Chapter 1664 Hydropower Station Progress
The gap between the Soviet Union and Germany was relatively large, but comparing the wars between the former Far Eastern empires and the United States on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the later Vietnam War and the Afghan War, all illustrate that "people" are an important factor in determining the course of war.
Both Germany and the Soviet Union have now undergone tremendous changes in these two aspects.
Because of the humiliation and disaster brought about by the Treaty of Versailles in its previous life, Germany launched World War II with a mentality of "revenge".
This was an important factor in their formidable fighting power. Having suffered the defeat in World War I, even though many ordinary Germans knew they did not want to repeat the same mistake, coupled with the guidance of the Adolf government and some underhanded methods, the German army maintained a very high level of performance throughout World War II.
But do Germans still have that "will" now? It's hard to say. The only thing we can be sure of is that the military proficiency of the German army should still be maintained at a world-class level.
The changes in the Soviet Union were not as significant as those in Germany, but the Soviet army was clearly in a different state from the Soviet army of the previous era, and the entire military system did not collapse due to political reasons.
Compared to its predecessor, the Soviet army today is undoubtedly "full of talent" and "a constellation of generals." With many officers preserved, the Soviet army may experience a positive chemical reaction.
Ernst was generous with his analysis and praise.
"The armies of Germany and the Soviet Union are absolutely top-notch in today's world, and may even be stronger than ours in some areas."
"The Imperial Defense Forces' advantage lies in their superior weaponry and equipment, as well as their relatively comprehensive development and lack of obvious weaknesses."
"The German army has rich combat experience and excellent military traditions. Since World War I, Germany has been recognized as the world's leading land power."
The reason it was after World War I is thanks to the French. Just like in the previous life, although they had experienced the defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the French people always believed that the French army was the best in the world before the outbreak of World War I.
The French perspective did indeed gain widespread acceptance around the world at that time.
This is thanks to France's long-standing military strength on the European continent, leaving a profound historical impression on European countries.
However, after World War I, this argument clearly became completely untenable, as Germany, fighting on two fronts, demonstrated combat capabilities far exceeding those of France.
Ernst then commented on the Soviet army.
"The Soviet army should not be underestimated either. They were somewhat inferior to Germany in terms of weaponry and equipment, but the gap was not significant."
"Most of the equipment that Germany could produce, the Soviet Union could also produce, only slightly inferior in quality and performance."
"Moreover, the Soviet army now has a natural advantage in faith and discipline, which may give it a more tenacious fighting will."
Germany's industry was indeed more developed than that of the Soviet Union, but in terms of military industry, the gap between the two was not very significant.
The Soviet Union was also capable of producing combat equipment such as tanks, artillery, and aircraft, and it also had the advantage of resources.
Therefore, Ernst stated directly: "As long as the Soviet generals don't make any mistakes, they can hold their own against the German army."
Crown Prince Frederick thought so too. Thanks to the information gathered by the intelligence agencies, the East African government had a fairly good understanding of the development of the German and Soviet armies, if not completely clear.
Both the German and Soviet armies, under their unique national circumstances, have achieved remarkable development and made the most of their resources.
Crown Prince Frederick said, "The military power of almost all the world's major industrial powers today should not be underestimated."
"Even declining empires like Britain and France maintained above-average military standards."
"This has made the current world situation full of variables, and it is quite challenging for the Empire to obtain our spoils in this fiercely competitive atmosphere of many powers vying for power."
...
December 14, 1937.
Tete Province.
In this imperial province through which the Zambezi River flows, the world's largest single civil engineering project is still under steady construction.
The Cabula Basa Hydropower Station is already taking shape. During the Seventh Five-Year Plan period, the Cabula Basa Reservoir had already achieved the damming of the Zambezi River.
However, the construction of the dam is still incomplete, and the Zambezi River flows eastward downstream to its estuary through a separately constructed diversion channel.
Cristiano, a high-ranking official in Tete province, stood on a high ground south of the Cabrabasa Reservoir, overlooking the vast construction site below.
Beneath his feet, one can see a vast amount of the environment damaged by construction projects.
In the white dam and lock construction area, engineering vehicles, machinery, and a large number of personnel are carrying out complex and meticulous work in an orderly manner, like ants moving house.
A huge framework was built around the lock and dam to enclose them.
On the Zambezi River west of the dam, boats transporting building materials and supplies are quietly moored. Workers use cranes to lift the materials onto trucks and then deliver them to the construction site below.
Most of these building materials and supplies came from the nearby city of Tete, which is not far away.
From the perspective of Cristiano's officials, the outline of Tete could be seen, giving it the feel of a large city.
Besides transporting building materials here via the Zambezi River, there is also a specially built highway. However, when the Zambezi River is navigable, the transportation of building materials and supplies does not need to be done by road.
Because the Kabra Basa hydroelectric power station is not yet fully completed, the Zambezi River's water level cannot be artificially adjusted, so navigation on the lower reaches of the Zambezi River still needs to be adjusted according to seasonal changes.
It is currently the flood season on the Zambezi River, so the river has abundant water, making it suitable for large ships to pass through. This is also a relatively prosperous period for foreign trade in Tete City.
However, this also leads to instability in downstream shipping, and solving this problem is the significance of the construction of the Cabrabasa Hydropower Station.
"Since the completion and commissioning of the Boulder Dam in the United States in 1935, both the United States and the Soviet Union have their own landmark projects in the field of hydropower. I wonder how long it will take for our Cabralbasa Hydroelectric Power Station to be completed!"
Boulder Dam is a typical example of American hydraulic engineering. Completed at the end of 1935, it also has a more famous name: Hoover Dam.
However, the name Hoover Dam was changed to the current Boulder Dam after President Roosevelt took office.
"According to our latest plan changes, the completion of the Cabrabasa Hydroelectric Power Station is expected to be delayed until 1939," said Vasser, the director of the Tete Department of Water Resources.
"The construction difficulty of the Cabrabasa Hydropower Station far exceeds that of the Boulder Dam in the United States and the Dnieper Hydropower Station in the Soviet Union, especially its world's largest ship lock."
"In fact, even without this highly representative hydroelectric power station project, East Africa has hydroelectric projects that can rival the Polde Dam and the Dnieper Dam."
East Africa has a more proactive attitude towards hydropower station construction than the United States and the Soviet Union. Hydropower and shipping development have long been important development strategies for East Africa.
However, all the individual hydropower projects in East Africa in the past pale in comparison to the Kabra Basa Hydropower Station.
This is also why Cristiano Ronaldo's senior officials are looking forward to the completion of this national strategic project as soon as possible.
Cristiano Ronaldo began by saying, "The Cabraza Dam is the most iconic and representative project in the Empire's infrastructure program."
"It is of great strategic and economic significance to the empire, and at the same time, it is of great significance to promote the empire's image to the outside world and to demonstrate the empire's spirit."
"Therefore, the sooner it can be completed, the more impactful this hydroelectric power station will be on the world."
With a chuckle, Wasser said, "Once this project is completed, it will be difficult for the world to find a case that surpasses it for decades to come."
"Therefore, there is no need to pursue speed too much. The honor that belongs to our country will not be lost. Moreover, this kind of hydropower project, which is of great strategic value to the empire, is closely related to downstream industries, cities, agriculture, and so on."
"Putting everything else aside, the very location of Tete, so close to the Cabraza hydroelectric power station, dictates that the safety of this project must be guaranteed."
"This is also a major reason why the construction of the Cabrabasa Hydropower Station has been delayed. The lives of more than two million people in Tete are all tied to the quality of this project."
Tete's population has also surpassed two million, which is not surprising, as Tete has been one of the fastest-growing cities in East Africa since the 20th century.
During the Seventh and Eighth Five-Year Plans, the development of Tete City accelerated further, thanks in part to the Kabrabasa Hydropower Station.
Although the hydroelectric power station has not yet been completed, the plans for agriculture, industry, transportation and other fields around it have been underway at almost the same time.
This has brought even more opportunities and employment opportunities to the already prosperous city of Tete.
Cristiano's senior officials also remarked, "If nothing unexpected happens, Tete will become the most sought-after industrial city in the empire's future."
"Tete City's industrial scale is already ranked first in the Empire, and this advantage is being further consolidated. I believe that once the Cabraza Hydropower Station is completed, Tete City will also be able to challenge for the top position in terms of overall economic development."
Cristiano Ronaldo is actually somewhat disappointed about this, because he probably won't live to see the Cabrabaza hydroelectric power station completed and put into operation during his term.
This also means the loss of a lot of political achievements. It is conceivable that once the Cabra Basa Hydropower Station is completed, the potential it will unleash in electricity, shipping and other areas will attract more companies to invest in Tete Province.
Cristiano Ronaldo said, "We don't know which lucky guy will be able to reap the rewards in the future. After we, his predecessors, finish his work, he can directly enjoy the future benefits."
"That's a long wait," said Minister Vasser. "It will probably take seven or eight years for the economic benefits brought by Cabrazabosa to materialize."
He pointed to the reservoir area of the Cabrabasa Reservoir, then moved to the diversion channel to the lower left.
"The entire reservoir has not yet started storing water, and even after the completion of the Cabrabasa Reservoir, it will take two or three years, which will be after 1940."
"At the same time, the Cabrapasa Hydropower Station is only one part of the overall river management of the Zambezi River. There will be other projects in the future, which will probably take longer to complete."
"Only then will Tete truly be able to fully enjoy all the shipping and economic benefits brought by the Zambezi River."
In response to Minister Vasser's statement, the high-ranking official Cristiano smiled and said, "That will probably have to wait until the next century. Conquering the entire Zambezi River is no easy task."
"If this can be achieved, it would be difficult to find a similar case in the entire history of mankind. In a sense, the difficulty of managing and developing the Zambezi River is not much easier than managing the Yellow River in the Far Eastern Empire."
Wasser said, "The main problem in managing the Yellow River is ecological management. As for other aspects, given the current state of the Far Eastern Empire, it's not even worth considering."
"In fact, the Far Eastern Empire can't even maintain stability right now, let alone achieve it without a strong government and a stable and peaceful environment."
While not everyone in East Africa is paying attention to the current war in the Far Eastern Empire, at least the vast majority are aware of it.
Besides the fact that East Africa itself is an immigrant country, and many descendants of immigrants have ancestors from the Far Eastern Empire, so they have a certain emotional attachment to the Far Eastern Empire.
This is exactly what the East African government wanted to see and utilize: Japan, which had invaded the Far Eastern Empire, was already identified as an "enemy" by the East African leadership.
Therefore, East Africa was bound to go to war with Japan in the future. Under these circumstances, East African news focused on the resistance of the Far Eastern Empire and exposed the crimes of the Japanese invaders, which aroused the indignation of the East African people.
This would be of great benefit if East Africa were to go to war with Japan in the future, since only a just war could inspire the East African people to support the future war.
Cristiano, a high-ranking official in East Africa, was unaware of the fact that East Africa had already sentenced Japan to death and was deliberately preparing for war against Japan.
All he knew was that the East African military had become more active in the last two years, but this was not surprising, as East Africa itself is a major world power with a relatively active military presence.
Cristiano told Vasser, "I know a little about the war in the Far Eastern Empire. The situation in the Far Eastern Empire is now worse than ever. The progress of the Japanese offensive is completely beyond our expectations."
"Under such dire circumstances, the Far Eastern Empire will only become more turbulent. The Nanjing government has even completely lost effective control over the north. In this situation, it is almost as if half the country is affected by the war, and there is no environment to develop the economy in peace."
"Not to mention that the Nanjing government itself has extremely poor governance capabilities. Even in peacetime, we haven't seen them achieve anything. So, let alone a great project like the Cabraza Hydropower Station, it wouldn't be easy for them to do even a slightly challenging project."
"Official Cristiano, your demands are too high!" Vasser remarked from the side.
"In fact, the Cabraza Dam is a world-class project. Not to mention the Far Eastern Empire, even other countries would find it difficult to do it, including the United States, Germany and the Soviet Union."
"And apart from us and these few countries, even other industrialized countries probably don't have the capability to build such a project."
There is no doubt about the infrastructure capabilities of the United States, Germany, and the Soviet Union; they simply lacked the corresponding natural conditions.
(End of this chapter)
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