Chapter 112 Population and Agriculture
The ideology of East Africa in the future will be a form of civilization, namely German civilization. As for democracy, freedom and equality, those are not things that a traditional aristocrat like Ernst should learn. Using that banner is just digging one's own grave.
Nationalism, order, rule of law, and conservatism in German culture are the foundation of Ernst's life.
These are what a feudal monarch should vigorously promote. By putting on some beautiful cloaks, such as science and sports, the Hechingen royal family can continue in East Africa.
In terms of propaganda, these will certainly not be able to withstand the future US and Soviet Union's tactics, but can we discredit the other side?
Anyway, after we survive the 20th century, all problems will be solved, and everyone will be able to see that all crows are black.
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Without considering these for now, the most important thing for East Africa at the moment is to vigorously promote immigration. With immigration, there will be land development. Only when the land is developed can there be income. Only with income can we continue to expand the strength of the colony, arm more troops, and equip more advanced weapons.
If Ernst could build East Africa into a Switzerland like Europe, a tough nut that no one in Africa could chew, he would be in a safe place.
In two years, nearly 600,000 people (580,000) have immigrated, and the number will reach at least 500,000 next year.
On the one hand, Hexingen's fleet has been expanding and immigration costs are falling, and on the other hand, new sources of immigration are constantly being developed, especially in Europe and the United States.
Tsarist Russia (the serfdom reform led to the bankruptcy of a large number of serfs), Italy (an important force for immigration to North and South America), and South American countries are all potential virgin lands for immigration in the future.
The number of immigrants from the Far East is currently tending to be stable, unless there are some disasters and wars that cause a large number of refugees, but the current situation in the Far East is in a period of stability and development (Westernization Movement).
As for the current Far East immigration policy, Ernst intends to continue it until around 1890, because the end of the 19th century was the most chaotic period of Far Eastern thought, and it was also the time when Far Eastern national consciousness began to awaken and be reshaped. By then, Ernst will greatly raise the immigration threshold to the Far East to prevent evil spirits from coming in.
There are at least 22 years from next year to 1890. This long period of time is enough to introduce the population needed to develop East Africa. Assuming 200,000 people per year, that would be 4.4 million people.
Together with other immigrants, East Africa would have introduced at least 10 million people by 1890. And the original immigrants from East Africa were not wooden, so they would definitely have children.
You have to know that with the terrifying fertility of farmers at that time, the population of the East African colonies could at least triple before World War I, at least reaching or even exceeding the size of France.
Anyway, the land to feed these people comes from the indigenous people, so Ernst and the East African government don't feel bad about it. Therefore, unswervingly completing the farming cause in East Africa is the foundation of East Africa's development.
An agricultural country of sufficient size, coupled with a relatively complete mobilization system and weapons with no obvious generation gap, is enough for East Africa to protect itself in the world.
As for industry, we can take it slowly. We need to solve agricultural problems first so that we have the energy to solve industrial problems. After all, the industrial population needs agriculture to support them.
If we start developing industry right away, what will these people eat?
Agricultural development can not only enrich the population of the East African colonies, but also stabilize the newly expanded land in the East African colonies. At the same time, food, as a hard currency, is more reliable than industrial products. Even if it is not sold, it can be used as food.
Unless colonists from other countries invest a large number of native population in Africa, it will be impossible for them to compete with the East African colonies on the African continent.
Relying on the natives might be able to stop the expansion of the East African colonies, but the natives who got the weapons would also bite their masters. If other colonists did so, at most both they and the East African colonies would suffer losses.
If Britain were to send out an army of 400,000 like it did to fight the Boers, the current East African colonies would definitely not be able to withstand it.
But by the time other countries paid attention to Africa, East Africa had already become the only dominant power. Only when capitalism developed to a certain stage did European powers frantically grab land around the world, and this time point was around 1890.
Twenty years of development time is the basis for Ernst to sit firmly on the Diaoyutai. As long as he can strive to increase the East African immigrant population to tens of millions within twenty years, Ernst can be said to be afraid of no one in Africa!
This was a matter of survival for the East African colonies, so Ernst's choice of agriculture as the entry point for colonization was well considered.
Agriculture was not very popular in the eyes of the colonists during this period. Most colonists were keen on precious metal mines and plantations, or cultivated land like India and the Philippines.
It is very rare to see people like Ernst who vigorously develop grain cultivation. European countries such as Tsarist Russia and Austria-Hungary are originally major grain-producing countries, and sometimes face the problem of overcapacity. Therefore, the profits from grain cultivation are not very high, and they are not easily targeted by other colonists.
Not to mention that Ernst actually lost money in the beginning when he developed East Africa. Although with the development of the land in East Africa and the maturity and harvest of crops, East Africa can now maintain self-sufficiency while contributing some economic value.
But if we take into account the clothing, ships, rations, etc. needed by the immigrants; and the various materials needed for the colonies, such as fertilizers, guns and ammunition, etc., the East African colonies can barely maintain a balance between income and expenditure.
The colonists at that time were basically impatient and did not have the patience like Ernst to develop the colonies.
Britain did patiently cultivate America, but ended up raising the United States, a rebellious son, so colonization also involves risks.
Ernst also faced this risk, and one way to suppress it was to suppress the spread of various ideas in the colonies.
The second is to treat the colonies as his homeland. East Africa will be Ernst's foundation in the future. Even the current huge Hexingen Group is not as important as East Africa in Ernst's eyes.
The future positioning of the Heixingen Group is to become an important world capital force rooted in East Africa, so it is clear at a glance which is more important.
Third, there should be no ineffective investment, just like the British, whose investment in the United States went down the drain. To achieve this, Ernst’s idea is not to give too many rights and interests to East African immigrants at once. The allusion of "a little kindness, a big grain of rice, a grudge" is deeply rooted in Ernst’s mind.
Of course, it is definitely unrealistic for the Hechingen royal family to get all the benefits. The people of East Africa are essentially partners of the Hechingen royal family, so Ernst will gradually give benefits to the people of East Africa.
This process would last at least until before World War II, which is about 70 to 80 years. If Ernst did not live that long, he would naturally arrange for his descendants to continue doing this.
At that time, East Africa would definitely be a constitutional monarchy, and Ernst would dismantle the Hechingen royal family in advance, with one branch continuing to serve as the country's monarch and the other branch turning to a capitalist family like the United States.
By combining one in the open and the other in the dark, the Hohenzollern-Hechingen family can hide behind the scenes and continue to influence and dominate East African politics through forces such as the Hechingen Consortium and the military.
(End of this chapter)
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