Chapter 441: Return to the Homeland
The group didn't stay in Vienna for long—Ernst and his entourage had to head back to East Africa to prepare for their next major event. Thus ended a successful European tour.
Ernst gained a great deal from this trip: the Hechingen Consortium acquired 240 German enterprises, including several banks and large companies. Additionally, East Africa planned to bring in 43 large-scale factories, primarily focused on steel, coal, copper smelting, non-ferrous metallurgy, and shipbuilding.
A large amount of equipment was also purchased to modernize existing East African enterprises and factories, boosting productivity. Furthermore, East Africa secured nearly 1 million tons of steel orders with Germany and Austria-Hungary—orders that single-handedly revived both countries' steel industries.
In fact, for South Germany and Austria in particular, the economic crisis wasn't as devastating as it had been in Ernst's previous life. These were the most industrialized regions, and their main issue was agricultural overpopulation.
But that problem had already been tackled—thanks to East Africa's active immigration recruitment. Unemployment remained relatively low. While the crisis had caused overcapacity, population outflow mitigated the impact on ordinary people. After all, if one was unemployed—there was always East Africa! Always a way out.
East Africa's railway construction required over 8 million tons of steel, of which nearly 2 million tons would come from Europe. The rest would be covered through domestic production and additional imports.
Riding the momentum of the crisis, Ernst planned to increase East Africa's annual steel output to at least 600,000 tons next year, focusing on accelerating development in the Lake Malawi industrial zone.
Currently, the Lake Malawi industrial zone was East Africa's only region capable of large-scale coal and iron development. Zimbabwe, on the other hand, would have to wait until the railways were completed—at least a few more years.
Port of Trieste.
"Our very own East African ironclad!" Archduke Ferdinand said proudly to his family. They had arrived by sailing warship, but were returning with far superior firepower.
Beside them, the Austro-Hungarian Navy officers looked on with helpless envy.
"Sigh, a great world power, yet now we might not even match Africa. In the future, East Africa's navy could surpass ours."
"It's just one ironclad! Sure, it's stronger than our Lissa, but it was built in Austria. It's a masterpiece of Austrian shipbuilding."
"Let's hope so! If Parliament doesn't increase the naval budget, the future of our fleet looks bleak."
Their complaints weren't entirely literal—it was more an expression of frustration over the empire's neglect of the navy. East Africa's fleet still had a long way to go.
"Alright, Father-in-law, let's set off!" Ernst urged nearby.
As the East African flag rose on the Archduke Ferdinand, the ironclad's true affiliation was publicly declared for the first time.
Still, Archduke Ferdinand looked on longingly: "If only we had a few more like her—it'd be perfect."
The Archduke Ferdinand was considered a behemoth in the Mediterranean. As the flagship of the East African fleet, it certainly turned heads on the return journey. When passing through the Suez Canal, it caught the attention of the British.
"Isn't this the ironclad Austria built a couple years ago?"
"Looks like we guessed wrong. This ironclad was never meant for Austria-Hungary—it was intended for East Africa from the beginning."
The British stationed along the canal were quite familiar with East Africa. Besides British and Austro-Hungarian ships, East African vessels were the most frequent users of the Suez.
"That ironclad would be top-tier in most navies. But still—nothing special," a British officer said with confidence.
"Still, it's odd for a colony like East Africa to purchase such a large vessel."
"Well, East Africa's navy is commanded by Archduke Ferdinand—the former Emperor of Mexico. And behind them is Hechingen Bank. So you can't judge them by colonial standards. India could afford such ships too—but under the Royal Navy's protection, they don't need to."
"Speaking of Hechingen, I'd love to know how much their overseas trade company makes. They're running routes in the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean year-round, mostly carrying agricultural goods and minerals. Is plantation agriculture in Africa really that profitable?"
"Of course it is—but it's also very risky. It's not something the average person can handle. The upfront investment is enormous. If there's no quick profit, capitalists won't touch it—there are faster ways to make money."
"Ha! You must mean stocks. I lost a bundle last year. Good thing I didn't go all in…"
As the British chatted, the East African fleet sailed past them, heading toward the Red Sea.
On board, Ernst began explaining East Africa's realities to Karina, mostly to dispel rumors.
"Karina, East Africa isn't nearly as desolate as people say. At least, the areas we live in are not much different from Europe."
"Are there really cannibal tribes in East Africa?"
"Well... there used to be, but not anymore."
Cannibalism wasn't just a rumor—given the primitiveness of some African tribal societies, it wasn't fair to judge them by modern moral standards.
"Have you ever seen one?"
"Of course not. I haven't even been in East Africa that long. I only know what I've read in reports."
Ernst hadn't personally encountered cannibals—but East African soldiers pushing into the interior had, and there had been several clashes.
"Does East Africa have malaria?"
"You even know about malaria?"
"My grandmother told me. She said Africa is full of plagues. If she had known the Hechingen royal family was moving there, she'd never have let you become her granddaughter's husband."
"That's slander! East Africa's environment is wonderful. Ask your parents—they've lived there for a while. Whatever else you say, East Africa is nothing like the horror stories from Europe."
Princess Charlotte laughed: "East Africa's safe, yes—but the interior, not so much. The coast is quite nice though."
Ernst replied: "Not just the coast. When more people settle, the environment improves. Look at the Far East. There's a region called Lingnan—it used to be a place where criminals were exiled. Its environment was once like Africa's—not suitable for habitation. But after generations of development, it's now one of the most densely populated areas. East Africa has undergone a similar transformation in just ten years."
That wasn't because East Africa was particularly capable, but because its environment was more easily transformed than old Lingnan. First, East Africa's flat terrain made transportation easier. Second, grasslands are much easier to develop than forests. Third, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, humanity's capacity to reshape nature had advanced dramatically.
And lastly, Ernst's brilliant leadership played a major role—his mature experience and theories had helped East Africa avoid countless missteps.
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