African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 660 - 348 Preparation

Ernst has also become aware of the current situation of the Orange people, which is quite unfavorable. After all, both sides have been fighting for over a year, and the Orange Free State lacks complex terrain, with mostly open plains. The only nearby mountainous region is in the hands of East Africa, unlike Afghanistan, which can maneuver with the British forces.

Being able to hold out until now is quite an achievement, even for Ernst, the Orange people have exceeded expectations.

"The Orange people are no longer a significant force; at most, they can only create minor disturbances and cause small troubles for the British and the Transvaal people. That means the British will soon have a free hand," Ernst said.

"Your Highness, do you have any instructions?" Sivert asked after hearing Ernst's words.

"We can now ascertain the countries and regions that pose a hostility or threat to East Africa are mainly distributed in the south, including the Transvaal, Portuguese, the British, as well as to the northeast, British Somaliland, and the Sultanate region in Egypt, now also colonized by the British. Monitoring efforts in these regions should be intensified to prevent the British from making any moves, and your military should also be prepared to respond. The troops haven't been in action for a long time, so let them get active and see if there are any issues with long-distance mobilization, especially now that railways and roads are more developed compared to a few years ago."

Ernst is a very prudent person, so even if there's a one percent chance, he needs to take precautions.

Because he puts himself in the British perspective, he would definitely not let go of East Africa. Now that Britain still has foothold and allies in Africa, if they do not suppress East Africa now, there will essentially be no chance in the future.

Confronting East Africa involves exchanging pieces; if Britain fails, at most, they will lose the Cape Town colony, and that is the worst-case scenario. So far, no country except the United States has caused Britain to lose a large piece of territory, but if successful, splitting the southern part of East Africa would be quite advantageous.

It's like playing chess; one can't focus on temporary losses and gains. The final result depends on whether it's a victory. If the southern part of East Africa (Rhodesia) can be taken, then East Africa can only become akin to Brazil, unable to gather even the raw materials needed for industrial development.

Simultaneously, capturing the south would effortlessly break East Africa's control over southwestern Africa, allowing Portugal to reclaim its lost territories, resulting in half of East Africa's effective territory being lost.

Britain's African colonies could once again be as glamorous as they were before, rather than now competing with other countries for every inch in West Africa.

Moreover, the current East African-controlled region is vastly different from Africa of the past. East Africa's development in Africa is even more impressive than many African countries in the 21st century.

Leaving other regions aside, the eastern coastal area serves as East Africa's window to the world and has undergone tremendous changes over these years.

The British ships are no fools; given the rapid development along East Africa's coast, the inland areas cannot be too poorly developed. Without inland development as an economic hinterland, the coastal area couldn't possibly thrive as it does, because East Africa mainly relies on the export of bulk commodities, and shiploads of goods cannot be hidden from the British guarding the Suez Canal, which even led to the once-declined East African route since the opening of the Suez Canal starting to recover.

Of course, with East Africa, the Suez Canal has also become busier because almost all trade between the Atlantic coast of East Africa and North America and Europe passes through the Suez Canal.

Trade between South America and East Africa, aside from the slave trade, is not frequent, and commodity trade is even less so. After all, East Africa cannot export rubber, coffee, and other tropical agricultural products to South America, as they are competitors, and East African industrial goods are also not very competitive in South America.

As for minerals, everyone mainly exports them, as South America's industrial level is not even on par with East Africa's, having so many minerals themselves wouldn't make much sense, it's more profitable to export to Europe and America.

In summary, the current East Africa already has significant differences from the traditional concept of Africa, especially eclipsed by West Africa.

Of course, other countries only see East Africa eating meat, not knowing that East Africa has taken beatings. East Africa's current achievements couldn't have been attained without the efforts of every East African, including those slaves.

Currently, West Africa is still plagued with diseases, frequent natural disasters, and colonial powers fighting each other, embodying the word "chaos," which aligns well with the world's perception of Africa.

Nevertheless, one cannot say West Africa has seen no progress; although colonizers are bad, they indeed established many plantations in West Africa, and even if plantations are reactionary and backward, they are far more advanced than previous indigenous systems. Of course, from the perspective of African natives, certainly not so.

Colonizers in West Africa are much more ruthless than East Africans; the place is a mix of all sorts, with private armed forces rampaging, driven entirely by economic interests.

Ernst recalls that a significant reason Africans in the past disliked working was due to the severe exploitation during the colonial era.

Efforts that yield returns can stimulate enthusiasm, whereas the productivity of West African slaves was entirely based on the whips and punishments of the colonizers, with Belgium in the past being the most excessive. Of course, Ernst believes the United States was not much better after all, dentures made from the teeth of black people don't seem any more "noble" than the cutting off of hands of Congolese blacks.

Blacks were accustomed to being plundered by colonizers, so ordinary lower-level blacks had no motivation for labor, as no matter how much they produced, it had nothing to do with them.

Even after African countries gained independence, this situation did not change because independence in African countries is different from that in Asia, as there were too many traps left by the colonizers when they withdrew.

For example, the ruling class was essentially the former lackeys of the colonizers, and African societies showed no real change, merely swapping the exploiters from white people to black people.

Moreover, black rulers might be worse than white ones; the whites were merely evil but not stupid, whereas many black rulers were both evil and foolish. This situation often leads to the rise of tyrants following African independence.

Colonizers, after all, had governance experience that exceeded that of the black lackeys, and many black middlemen held onto the tribal methods of governance, so the industrial foundation left by colonizers was thoroughly wasted, and many countries became even more chaotic than before independence.

The most typical example is South Africa, where the black ruling class is a classic case of not learning the good, while instinctively grasping the flaws of white people, governing South Africa in such a state.

However, this is the case in many British colonies, as well; one must mention a trait of the British, decisiveness. By voluntarily withdrawing, they could more easily lay landmines in the colonies, making areas that gained independence much less complete than those that did so through armed struggle.

"Better safe than sorry, especially when dealing with nations, which are always facing uncertainties, and we cannot foresee the future, so it's best to make thorough preparations in advance to avoid being caught off guard."

Ernst in the past liked being a gambler, but now, he needs to be cautious everywhere. What East Africa can do now is to keep placing moves, wait for changes in the situation, and then precisely shift, securing East Africa entirely.

As for greater ambitions, those ideas have faded; after all, considering such things now is somewhat distant, and it would be better to focus on East Africa's industrial development first.