African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 693 - 381 Buffer Zone
Carlos said, "The location of the Belgian Congo is actually very important. In Europe, it is equivalent to Luxembourg or Belgium. If a war breaks out between Germany and France, these two countries will be in a dangerous situation. It wouldn't be too much to say it's a strategic place of contention. Moreover, our relationship with Belgium is very good, so we must keep a constant eye on the Belgian Congo and transmit favorable intelligence to East Africa."
If a major war breaks out between Germany and France, Belgium and Luxembourg near their border cannot be overlooked, so both countries try to win them over.
They are very clear-headed and almost never take sides between Germany and France, especially Belgium, where the population is divided into two major linguistic groups: German and French.
Take for instance Leno, who works for the Heixinggen consortium. In historical records, he was originally French, but in reality, he was born in Belgium, within the borders of Luxembourg in a previous lifetime, which makes him half German. This was one of the reasons why the Heixinggen consortium could easily invite him to work in Germany.
Leopold II is also a master of balance, maneuvering between Germany and France without mishap, gaining considerable benefits. One reason why the Belgian Congo could be established was due to this. At the Berlin Conference, both major countries gave face to Belgium, and added to that, both East Africa and Portugal did not oppose, making the Belgian colony's legitimacy in Africa the strongest.
"After all, the Belgian Congo is a colony and very different from us in East Africa. Especially under the rule of Leopold II, which can be said to be quite brutal, especially apparent in his attitude towards Blacks. So when you see this, don't be indignant," Carlos advised his new colleague Val.
"Mr. Carlos, I am not the kind of person who is overly nice. I know that maintaining our national interests in East Africa is what we should be doing. As for the dirty affairs in the Belgian Congo, I won't comment on them when I see them," Val stated.
"It's best that you think this way. In fact, many young people today, because of their lack of experience, forget the foundation upon which we established East Africa, which was never mercy or compassion. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to stand on the African continent. So I was a bit worried about you initially, but now it seems you are indeed different from ordinary people," Carlos praised.
Val scoffed at this, having accepted the ten-year compulsory education of his country, but his family is not comparable to those later immigrants. His parents came to East Africa in 1868, when he was already seven years old, having crossed the ocean from the Far East Empire to settle in East Africa.
He caught a good time and became one of the first students to receive compulsory education in East Africa.
Thus, he still retains considerable memories of the nation-building process of East Africa and even life in the Far East Empire, though he knows through scattered fragments and his parents' narration that life was not easy in the past.
Moreover, he experienced the entire process of slavery in East Africa, as early East Africa relied heavily on Black slaves. At that time, East Africa couldn't afford cattle or horses and had to rely on Blacks to do most of the labor.
Val's family was allocated a few slaves, which was later resolved due to de-Blackification in the east and the improvement of East Africa's production tools and development in livestock farming.
So Val not only doesn't pity Blacks, but even thinks that the enslavement of Blacks by Belgium is natural, related to his past living environment.
Just like now, many plantations and farms in the central and western East Africa still heavily use Black slaves. Until a replacement is found, they absolutely support the continued use of Black slaves.
Actually, even in the eastern areas where slavery has been abolished, most people's thoughts are likely the same, with many willing to return to the era of slavery.
Nowadays, though cattle and horses may provide greater power, Black slaves can perform many tasks, especially in agricultural maintenance and labor, where slaves have unsurpassed advantages.
For example, in cotton farming, when the cotton harvest season comes, cattle and horses can't pick cotton, but Blacks can do it easily.
However, East Africa is conforming to the trend of the times, as slavery is ultimately a backward and brutal system destined to be discarded by history. East Africa has faced criticism from abolitionists led by Britain and France for this.
Of course, from Ernst's perspective, there is a greater fear of colonial backlash. So, to eliminate the problem once and for all, these "victims" must completely disappear from East African soil.
Val: "Mr. Carlos, you previously mentioned that the Belgian Congo is as important as Belgium in Europe. Do we in East Africa have a similar idea, and are we planning to make a move on Belgium?"
Carlos: "That's roughly the idea. As we all know, the hatred between us and Portugal cannot be erased. With such an enemy existing, blocking many of our seaports across two oceans, there must be a war between us and Portugal. Moreover, war is a combination of multiple factors. A strategically important place like the Belgian Congo is naturally under our military's radar."
Carlos openly explained this to Val, considering his future work would inevitably involve interactions with East Africa's intelligence and military departments, so it's necessary to understand some of the work aspects in advance.
After all, Carlos is the East African Consul in the Belgian Congo, a diplomatic officer, and Val is his assistant, with quite a few tasks to handle in this context.
Val: "Does the military plan to attack Portugal by detouring?"
Carlos: "I didn't say that. Currently, East Africa loves peace, with domestic construction taking place everywhere and no intention for external expansion."
Actually, East Africa hasn't fought much in recent years and has indeed settled down quite a bit, as large-scale wars greatly absorb government energy and hinder national development. As for small-scale wars, they are another matter, as they can be frequent to hone the army and ensure its military standards. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
East Africa has had relatively few small-scale wars in recent years, with the military focusing more on suppressing slave uprisings and clearing wildlife.
Carlos continued, "Some things can only be comprehended, not conveyed in words. Moreover, the Belgian Congo is a buffer zone, a neutral area tacitly agreed upon by the Berlin Conference nations. So unless it's the last resort, we in East Africa can't easily think of making moves on the Belgian Congo."
As for the last resort, it obviously refers to unfavorable war situations, where East Africa must use various means to ensure victory, including passing through the Belgian Congo to attack Angola from the rear.
However, this situation is unlikely to occur. At least most East Africans think so, having once defeated Portugal and remembering Portuguese combat capabilities, which gives them psychological superiority.
The East African military shares this mindset, but as a national cornerstone, the military cannot act recklessly. All necessary planning must be considered.
All national militaries would increase data for the enemy as much as possible, similar to how many countries in the previous world imagined scenarios with the United States and Russia as enemies, simulating a reality where U.S. forces unreasonably wield advanced technology, combating in extreme environments.
The East African General Staff also considers factors of potential front-line losses in war simulations, especially with Britain's backing of Portugal, and since Portugal itself has some capabilities, what if they are supported by Britain!
As for Britain's army capabilities, while its size doesn't compare to Germany and France, its average soldier quality ranks firmly within the top five, at least stronger than Tsarist Russia.
