Chapter 129: War in the Northwest
Over the following days, Werner Jory and his men continued north along the shores of Lake Victoria, surveying several locations.
From south to north, at first they only saw ruined villages—some fishing villages by the lake were also deserted.
Past Entebbe, the Lake Victoria shoreline began curving eastward, and gradually the population increased. Reaching Kampala, the capital of the Buganda Kingdom, they found it relatively prosperous. Clearly, because it lay in the kingdom's central area, it hadn't been severely affected by war.
After passing Kampala, Werner Jory's group traveled east for roughly two hundred kilometers, seeing that the eastern region of Buganda and some nearby tribes had remained untouched by conflict.
Finally, they arrived at Kisumu, capital of West Kenya, where they restocked on supplies and then returned south to Mwanza to report their findings.
…
In April, Werner Jory's intelligence reached the Central District. After the East African colonial government organized and analyzed the data, they sent a telegraph to Ernst in faraway Europe.
In the telegraph, the East African government stated that conditions were ripe for annexing the northwest, especially the southern countries of that region, which had clearly suffered heavy losses. Even the northern countries, like Buganda, had been seriously affected.
They proposed launching a large-scale campaign, conscripting more manpower, and taking over that area with little difficulty.
After carefully reviewing the government's report, Ernst issued instructions to seize the south first. As for the Kingdom of Buganda and other northern states that had not suffered as severely, he advised postponing any action against them.
He stipulated that, once Kisumu and West Kenya District were fully established, they could then concentrate forces to attack Buganda from both east and south.
This approach, he explained, would effectively minimize casualties in the East African colony and align with the principle of "easier tasks first, harder ones later."
In his telegram, Ernst emphasized that any newly occupied area must be "cleared"—no native inhabitants left. Arab merchants and foreign explorers could be arranged to leave.
Of course, that didn't mean slaughtering the local people, but rather driving them northward, forcing them to flee into their former allies' territories.
To the west lay the vast jungles of the Congo; without adequate preparation, venturing there was nearly a death sentence, so Ernst didn't mind if tribes chose to flee west.
In Ernst's view, the ruling classes of the southern states would likely head north, having previously joined forces with their allies to resist the Eastern Bantu incursion.
As for resisting the East African colony, these southern states—still recovering from the heavy blows of Eastern Bantu forces and epidemics—were unlikely even able to muster a decent army.
Indeed, after the previous "purge" campaign, a few months of observation confirmed it had worked very well. The East African colony hadn't needed to intervene directly to see the natives driven away, and other native factions in the region had been weakened too.
Once they received Ernst's orders, the East African colonial government and army began formulating battle plans to ensure a smooth campaign.
April 5, 1868.
Central Government Conference Hall, East African Colony.
"This operation is a military campaign. Our government will primarily coordinate with the army. Lord Yarman, please explain the battle plan, so we government officials can make our corresponding arrangements," Director von der Leyen announced, clarifying the government's role.
"All right, I'll present the army's general proposal," Yarman said. He stood from his chair, moved to the map, pointer in hand, and indicated the Kingdom of Karawi. "According to Prince Ernst's directive, in the first phase, we'll attack from the south, essentially recreating the previous 'purge' campaign. Our main targets are the Kingdoms of Rwanda, Igara, Karawi, and Burundi—four states in total.
"That theater covers around sixty to seventy thousand square kilometers. As Prince Ernst requires, we must ensure the local natives there are completely cleared out.
"Hence we must also drive any remaining native forces northward to further pressure the four northern kingdoms. This will set the stage for a second phase of operations. However, whether and when that second phase unfolds will depend on Prince Ernst's intentions," Yarman explained.
"How many troops do you plan to deploy for the first phase?" asked Director Anderson.
"At present, we've stationed over three thousand troops along the border areas where the Soron Lake District and the Lake Region border Burundi and Karawi—this was originally to prevent the Eastern Bantu from flowing back into the colony. Among these three thousand, roughly three hundred are regular armed forces.
"I expect we'll need at least six thousand additional militia and another thousand regulars from the rear.
"I don't anticipate heavy fighting. Those kingdoms were dealt a severe blow by the Eastern Bantu, and although their nobility ultimately subdued them, it was essentially 'wound the enemy by one thousand, lose eight hundred yourself.'
"Moreover, the war led to abandoned farmland and outbreaks of disease. Famine and epidemics further decimated the local populations.
"So we mainly need to be wary of major fortifications and walled towns in those kingdoms. Large-scale battles are unlikely. But comprehensively searching such a vast area and driving out its population will require at least ten thousand troops. This campaign differs from our previous wars in that it's a classic external operation. Only Mwanza and Kigoma can rapidly support us, so we can't skimp on manpower," Yarman said.
The senior members of East Africa concurred. This operation indeed wasn't like earlier ones; the northwestern countries are deep in the interior, while East Africa's focus remains in the east. With Soron Lake District being the westernmost territory of East Africa, supplying it is harder than supporting other districts, so ensuring reliable logistics is no small challenge.
"Besides the troop request, the government must also expedite immigrant relocations. For the next few months, new immigrants should prioritize the northwest. With an eye to the second phase of fighting, West Kenya District should also receive more immigrants. Those two areas need immigrants first," suggested Sviat of the General Staff.
"How should we allocate immigration right now?" someone asked Director von der Leyen.
"Let's do a six-three-one split. For the immediate future, sixty percent of new immigrants go to newly occupied parts of the northwest, thirty percent to West Kenya—particularly areas bordering Buganda—while the remaining ten percent go to Omerate. Omerate isn't far from West Kenya, so it can coordinate with that district if necessary," von der Leyen proposed.
"Agreed. That also helps fill out the entire western region," Anderson said.
"Anyone with further suggestions?" von der Leyen asked the government staff.
"It's best to settle new immigrants near the frontline if possible. Better to leave the rear a little empty than risk letting natives slip around us," someone suggested.
"Agreed. Next?"
"Also, that newly formed inland navy might come in handy. Transporting grain and other supplies by boat from Mwanza is more efficient."
"Noted."
…
After some more discussion, the government side concluded, and von der Leyen turned his attention back to the army.
"Are there any other requests from the military? We'll do our best to accommodate," he said.
The leading officers conferred briefly, then Yarman said, "We must ensure our logistics routes remain open. Immigrants and supplies should be delivered simultaneously to the frontline—this way we can secure provisions while also settling immigrants in the northwest. Then, for phase two, we'll be able to recruit more militia from that region.
"So new arrivals in the northwest should undergo military training immediately; otherwise, they'll miss out on the second phase. The General Staff can spare extra instructors from the rear."
"We in the General Staff will handle that," Sviat said. Training militia requires staff personnel with bilingual skills, better equipped to manage German, Austro-Hungarian, and Far Eastern immigrant recruits—and also forming part of Ernst's eyes and ears in local military affairs.
"Any more questions?" von der Leyen asked.
"No, that's all," they replied.
"In that case, let's all make the necessary preparations. Meeting adjourned," said von der Leyen.
The wheels of East Africa's war machine began to turn, involving the entire colony this time.
In the previous Zanzibar campaign, only coastal forces were used. Now the whole colony was in motion.
Even areas not directly participating in the fighting were affected, as immigrant flows and supplies were allocated to the front. Everywhere under development would slow down, shifting into a steady pace for now.
West Kenya District, Soron Lake (Lake Tanganyika) District, and the Great Lakes (Lake Victoria) District were most impacted.
Army units and militia started gathering in Soron Lake and the Great Lakes District. Meanwhile, immigration into West Kenya District sped up.
Werner Jory's inland navy became more active along the western shores of Lake Victoria, mapping the coastline and identifying suitable landing spots for troops and supplies. They were preparing for the army's linkup during the offensive.
Progress would be methodical: they planned to drive out the local population, advancing in a northward line from south to north.
Part of their supplies would arrive from overland transport in the rear, and part would be ferried by the inland navy.
Once the first phase ended, the colony would resettle new immigrants near the northern border to keep natives from sneaking back into East African territory.
At the same time, the new immigrants could support East Africa's conquest of the four northern states in the second phase, acting as militia and labor. The closer they were to the temporary border, the more convenient it would be for upcoming battles.
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