Paraguay was already an immigrant nation. In theory, they could recover by bringing in new migrants.
Of course, this is easier said than done. If recruiting immigrants were that easy, Ernst wouldn't be struggling with it.
And after the war, Paraguay will be a ruined country, stripped of land, its infrastructure in shambles.
What kind of fool would choose to immigrate there when Argentina and Brazil are right next door and far more attractive?
In contrast, the East African colony is in much better shape.
Although it hasn't been established long, it's already one of the most developed regions in Africa (excluding North Africa).
Its environment—if not on par with Argentina's—at least compares favorably with Brazil's highlands.
And with its planned, strategic immigration policy, it's growing far faster than the organically settled countries of the Americas.
The colony also enforces strict immigration standards.
It rejects criminals, thieves, and any population that is difficult to govern or socially disruptive, such as clan-based or tribal migrants.
Otherwise, it could easily surpass the U.S. in annual immigration numbers—just the Far East alone could supply more immigrants than any other country.
That's not an exaggeration.
In that era, affording a ship ticket was extremely difficult unless a colony was urgently recruiting labor—and that wasn't a consistent opportunity.
Many nations had tried to build colonies to support their own development.
The British, for example, invested heavily in the Americas—only for it all to collapse in the Revolutionary War.
So Ernst is extremely strict about who can settle in East Africa.
He refuses to allow a repeat of the American betrayal.
The U.S. achieved independence largely because of its abundance of elites.
The Mayflower didn't carry refugees—it carried educated and organized Puritan settlers.
There's a theory that Calvinist Puritanism was the ideological foundation of America.
Thus, Ernst is highly wary of any belief system or bloodline that might unify immigrants.
There are no missionaries or churches in East Africa.
The immigrants' beliefs are a chaotic mix: Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and even a few Muslims.
The Far Eastern immigrants are even more mixed.
They believe in ancestors, house gods, the Jade Emperor, the City God…
Some even mix Christian and Muslim ideas after interacting with Western immigrants—an example of pragmatic thinking at its finest.
East Africa is managed like a corporation.
Ernst has no plans to build churches or hire missionaries.
Most immigrants are illiterate peasants.
Even if they practice some rituals at home, it's usually shallow and based on tradition, not formal doctrine.
Because missionaries could unify people through religious interpretation and collective worship, Ernst strictly prohibits any religious figures from entering the colony.
East Africa's immigrant population is made up of ordinary, ambitionless people.
Its leadership mostly consists of retired Germans who plan to return home after their service.
The loyal cadets from the Hohenzollern Military Academy also provide internal checks and balances, while the Consortium continually replenishes leadership positions.
The East African government is currently very stable, balanced by multiple internal factions.
And the only unifying force is Ernst himself.
Anyone trying to stir up trouble would quickly find themselves cut off from the Consortium's trade network, leading to total economic collapse.
...
September 10, 1867
Mogens Krogh, village chief of Ngaga in Masasi town, Ruvuma City, Lower Coastal Zone, East African colony.
He was leading a group of newly arrived Paraguayan immigrants through their new village.
"Ladies, the living conditions in East Africa aren't great yet, so the homes are simple and the furniture sparse. But the environment here is not bad," he said.
Pointing outside, he added,
"Do you see those fertile fields? Just a year ago, Ngaga Village was nothing but wild land filled with animals.
But thanks to immigration, we've rapidly developed. So don't worry about East Africa's living conditions or future.
There's no war here, and order is well-maintained.
As the government has cleared out dangerous wildlife, it's now very safe."
His words were translated by a German-speaking Paraguayan resident.
Though most of these immigrants were Spanish-speaking, many German settlers had arrived in Paraguay generations ago, a legacy of Germany's fractured past and long history of conflict.
Only recently had Prussia unified northern Germany, slowing the emigration wave.
The interpreter was one such descendant—fluent in both German and Spanish.
Krogh continued,
"You've arrived at the right time.
Out of sympathy for the widows and orphans caused by war, Prince Ernst of Prussia—the owner of the East African colony—personally paid out of pocket to support you.
The colony will also provide free education for your children.
So please, settle down in Ngaga Village.
Your future will be brighter here."
After hearing the introduction, the women who had traveled across the sea from a faraway country finally felt at ease.
Some wept tears of joy and prayed for Ernst's health.
They had lost their husbands to war, and with no end in sight, they fled to East Africa to ensure their children's safety.
Government subsidies also helped them make that decision.
Raising children alone would be hard—but financial aid could ease the burden.
Before arriving, they worried about broken promises.
Now that homes had been distributed, their hearts were finally at peace.
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