Of course, East African naval construction in the 1870s had also been a measure born of necessity. Ernst had wanted to develop step by step, but with his knowledge of the world situation, hesitation had simply not been an option.
At the time, the East African Navy's goal had been to take shape quickly and develop combat capability in order to face the grim national defense situation of the 1880s.
After all, Ernst knew that the 1880s would be a peak period of great-power expansion across the world, with the African continent being a key target. Under such circumstances, the East African Navy had to possess a certain scale and strength to safeguard East Africa's tangible interests. Obviously, building a powerful navy in a short time came at a price.
Fortunately, the East African Navy had fulfilled its historical mission admirably, withstanding the pressure of the British Royal Navy during the South African War.
The East African Navy had taken shape in the 1870s and begun developing combat capability in the 1880s. Had it only started expanding its navy in the 1880s like the Far East Empire, the United States, and Japan, then the East African Navy would likely have found it difficult to contend with the British Royal Navy during the South African War. After all, adapting to warships and training naval personnel were both rather lengthy processes.
Now, however, in Ernst's judgment, East Africa's period of danger had passed. Therefore, the disarmament of the East African Army and Navy had become unavoidable. Beyond the need to reduce expenditures, there was also the consideration of recouping funds.
In particular, the large quantities of outdated or captured weapons and equipment from the South African War had to be sold off immediately while they could still fetch a good price.
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