African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 671 - 359 Policy

"The position of the Danube River Province has always been awkward, stuck in a middle-ground position, yet the climate conditions there are among the best in the entire East African provinces."

"There are major tributaries of the Congo River such as the Kongou River, with flat terrain and lush grass and forests. The ancient Congo Kingdom was active in this region."

"In fact, the Portuguese are aware of this, but they acted too late, resulting in the eastern basin of the Kongou River being completely occupied by us."

"The greatest issue for the Danube River Province now is its location on the western border, leading to very few immigrants being allocated to it, slightly better than Southwest Africa, yet our development of the province is not extensive."

Ernst spoke at length, emphasizing the importance of the Danube River Province, but beneath its significance lies high risk; without eliminating the risk, East African development there cannot be discussed.

"Currently, the Portuguese in the Angola colony certainly haven't been idle these past few years, so the next time our troops enter the Angola colony, it won't be easy. Similarly, Mozambique will likely be even tougher due to the British supervision; the Portuguese there cannot be perfunctory."

Sivert said: "Your Highness, Mozambique is indeed as you described; the British have coercively tied the Portuguese colony of Mozambique to their war machine through our objective threat. According to intelligence reports, the British have essentially gained military command of Mozambique."

"Moreover, most of the weapons armed in Mozambique are supplied by the British, and in terms of equipment, the Portuguese fall behind us in East Africa."

"As for Angola, it's different from Mozambique. Angola maintains more independence and is barely under British control, with local civilian forces and Portuguese homeland troops jointly building its military defense system."

"However, our analysis suggests these Angolan civilian organizations could be more troublesome than the Portuguese regular troops."

"Firstly in terms of weaponry, these major plantation owners and mine owners are wealthier than each other, not skimping on investments in equipment, and are even more sophisticated than the homeland troops."

"Furthermore, these deeply rooted local forces in Angola harbor greater hostility towards East Africa than the Portuguese homeland due to our last action in southern Angola, making any future attempt to win over these civilian forces a pipedream."

Every expansion of East Africa abroad means the original local powers are crushed and dissolved, primarily entailing the deprivation of land ownership by East Africa, while the original forces are dispossessed.

Thus, the major plantation owners and mine owners in the southern Angola region detest East Africa with a passion, eager to devour it, while the northern Portuguese are frightened by East African policies.

Any country or power would likely resist East Africa to the end. If East Africa refrains from land confiscation and respects "private property," they might even betray Portugal themselves and embrace East Africa instead.

Nonetheless, Ernst would not dare employ such opportunists; it's not a deal when they come rushing over for self-interest, as they'll likely defect for interests in the future.

Also, given the common traits of such ethnically distinct regions, they inherently bear animosity towards central government policies, even those beneficial to them. They're likely to concoct conspiracy theories rather than appreciate favorable policies.

This is most evident in the Austro-Hungarian Empire; contrary to Hungary's claims of Austrian exploitation, Hungary has been one of Europe's fastest-growing regions in recent years, with railway and industrial development matching other areas, and enjoying the status of great powers abroad. Yet, Hungary shows no gratitude, leaving Austria to silently endure its grievances.

Hence, Habsburg exemplifies the benevolent monarch, while Ernst is ill-suited to follow that path; his aim is to forcibly repel those foreigners clinging to "East African soil."

Moreover, these Angolan figures aren't cornered; they opt to fight East Africa desperately, as evidenced by the previous southern Angola takeover.

Colonies with a sovereign country like that aren't the same as Africans; having no retreat, Angolan Portuguese can return to the homeland.

"Lastly, the Portuguese homeland troops, their combat effectiveness is highly questionable. With domestic turmoil involving capitalists, nobility, local forces, the central government, the populace, and diverse conflicts compounded, Portugal's economy teeters on collapse, preventing its homeland troops from forming combat power."

Sivert's final comment highlights Portugal's low military expenditure; as a former great power, unable to produce an ironclad ship and needing to purchase from Britain, starkly contrasts the Portuguese Navy a century ago—lamentable for the Navy, let alone the Army.

With already low military spending and poor management, imagining the current state of the Portuguese military is not difficult.

However, Ernst doesn't doubt the Portuguese fighting spirit; had it been lacking, Spain would have swallowed Portugal long ago.

It's crucial to mention the Portuguese nobility, whose private armed forces may well be Portugal's military backbone, according to European aristocratic tradition.

Ernst stated: "Thus, when war erupts, we must provide our troops ample firepower support. These local forces disregard other concerns but will definitely fortify their domain, potentially resulting in numerous private fortifications and strategic passes constructed by Portuguese homeland troops in key locations."

"Additionally, avoid direct confrontations with them and the military. Even if they retreat like turtles, relying on fortifications for defense, we needn't fear; guerrilla tactics alone are troubling. Therefore, the troops should advance steadily, uprooting local forces to leave no future troubles."

The enemy's steadfastness poses a headache for East Africa, but East Africa has the time and resources to deplete the enemy, with artillery providing heavy fire support, eventually devouring the enemy, thereby diminishing the fervor of future foes.

Ernst worries most about rapid battles leaving local forces unyielding, as swift war prevents the East African government from dispatching officials swiftly enough to manage and organize local affairs, potentially causing rear unrest. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The core concern is preventing these regional enemies from adopting guerrilla tactics, as that would irk military forces worldwide; slow and meticulous work pays off and East Africa retains the upper hand, thus maintaining a stable and strategic stance.