Chapter 687: The Situation of the Guards Division
The changes in the East African Army are relatively large compared to ten years ago, but the 1885 Wehrmacht steel helmet is more eye-catching, which instantly elevates the temperament of East African soldiers to a higher level, at least in Ernst's opinion. After all, there are a thousand Hamlets in the eyes of a thousand people, and there is nothing that can be done if some people's aesthetics are different from Ernst's.
Apart from the helmet, there are other things worth mentioning, especially the huge improvement in the quality of the fabrics of the Wehrmacht's clothes and the materials of its shoes.
"The overall appearance of military uniforms has not changed much from before, but due to technological progress in textile mills such as Nairobi and Mombasa, the use of new machines, and the expansion of fabric raw materials in East Africa, we have more choices. For example, the material of socks is high-quality long-staple cotton from the cotton-producing area of Somalia, which is sweat-absorbent and breathable, greatly improving the user experience. The development of the leather industry in East Africa also provides sufficient raw materials for military boots."
When it comes to the raw materials of military boots, leather is naturally the main one. The rapid development of animal husbandry in East Africa has provided East Africa with sufficient cowhide. At the same time, other animal leathers in East Africa are also very rich. The most famous is the crocodile skin industry, but crocodile leather is mainly exported. Moreover, East Africa is rich in rubber, so the rubber soles of military boots can also be fully supplied.
In addition, the production of canvas desert boots supplied in desert areas is also not small in East Africa. After all, East Africa itself is a producer of high-quality linen and cotton, where sisal, jute, and various types of cotton are grown.
"Military boots have replaced the previous cloth military shoes. They can better cope with adverse road conditions. They are also easier to clean and maintain. They are sanitary and very suitable for use in humid and rainy areas."
Although East Africa has undergone major infrastructure construction and road conditions have greatly improved, the previous road construction was still mainly dirt roads and gravel roads.
Most parts of East Africa have rainy seasons, so military boots can better adapt to muddy roads. Of course, the disadvantage is also obvious, which is that it is easy to sweat, but this is unavoidable. Even in the past, many military boots had various drawbacks and no one was perfect.
"At present, military boots are mainly divided into three categories: desert boots, mountaineering boots, and the most widely used conventional military boots. Due to the special jurisdiction of our Guards Division, we basically do not equip the first two types of military boots."
The Guards Division's jurisdiction is mainly the eastern coastal plains, so there are no application scenarios for the first two types. Other military regions have to choose according to actual conditions. For example, the Northern Military Region and the Southern Military Region purchase a large number of desert boots, while hiking boots are very common in the Northwestern Military Region.
"In addition to military boots, the Guards Division is also equipped with regular military shoes, which are mainly used in the dry season. Because of the two rainy seasons in the east, there are two rotations a year. They are also casual shoes for daily use. They are more popular when there is no need for training and when on missions."
After all, military boots are heavy, bulky, and stuffy, so they are not suitable for daily use, so they are popular among soldiers.
Ernst asked, "Isn't it still the dry season? Why are you wearing long boots?"
"Your Highness, I have said before that regular military boots are still the mainstay of daily training. The training intensity of our Guards Division is very high, and we are always in combat mode, so regular military boots are still the mainstay of training."
After listening to Ledlis's explanation, Ernst was very satisfied. He said, "It's the right thing to do. Since you have joined the National Defense Force, you must learn to endure hardships. After all, the battlefield environment is a hundred or a thousand times worse than the real world. As an important part of the East African Army, the Guards Division should play a leading role."
There are still some differences between the Guards Division and the National Defense Force, but it still belongs to the National Defense Force, which is closely related to the national conditions of East Africa.
The mission of the East African National Defense Force is to safeguard national security, safeguard territorial integrity, and safeguard the safety and interests of the people. This banner must be established.
After all, East Africa is an absolute monarchy, and the fact is that East Africa is now a "family-ruled country", so the people of East Africa must not be allowed to mistakenly believe that the National Defense Force is an emperor's army like in Europe.
If we were to fight for the emperor or king, how could we motivate the army to defend the country and maintain the combat effectiveness of the East African army?
Therefore, the nominal membership of the Guards Division in the Wehrmacht was a useful measure for responding to changes in the international community in the 19th century.
As for loyalty to the royal family, there is no need to worry too much. After all, the king and the royal family are also part of the East African nation.
Ernst went on to say: "Of course, as a country, we cannot only rely on the efforts of soldiers. We must also actively improve the living conditions of soldiers and improve the treatment of soldiers. This does not conflict with the mission of the National Defense Force. As the saying goes, every profession has its own expertise. The professionalization of the army is an inevitable trend. Just like now, the conditions of the troops are improving every year. The application of new equipment and new weapons is an important task for us to build and protect the 'new homeland' of the East African people."
In fact, the improvement in the treatment of the East African Army over the years is related to Ernst's suppression of military expansion. The army is not expanding, but the funding of the East African Army is increasing. In this case, more money must be spent on weapons and equipment.
Another point is that with the development of agriculture and industry, the price level in East Africa is further declining, and many items that need to be imported have been domestically produced, which is typically reflected in the fact that the growth rate of exports is greater than the growth rate of imports.
The major items of imports into East Africa are basically products that cannot be produced in tropical regions or are relatively scarce in East Africa. The most typical example is the import of medicines into East Africa.
East African medicine exports mainly spread to other neighboring African regions, but the import volume is much larger than the export volume, because many medicinal materials are produced in the Far East Empire, and the popularity of traditional Chinese medicine in East Africa is relatively high.
At the same time, East Africa will also import a small amount of foreign fruits and vegetables. East Africa does not grow apples, a typical cold temperate crop. It also imports wheat, although East Africa itself is a major wheat producer. The quality cannot be compared with that of temperate zones. However, this is for the current wheat producing areas in East Africa. In fact, the quality of wheat in the southern producing areas is still good, but the southern producing areas are in the initial stage and the output is limited.
However, these imported products will obviously not be too many. At most, they can enrich the dining tables of East African people or the variety of goods.
Especially for fruits and vegetables, there are too many products that can be replaced in East Africa. After all, tropical regions have better rain and heat conditions than these products. At the same time, East Africa also has advantages in temperature difference and light.
Afterwards, Ernst visited the daily drills of the Guards Division. The training subjects were similar to those of other countries. However, now the world's military training methods are based on European standards and are all learning from Europe. However, when it comes to specific execution, the East African Guards Division performed quite well. This was the conclusion Ernst drew based on the overall mental outlook of the army.
In fact, the Guards Division is also the local force most susceptible to government supervision. As it concerns the security of the capital, no one dares to take it lightly.
“Although the Guards Division is not on the border, the situation it faces is not much better than that in the south, because you are also facing maritime threats, especially Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, these two important coastal cities in East Africa. Bagamoyo has a strong naval force, so it may be a little better, but Dar es Salaam cannot withstand a blow. Dar es Salaam is more economically important than three new Hamburg ports. Moreover, cities in the central province such as First Town and Soga are not far from the coastline, so the army must be on standby at all times and accomplish its mission.” Ernst emphasized.
(End of this chapter)
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