In Ernst's view, Germany's diplomatic posture should not have been like this. Though Germany was currently the most powerful country on the European continent, it held no absolute advantage over France and Russia—at least, that was the common perception among European nations.
Take France, for example. Although French industry and population had already been left far behind by Germany, France's military strength had continued to grow by leaps and bounds in recent years. The French army could be said to have been prepared entirely for Germany; whether in numbers or quality, it was not inferior to Germany in the slightest.
Before the outbreak of World War I in his previous life, France had proclaimed that it possessed Europe's strongest land army. After the war broke out, the French Army's performance had indeed been dazzling.
Thus, France alone was a hard bone Germany could not easily chew through. Add Britain and Russia to the mix, and Germany would ultimately still be hunted down by the Entente Powers.
Of course, the poor quality of Germany's allies was also a major reason. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a tangled mess internally, and its military performance was utterly unworthy of its status as one of Europe's traditional great powers. Italy, that turncoat, even jumped directly into the Entente Powers camp before the war began.
In short, the development of the world situation had now completely strayed beyond Ernst's expectations. Without Italy, that turncoat, whether Germany could even launch World War I was a question in itself.
Naturally, out of the needs of its own development, East Africa hoped that the European nations would fight tooth and nail. No matter which side won, East Africa could reap enormous benefits. The United States probably thought much the same.
The key to the outbreak of World War I