Chapter 112: Population and Agriculture
The future ideology of East Africa would be rooted in a form of civilization—namely, Germanic civilization. Concepts like democracy, freedom, and equality were not ideals Ernst, as a traditional aristocrat, had any interest in. Cloaking one's rule in such ideals was nothing short of digging one's own grave.
Instead, the pillars of Germanic culture—nationalism, order, rule of law, and conservatism—were Ernst's foundation.
These were the values a feudal monarch ought to promote, and when wrapped in the aesthetic appeal of science and sports, they could ensure the Hohenzollern dynasty's long-lasting presence in East Africa.
When it came to controlling public opinion, the East African system could never compete with what the future U.S. and Soviet Union would build.
But Ernst could at least denounce the competition.
As long as he made it through the 20th century, all problems would be solved—by then, everyone would see that "all crows are black under the heavens."
…
Setting that aside, the most urgent matter in East Africa was immigration.
More immigrants meant more land development; land development meant profits; profits meant more military expansion and more advanced weaponry.
If Ernst could turn East Africa into a Switzerland of Africa—a tough nut no one could crack—his position would be secure.
In just two years, nearly 600,000 immigrants had arrived (580,000). Next year's goal was at least 500,000 more.
The Hohenzollern fleet continued expanding, bringing down immigration costs.
New sources of immigrants, especially from Europe and the Americas, were continually being tapped.
Russia (where serf reform had bankrupted many peasants), Italy (a major emigrant source to the Americas), and various South American countries all offered promising new pools.
Far Eastern immigration had stabilized—unless major disasters or wars triggered mass refugee movements.
The region was now entering a phase of peace and reform (Self-Strengthening Movement).
Ernst planned to maintain his current Far East immigration policy until around 1890.
That era marked the ideological awakening and restructuring of national consciousness in the Far East.
By then, he would drastically raise the bar for immigration to filter out undesirable elements.
From next year through 1890—22 years in total—there would be ample time to bring in the population needed for East Africa's development.
At 200,000 people per year, that meant 4.4 million immigrants.
Adding other sources, East Africa could easily reach 10 million by 1890.
And immigrants weren't made of stone—they would have children.
Given the insane birthrates of peasants at the time, East Africa's population could easily triple before World War I—possibly surpassing even France.
Since the land that would feed this growth came from dispossessed natives, neither Ernst nor the colonial government felt the least bit sorry.
They were fully committed to making farming East Africa's foundation.
A nation with a sufficient agricultural base, a sound mobilization system, and decently modern weapons could hold its own anywhere in the world.
Industry could come later. First, solve agriculture—after all, industry needs food.
How else would factory workers eat?
Agriculture not only fed people, it stabilized new territories.
Grain was a hard currency—more reliable than industrial goods.
Even if not sold, it could always be eaten.
Other colonial powers couldn't hope to compete with East Africa in Africa unless they sent in massive numbers of settlers from their homelands.
Relying on natives might delay East African expansion, but armed natives often turned on their masters.
If rivals tried, it would likely just lead to mutually destructive conflict.
If Britain dispatched 400,000 troops like it did against the Boers, East Africa couldn't withstand it.
But by the time Europe truly turned its attention to Africa—around 1890—Ernst would have already cemented dominance.
That 20-year head start was Ernst's ace.
If he could bring East Africa's immigrant population to 10 million within that window, he'd fear no one on the continent.
That's why he picked agriculture as the entry point—it was a carefully calculated decision.
At this time, agriculture wasn't fashionable among colonizers.
Most sought precious metals, cash crops, or developed lands like India or the Philippines.
Very few focused on large-scale food production.
Countries like Russia and Austria-Hungary were already major grain exporters and often dealt with overproduction, so grain wasn't very profitable.
It also meant Ernst could fly under the radar.
In fact, his initial development of East Africa lost money.
Only now, as land began to yield harvests, could the colony start to break even—and even produce some economic value.
But if you included the cost of immigrant supplies—clothing, ships, food—and the colonial demands for fertilizer, weapons, and ammo, the colony was just barely balancing its books.
Most colonial powers were impatient.
No one but Ernst had the resolve to play the long game.
The British once patiently nurtured the American colonies—only to raise a rebellious child.
So colonialism had its risks.
Ernst faced them too.
To mitigate these risks:
He strictly suppressed ideological contagion in the colony.He treated the colony as his homeland.
To Ernst, East Africa mattered more than even the mighty Hohenzollern Consortium.
The Consortium's future was to become a global capital powerhouse rooted in East Africa.
The pecking order was clear.
He avoided wasteful investment.
Like the British losing all they'd invested in America, Ernst refused to lavish benefits on immigrants.
Give them too much, and they'd resent you.
That old Chinese proverb haunted him: "Give rice by the liter, they'll be grateful; give rice by the bushel, they'll hate you."
Of course, the Hohenzollern royal house couldn't take everything.
The people of East Africa were essentially its partners.
So Ernst would gradually share the wealth—over the next 70 or 80 years, until the eve of World War II.
If he didn't live that long, his descendants would carry the torch.
By then, East Africa would be a constitutional monarchy.
The Hohenzollern dynasty would be split—one branch remaining monarchs, another becoming a capitalist dynasty like America's industrial families.
One light, one shadow—together, the Hohenzollern-Hohenzollern family would rule from behind the scenes.
Via the Consortium, the military, and other institutions, they would continue to shape East Africa's politics.
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