Chapter 99: Coastal Artillery
"What you said makes sense," Maximilian I replied, "but I still believe industrial development should come first. Especially now, with East Africa's small population, the barriers to industrialization are lower. As for food, high-value industrial products can always be traded for low-cost agricultural goods."
The factory manager responded, "From the perspective of some European countries, Your Majesty has a valid point. Not every country is suited for agriculture. But East Africa's natural conditions and vast land make agriculture its strength. And having food on hand brings peace of mind."
He continued, "Prince Ernst often emphasizes that agriculture is the most self-sufficient industry. Everyone must eat. Industrialization, however, requires many conditions—it has a high threshold. Developed nations hold a massive edge, constantly upgrading their tech. The more they advance, the higher the bar for latecomers."
"For example, East Africa currently lacks the foundation for industrialization. Most residents are rural folk with zero industrial knowledge. Our food production can't support large-scale industrialization. We also lack proper transport infrastructure—our dirt roads don't compare to those in even moderately developed countries. And to industrialize, we'd need to import machinery from Europe. But the Hohenzollern Consortium still has to turn a profit, and East Africa can't yet afford widespread importation of industrial facilities."
Maximilian I listened quietly, deep in thought. His mind wandered to his own life story.
A lifelong liberal, he had governed Milan at age 25, as Governor of Lombardy and Venice. There, he implemented what he believed were enlightened and humane reforms—policies that ultimately angered his brother and led to his dismissal.
That experience was one of the reasons he later chose to go to Mexico. He wanted to prove that his ideas weren't mere fantasies and that they could truly develop a nation.
Unfortunately, reality hit hard. Mexicans rejected him, and even tried to execute him in the end. He had managed to offend nearly everyone.
Looking back, Mexico was never the right place for a monarch. The population was deeply influenced by republicanism. And thanks to his predecessor's lavish spending, the people's trust was already exhausted. Going there had been a mistake from the start.
In truth, Maximilian had been deceived. The French had faked a survey showing Mexico's support for monarchy, tricking him—blinded by ambition—into becoming a scapegoat.
In Mexico, the people chose their rulers. But in East Africa, it was Ernst who chose his people.
That, Maximilian thought, was why Ernst could issue orders that were followed. It allowed him to fully apply his talents.
...
September 11, 1867
Port of Mtwara
"One-two-three, heave! One-two-three…"
Hundreds of dockworkers strained to unload heavy artillery from ships. These massive cannons had been shipped from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
East Africa had no cranes or equipment for such tasks, so everything had to be done manually.
All imported cement in recent months had gone toward building coastal defenses.
Reflecting on the Paraguayan War, Ernst realized East Africa's position in Africa was eerily similar to Paraguay's in South America: both centrally located in their respective continents, slightly to the east.
The difference? Paraguay was landlocked. East Africa had a long coastline.
That was East Africa's greatest strength—and its greatest weakness.
The ports made development easier, but also exposed the colony to maritime threats.
Currently, East Africa had no navy. Its gates to the Indian Ocean were wide open.
To defend against seaborne enemies, there were only two options: build a navy, or construct coastal defenses—especially artillery batteries that could return fire.
But navies were money pits.
Small ones were useless—maybe good for scaring off fishing boats, but helpless against armed merchant ships.
Naval warfare was also a technical field. Without long-term training and experience, there was little hope of fielding an effective fleet.
Given the current colonial budget, a navy was out of the question.
Practicality dictated that fixed coastal artillery was the better choice.
Right now was the perfect time to buy decommissioned naval guns from Europe.
The Battle of Lissa between Austria and Italy had spurred an arms race in naval technology.
Old warships were being retired—along with their big guns.
Some nations reused them as coastal batteries. Others sold them.
Ernst purchased a batch of these retired naval cannons from the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Though secondhand, they were still powerful—far better than the rusty pieces inherited from the Zanzibar Sultanate.
Mtwara, the southernmost port in East Africa, was the first to benefit.
Ships from Europe arriving in East Africa would dock at Mtwara first.
With foreknowledge, Mtwara had already laid the foundation for its artillery emplacements.
The designs had been commissioned from experts in the Austro-Hungarian Navy—state-of-the-art for the time.
Now, all that was left was to install the guns and perform calibration tests.
After tremendous effort, workers finally positioned the cannons.
Austro-Hungarian naval advisors directed the loading and targeting procedures.
With all systems ready, the gun was aimed at a floating target on the sea—marked red for visibility.
"Fire!"
Boom!
With a thunderous roar and a puff of smoke, the coastal cannon struck its target dead-on.
The sea exploded in a massive splash.
The wooden float shattered into fragments that soared into the sky.
Everyone near the blast zone heard only ringing in their ears.
They felt a shockwave when the round was fired—a tangible wave of air pressure.
Clearly, the firepower was more than enough to handle the armed ships of the current era.
Still, there were drawbacks.
Ammunition had to be imported from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and it wasn't cheap.
Conservation was essential.
Artillery crews would need to improve their skills to compensate for limited supplies.
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