Chapter 202
June 14, 1869.
Prince Constantin presided over the first military conference of the East African colony.
Officers and staff led by Yalman and Siweite sat on opposite sides of the conference table. Because Yalman was getting older and had less energy—he was just over fifty, but had experienced so much hardship on the European battlefields—he appeared even more worn than Prince Constantin, who was nearly seventy.
Still, the worse Yalman's health was, the more Ernst trusted him and was willing to have him manage the East African army. Being in frail health meant he had little ambition, and that was indeed the case—he himself wasn't sure how much longer he would live. Serving in the East African army, relying on his rank and seniority, allowed him to spend his remaining days comfortably.
That was why, in the previous campaign against the Yeke Kingdom, it was Siweite—young and strong—who went to carry out the operation. This time, it was also Siweite who gave the military work report.
"As of March this year, the East African Royal Territory has a standing land force of ninety-eight thousand soldiers. Apart from field units, we also have garrisons in each city and the river-lake forces, divided for now into eight military regions by location and direction.
"Among them, the three eastern regions total twenty-three thousand men. The five ports along the coast and the two offshore islands are our main defensive focus. Along with shore-defense units and a variety of cannons, they form the strongest sector of East Africa's forces.
"The eastern region includes Dar es Salaam, Bagamoyo, Tanga, and First Town as its key cities. First Town is currently East Africa's political center, so the regional headquarters is also located there.
"The northeastern region chiefly defends Mombasa and the north, up to the border with Somalia, placing the focus on Mombasa.
"The southeastern and southern regions roughly match the coastal area and the eastern shore of Lake Malawi, mainly to guard against the northward reach of Portuguese forces. A river called the Rovuma separates our two colonies, so the defensive pressure isn't huge, but on the plains east of Lake Malawi, where the terrain is wide open, we've built many bunkers along the border and stationed five thousand men.
"In the north, we have ten thousand soldiers. Other than the Omo River area, we don't have expansion goals there for now, so it's mainly defensive.
"In the west and northwest, Lake Tanganyika and the Mitumba Mountains serve as natural barriers, and there are no major enemies beyond, so there are just over five thousand men.
"At present, the southwestern region has the most troops—twenty-five thousand—because that's our main direction of expansion. We've basically taken control of the Yeke Kingdom, and over the next few years we'll continue expanding in that direction, so we allocated a large force there.
"Besides all that, there are the urban garrisons and the river-lake forces…" Siweite gave Prince Constantin a detailed explanation of the East African standing army's numbers and distribution.
Up to April of this year, East Africa's population officially surpassed two hundred thousand. Including the natives, the entire population was about three hundred fifty thousand. The East African standing army lived off these three hundred fifty thousand people, and there was also a large militia force. The exact number of militiamen had never been tallied by the East African government because it changed constantly, but based on the colony's gun and ammunition reserves, they could call up a militia of three hundred thousand whenever they wanted.
"Hmm, our forces in East Africa are quite large, but because of political reasons and Africa's complicated circumstances, the army is rather disorganized. For example, there are eight military regions—seems too many, and a bit bloated—and their boundaries don't make much sense. You're all elite members of the East African army: what do you think about this?" Prince Constantin asked.
"Your Highness, in my view, East Africa's military regions should be reorganized based on function and importance," Siweite was the first to speak. "For example, some marginal regions can be merged into others. The northern area of the northeastern region could join the northern region, while Mombasa and the southern part could join the eastern region.
"In the south, facing the Portuguese, we should consolidate that front into one region so the troops can be managed and deployed easily. Also, the western region currently has no clue what its mission is. Beyond Lake Tanganyika and the Mitumba Mountains, there's just tropical rainforest—almost no one lives there."
Next, Yalman added, "Your Highness, in my opinion, we need to strengthen the military in the central area. First Town is still too close to the coast—only a day or two by road from Bagamoyo or Dar es Salaam. That's risky for East Africa's security. We ought to emphasize First Town's importance, increasing its defenses. Though Bagamoyo and Dar es Salaam each has a decent defensive system, anything can happen. We should build a new defensive line for First Town, plus assign a central guard unit directly under the government."
"Good. Who else has suggestions?" Prince Constantin said.
Felix, who had been promoted to East Africa's deputy military chief, spoke up: "Your Highness, East Africa should also reform its internal structure, clarifying responsibilities and drawing on the Prussian army's regulations, including ranks and unit designations. We all know that in recent years, with its reforms, Prussia's army has had brilliant successes and become a major force in Europe. Most of us come from Germany anyway, so we should learn from the Prussian land forces…"
Everybody chimed in, pointing out problems in the East African army and calling for a centralized management approach—pulling the scattered military authority back under direct control. Before, with Ernst in Europe, he couldn't let the East African army form a strong core; now, however, with Prince Constantin here to handle army affairs, there was no issue.
Ernst hadn't just stirred up confusion in the military—he'd done the same in other government departments. Now that Prince Constantin was in East Africa, tightening central power was the logical step. Since the Heixingen royal family had only Prince Constantin and Ernst, with so few people, there was no worry about palace intrigues over power.
…
"Your Highness, this is East Africa's first telephone line, running all the way from Europe to East Africa. With this telephone, you can talk directly to His Highness Ernst," said a European technician, introducing it to Prince Constantin.
The "Three-Line" Plan was not only about telegraph lines; it also included the telephone invention by the Berlin Electric Company. At the same time, they upgraded the old telegraph lines. By the time Prince Constantin arrived in First Town, it was all finished, so he could directly discuss matters with Ernst whenever he liked.
"Put me through to Hohenzollern Castle," Prince Constantin said.
Before long…
"This is Hohenzollern Castle. Who's calling?" Tom answered.
"Tom! It's Constantin. Is that rascal Ernst around?"
"My lord, the Prince is in Trieste right now. One moment, I'll have someone transfer the call!"
After a short wait…
"Hello, Father, it's Ernst. How have you been in Africa lately?"
"It's fine. I'm already used to it. Why are you in Trieste?"
"I'm here to check the progress of constructing the food factory."
"Understood. By the way, I held a military meeting in East Africa today. I want to talk with you about reforming the army…"
"I see! That's definitely reasonable, but we shouldn't put all our eggs in one basket. Besides Prussia, we can't ignore Austria. Austria has always been a major military power with plenty of worthwhile experience…"
"Oh, and about the telegram I sent you yesterday, with your father-in-law's proposal about a navy. What are your thoughts?"
"You must know there's already a river-lake force in East Africa, right? That's our navy in its early form, though not a full-fledged navy. My idea is that we can set up a navy, but we should try it step by step—don't jump straight in. Start by choosing some good swimmers from the river-lake force to form a core group…
"As for equipment, I'm short on funds in Europe right now, but next year we might manage to get a few small boats for a test. Meanwhile, for training, we can just use the old ships left by Zanzibar for a while…"
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