The purpose of the exercise was to prepare for danger before it arose. For East Africa, the actual pressure on national defense was nowhere near as great as in other countries, but it would be easy enough for other countries to make trouble for East Africa.
Ernst, who had made an appearance during the exercise, soon took the train back. His inspection had been meant to demonstrate the importance he attached to the military; he had more important matters to attend to.
July 1875.
Port Bagamoyo.
"Our fleet's mission this time is to depart from East Africa, pass through the Strait of Malacca, sail past Borneo, and finally reach the Far East, where we will pay state visits to the various Far Eastern countries," Archduke Ferdinand said to the naval officers.
This greatly excited the young Austrian officers. Such a mission was exceptionally rare; even back in Austria, they might not have encountered an opportunity like this.
There were many Austrian officers in the East African Navy, which was easy to understand. After all, they and Archduke Ferdinand had built the framework of the East African Navy.
The East African Navy was no longer the greenhorn it had once been. With the support of the Austrian Navy, it had developed quite impressively. Especially after two new ironclads entered service last month, East Africa's number of ironclads had directly risen to three.
As for why its first long-distance naval voyage had chosen the Far East, it was to show off... No, it was to proclaim the nation's might.
East Africa had lent the Far East Empire such a vast sum this time to support its war against Tsarist Russia. Though the interest was not low, Ernst also feared that the Far East Empire might serve different dishes to different guests and