March 1869.
After inspecting the businesses in Vienna, Ernst visited the Austro-Hungarian royal family. After staying briefly, he returned to Hechingen.
1869 was a crucial year. The opening of the Suez Canal at year's end alone would have a far-reaching impact on the East African colony.
The opening of the Suez Canal did not merely mean a change in shipping routes; it would affect every aspect of East African affairs.
Cape Town's strategic position would decline accordingly, while Britain and France would launch a series of contests over control of the Suez Canal.
Ernst believed this was also an important reason Britain had allowed Prussia to challenge France afterward. France was indeed too powerful now.
The countries of Europe all knew that Prussia was gathering strength. Changes in the continental order depended on Prussia's next move, and every nation's attention was focused on Europe. This was a good thing for East Africa.
The opening of the Suez Canal weakened the position of East African ports such as Dar es Salaam and Mombasa on the world's major shipping routes.
Its impact on the East African colony had both benefits and drawbacks. It could reduce other powers' vigilance toward East Africa, but East Africa—including Africa as a whole—would also be placed in a highly passive position economically and strategically in the future.
It was like why the United States pursued and contained Russia so relentlessly. The Americas were geographically too isolated from the World Island as a whole. If a country like Russia, spanning the European continent, were allowed to extend its influence across the entire World Island, the United States really could only become king of the Americas.
Africa was the same. In the past, global commercial routes had to circle the entire African continent. North Africa along the Mediterranean coast