Recaps

After the Spanish-American War ended with the United States buying only part of the Philippines, Ernst tried to take advantage of the upheaval to purchase Dutch Borneo for East Africa. The Dutch demanded an exorbitant price, so Ernst abandoned the effort and decided East Africa should spend its money strengthening itself instead.

• The United States bought the Philippines from Spain for twenty million US Dollars, but received only two-thirds of the archipelago because East Africa had already acquired Mindanao.
• Ernst considered seeking more Pacific islands and ordered the Foreign Ministry to negotiate with the Netherlands for southern and eastern Borneo.
• The Netherlands rejected East Africa's initial overture and demanded two hundred million Rheinland Shields for Dutch Borneo.
• Ernst dismissed the Dutch asking price as unreasonable and concluded that East Africa should invest in its own strength rather than pursue the purchase.

As East Africa completed its capital relocation, Ernst and the royal family left First Town for Rhine City, the new inland political center. They arrived to find the administrative district ready and Constantin waiting, while parts of the city were still under construction.

• Ernst ordered officials to confirm the capital’s move to Rhine City through newspapers, radio broadcasts, and other channels.
• Constantin traveled to Rhine City on December 7, and Ernst and the other principal royal family members followed by special train two days later.
• Princess Lina asked Ernst if they were leaving First Town for good, and he told her they were moving to the heart of the country, which he called the heart of the big lion.
• East Africa’s Central Government and Ernst’s family arrived in Rhine City three days later, where Constantin welcomed Ernst and praised the inland climate.

Ernst and his family arrived in Rhine City and toured their new residence, Rhine Palace. They admired its gardens and modern architecture, leaving Ernst satisfied with the palace’s design as the family began settling into their new home.

• Ernst and his family arrived by train in Rhine City after a tiring journey, and Constantin encouraged Ernst to travel more often.
• Ernst, Constantin, Karina, and the children traveled across northern Rhine City to inspect Rhine Palace.
• Ernst showed his family the palace gardens, which combined European, Far Eastern, and tropical elements, and everyone approved of their design.
• Ernst explained that he had involved Far Eastern garden designers but reserved the palace buildings for local and European architects.
• The family toured Rhine Palace, whose classical and modernist design included practical features such as treated transparent glass windows.

After moving East Africa’s capital to Rhine City, Ernst began working at the Central Government building instead of from Rhine Palace. He defended the separation of his residence and workplace to Constantin and revealed that Rhine Palace had a concealed subway connection for emergencies.

• Ernst considered how modern transport and communications made Rhine City a practical inland capital and argued that Moscow was now safer and no less connected than Saint Petersburg.
• On the day he arrived in Rhine City, Ernst went to the Central Government building to preside over government affairs.
• Constantin questioned why Ernst had arranged a commute between Rhine Palace and the Central Government building, and Ernst explained that cars made the trip quick and that separating residence and work preserved privacy.
• Constantin raised concerns about security, and Ernst described the guarded route, nearby troops, and protective measures around Rhine City’s administrative district.
• Ernst told Constantin that a hidden passage connected Rhine Palace to a subway station more than a hundred meters underground and promised to show him the palace layout after work.

Ernst showed his family the hidden Rhine Palace metro station, built deep underground as a shelter and emergency route, and explained why Rhine City's completed lines remained out of service. At Constantin’s request, the family took a short ride on the metro.

• Ernst explained that Rhine City’s two metro lines had been completed but would remain closed because the city did not yet need them.
• Butler Thomas showed Ernst and his family the concealed entrance, descending stairways, heavy metal doors, and underground palace-style station.
• Thomas explained that the Rhine Palace station and other hidden lines and shelters were reserved for emergencies and kept on standby.
• Constantin and the children asked to ride the metro, and Ernst agreed.
• The staff started the train, and Ernst’s family rode from Rhine Palace Station toward the Central Government building.

The chapter described Rhine City's role as a hub linking East Africa’s economic regions, then focused on Kampala’s agricultural development. Agricultural meteorologist Morse urged Kampala officials to protect vegetation and water resources and develop farming in moderation, leaving director Herwien with a clearer understanding of the risks of overdevelopment.

• Rhine City was presented as a future central urban hub connecting East Africa’s eastern and western coasts, southern industrial zone, and northern regions.
• Kampala was described as a growing Northern Railway city whose economy relied mainly on agriculture while its industry caught up with other Great Lakes cities.
• Morse presented his research to Kampala officials and recommended preserving suitable forests and vegetation while developing reservoirs and water facilities carefully.
• Herwien asked whether Morse considered local agriculture harmful, and Morse clarified that he advocated cautious development rather than rejecting agriculture.
• Morse warned that excessive cultivation could cause erosion, reduced rainfall, and desertification, citing the decline of Mesopotamia as an example.
• Herwien understood Morse’s emphasis on moderation and continued to rely on specialists because many East African officials lacked advanced education.

Ernst heard a Ministry of Agriculture report on East Africa’s rapid growth in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries, driven by government policy, population growth, and improved transport. The report left East Africa’s four major industries expanding steadily, with mechanization, water conservancy, and railways supporting further development.

• Agriculture officials reported that cultivated land had reached nearly 2.5 billion mu by 1898 and that reservoirs and irrigation projects had increased harvests across East Africa.
• The officials described the spread of tractors and assembly-line production, which boosted agricultural output and East African industrial capacity.
• The officials reported expanding forestry, livestock ranching in Southwest Africa, and growing competition with Argentine producers.
• The officials said East Africa’s marine fishing industry had quadrupled in eight years as refrigeration, shipping, and railways opened domestic and overseas markets.
• The officials concluded that government policy, population growth, and transportation had driven rapid and stable growth across the four industries.

Captain Corrid’s East African trade fleet sailed through Paraguay’s rivers, stopping in Argentina before reaching Asuncion. The chapter described Paraguay’s recovery and East Africa’s growing trade there, leaving the fleet at the capital’s harbor as Paraguayan merchants awaited its goods.

• Captain Corrid explained that the fleet was bound for Asuncion and East City, Paraguay’s main trade destinations, and described East City’s position near Brazil and Argentina.
• The Kaguan and three other ships entered the Paraguay River and stopped at Argentina’s Formosa Port, where the fleet left one merchant ship.
• The East African trade fleet arrived in Asuncion, where Paraguayan merchants gathered to receive textiles, electrical equipment, and automobiles.
• The chapter described how Paraguay’s economy recovered after the war and how East Africa became a major supplier of electrical equipment and other goods.

In Asuncion, Ambassador Luolie and Captain Corrid discussed rising trade between East Africa and Paraguay, South America's economies, and East Africa's growing interest in the region. They left the meeting expecting South America to become a key direction for East African development, with Paraguay among its closest partners.

• In Asuncion, Luolie met Captain Corrid, who reported that trade between East Africa and Paraguay had grown and that East City had become an important trading hub.
• Luolie and Captain Corrid debated Argentina's dependence on British investment, then praised Paraguay's recovery and industrial development after the Paraguayan War.
• Luolie corrected Captain Corrid's estimate of Asuncion's population, noting that it had surpassed one hundred thousand and Paraguay's population was around nine hundred thousand.
• Captain Corrid told Luolie that East African newspapers were paying more attention to South America and that the region would become a focus of future development.
• Luolie said East Africa's Atlantic ambitions would center on West Africa and South America, while Peru's resources and the difficult Drake Passage shaped plans for trade there.

John Leer briefed Ernst on East Africa’s growing ties with South American countries and the trade opportunities they offered. East Africa aimed to expand its markets there gradually, despite British influence and its limited military power.

• Corrid told Luolie that he had brought industrial goods and mosquito coils, and promised to send him some coffee later.
• John Leer reported that East Africa had established diplomatic relations with Brazil in 1891 and with Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay in 1892.
• John Leer explained that British investment shaped Argentina’s economy, while Argentina’s wealth and demand for industrial products made it a valuable market for East Africa.
• The chapter compared Argentina’s advantages with Brazil’s transportation difficulties and political instability, and noted that Brazil’s abolition of slavery helped push East Africa to end its slave trade.
• East Africa expanded ties beyond Paraguay, its earlier South American trading intermediary, to open new markets despite slow progress and its weaker military position.

Ernst assessed East Africa’s industrial growth and urged it to expand trade with South America while strengthening its competitiveness. He planned for economic development to remain the priority until 1905, with foreign crises offering opportunities to acquire technology and fill gaps in East African industry.

• Ernst called for broader diplomatic and political ties with South American countries and greater support for East African proxies.
• East Africa completed its latest round of industrial investment by 1899, expanding factories and rapidly developing electricity, machinery, petroleum, and chemical industries.
• Ernst identified Europe, the Far East, and the Middle East as current trade markets and expected South America to become East Africa’s fourth-largest market.
• Ernst argued that East Africa should prioritize industrial development, research, education, and equipment upgrades rather than military expansion until 1905.
• Ernst judged that economic crises abroad could help East Africa acquire technology and equipment, while its relatively closed interior would limit the crises’ domestic effects.

In February 1899, German Navy Minister Tirpitz visited Port of Pemba to inspect East Africa’s submarine force and learn about its capabilities. He left impressed by the submarines and their potential, while East Africa kept their most important technical details secret.

• Tirpitz traveled to Port of Pemba after a German merchant told him about an East African submarine sighting.
• Tirpitz inspected the Nautilus and asked about East Africa’s submarine technology and performance.
• The East African submarine inspector described the Nautilus’s depth, displacement, range, and reliability, while withholding accurate core data.
• Tirpitz praised the submarines as likely the world’s most advanced and recognized East Africa’s dedicated submarine force.

Tirpitz discussed naval cooperation with East African officials, recognizing the East African Navy’s technical strengths while considering the limits of a naval arms race. After inspecting East African submarines, he presented Germany’s cooperation proposals to Archduke Ferdinand in Bagamoyo, where Ferdinand asked about Tirpitz’s plans for the German Navy.

• Tirpitz modestly described submarines as unstable and the East African Navy as inferior to Germany’s, while proposing cooperation in naval strategy, tactics, and technology.
• Tirpitz reconsidered his assumptions about East African naval technology after learning that East Africa had developed independent military shipbuilding capabilities.
• The chapter contrasted Germany’s planned naval expansion with the more restrained coastal-defense policies of Austria-Hungary and East Africa.
• After inspecting East African submarines, Tirpitz and the German delegation returned to Bagamoyo and presented their proposals to Archduke Ferdinand.
• Archduke Ferdinand asked Tirpitz what he intended for the future development of the German Navy.

Archduke Ferdinand and Tirpitz discussed submarines, East Africa’s naval geography, and the prospects for cooperation between East Africa and Germany. Tirpitz planned to travel inland to Rhine City to pursue an agreement with Ernst, while other nations continued to underestimate East Africa’s population and interior.

• Tirpitz outlined how submarines could attack enemy shipping, and Archduke Ferdinand acknowledged their wartime usefulness while noting their risk of misidentifying vessels.
• Archduke Ferdinand argued that East Africa’s geography called for a strong surface fleet, while Tirpitz contrasted its advantages with Germany and Austria-Hungary’s vulnerable maritime position.
• Tirpitz proposed close naval cooperation between Germany and East Africa, and Archduke Ferdinand told him to discuss the plan with Ernst in Rhine City.
• Tirpitz accepted the journey to Rhine City despite the time it would take, explaining that he had already traveled far to seek cooperation.
• The chapter described how foreign powers underestimated East Africa’s population and interior, which was more livable and more populous than its coastal regions.

Tirpitz and his German delegation traveled inland from Dar es Salaam toward Rhine City, where the towns, farms, and cities along the Central Railway revealed East Africa’s extensive development. After seeing Mbeya, they learned it was a major industrial city rather than the capital, which still lay more than 600 kilometers farther along the route.

• Tirpitz observed the towns, villages, and carefully developed farmland along the railway and concluded that East Africa’s interior was more developed than West African colonies.
• Mudefukilan noted the irrigation, roads, and mechanized farming, while arguing that the coastal and eastern regions were likely more developed than recently acquired territories.
• Tirpitz’s party passed through Iringa and other cities, then reached Mbeya, whose size and industry led them to mistake it for Rhine City.
• East African reception staff explained that Mbeya was one of the country’s five major cities and its second-largest inland city, while Rhine City remained more than 600 kilometers away.

Tirpitz toured Mbeya and saw its factories, electric infrastructure, and bustling streets, prompting him to recognize how far East Africa’s inland development exceeded European expectations. Aaron explained Mbeya’s industrial growth and the contributions of German culture and Chinese immigrants, while Tirpitz left impressed by East Africa’s potential.

• Tirpitz obtained permission to tour Mbeya under close security, and Aaron defended East Africa’s strict screening of outsiders.
• Tirpitz observed Mbeya’s busy streets, factories, clean roads, and electric streetlights, then learned its population was about five hundred thousand.
• Aaron explained that Mbeya’s early heavy industry, Central Railway connection, and government support had driven its growth.
• Tirpitz praised Mbeya and concluded that East Africa’s inland cities and settlement network were far more developed than Europeans imagined.
• Aaron credited East Africa’s German cultural foundations and Chinese immigrants, while comparing its major cities with the developed coastal cities of the Far East Empire.

Tirpitz and Aaron discussed East African government cars as they toured Mbeya, while Ernst’s automobile policies and the country’s industry were described. The visit left the Germans impressed by Mbeya and challenged their assumptions about East Africa’s interior.

• Tirpitz asked Aaron about an unfamiliar car, and Aaron identified it as the Otto, a government vehicle ranked below the Crown.
• Aaron explained that Otto cars were not sold to ordinary buyers and that an export model might later receive a more comfortable interior.
• Ernst’s plans for popularizing automobiles and preserving electric-vehicle research were described, along with the roles of the Hohenzollern Conglomerate and state-owned enterprises.
• Tirpitz and the other Germans toured the area near Mbeya’s station and saw a prosperous city that contradicted rumors about East Africa’s interior.
• The chapter contrasted East Africa’s environment with the harsher rainforest colonies of Cameroon, Gabon, and the Belgian Congo, and noted West Africa’s rich mineral resources.

Tirpitz and the German Navy delegation arrived in Rhine City and met Ernst to discuss cooperation between the German and East African navies. The two sides agreed on cooperation in principle, but their different naval strategies and competing interests in the Far East—especially over Jiaozhou—remained unresolved.

• Tirpitz and his party arrived in Rhine City, where Aaron described the capital’s developing rail hub and distinctive architecture.
• The East African government arranged for the German Navy delegation to visit the political center, where Ernst welcomed Tirpitz.
• Ernst supported naval cooperation with Germany, and Tirpitz was pleased that the broad direction of cooperation was settled.
• The chapter outlined the differences between Germany’s oceangoing ambitions and East Africa’s coastal-defense policy.
• Ernst maintained that East Africa would not relinquish control of Jiaozhou, while Germany would need to find another foothold in the Far East.

Felix and Ernst told Tirpitz that East Africa would limit naval cooperation with Germany and avoid an arms race or commitment to a future war. Tirpitz accepted a scaled-back agreement covering technology exchanges and temporary port support, then returned to Germany to begin reforms.

• Felix explained that East Africa could not afford an oceangoing naval arms race and wanted carefully limited cooperation with Germany.
• Tirpitz urged East Africa to expand its navy and help Germany reshape the world order, but Ernst favored keeping East Africa out of future conflicts.
• Ernst told Tirpitz that East Africa preferred Germany to lead the world order while concentrating on domestic development.
• Tirpitz agreed to a reduced East African-German Naval Cooperation Plan covering battleship and submarine technology exchanges and temporary port and maintenance support for German ships.
• Tirpitz stayed in East Africa for another week, then returned to Germany to begin sweeping reforms.

Ernst heard the results of East Africa’s 1899 census, which showed a population of 83.13 million and rapid urbanization and industrial growth. The report left East Africa poised to pass 100 million people and potentially overtake the Russian Empire in industrial output in the coming decade.

• An official reported that East Africa had 83.13 million citizens, with Dar es Salaam the largest city at 710,000 people.
• The report counted 12.08 million Black residents as illegal inhabitants and described their population’s steep decline under East African rule.
• Officials said East Africa’s population clustered along the sub-rainforest belt and that urbanization had reached roughly 23 percent.
• A speaker credited state-owned enterprises with East Africa’s rapid industrialization, placing the country among semi-industrialized powers.
• The report projected that East Africa would exceed 100 million people in the next decade and might surpass the Russian Empire in industrial output.

East Africa’s leaders reviewed the country’s population and economic growth, with Ernst judging it poised to surpass Tsarist Russia as it closed gaps in science and technology. Svit reported that East Africa had become a leading industrial power by 1900, while its railway network, textile sector, emerging industries, and energy exploration continued to expand.

• Ernst assessed East Africa’s population and internal stability as advantages over Tsarist Russia and identified science, technology, and culture as areas to strengthen.
• After population data clarified the country’s development, the National Planning Commission released East Africa’s industrial figures for 1900.
• Svit reported that steel output exceeded 3.2 million tons, placing East Africa fourth worldwide, and linked the industry’s growth to transportation construction.
• Svit stated that East Africa had 90,000 kilometers of railway, the world’s second-largest network, and that its textile output had nearly tripled since 1890.
• Svit described East Africa’s leading electricity, automobile, and petroleum industries and noted that oil and natural gas exploration had resumed in 1889, focusing on the Lake Constantin basin.
• Svit reported that East Africa had more than 3,000 enterprises above designated size, which accounted for over 65 percent of total economic output.

East Africa had become a world leader in internal-combustion vehicles, using government planning and infrastructure investment to expand automobile, truck, and tractor production. The chapter left the country poised to build on its emerging industries and continue industrial growth despite population pressures.

• East Africa reported 700,000 internal-combustion vehicles, over a million kilometers of new highways, and extensive tractor roads, leading the world in automobile ownership.
• East Africa consolidated its automobile industry into seven major manufacturers, fifty-nine brands, and hundreds of factories, while expanding road and water infrastructure.
• Ernst directed automakers to pursue speed and fuel efficiency for distinct domestic and foreign markets, with trucks and tractors prioritized for practical returns.
• The government used planned measures to create a vast domestic vehicle market, accepting low profits to expand production and move toward becoming a nation on wheels.
• East Africa identified internal-combustion engines and electric power as key emerging industries that could help it compete with established industrial powers.
• The government expected population growth and industrial renewal to support further growth, aided by East Africa’s access to foreign equipment and a multipolar international environment.

Ernst proposed elevating East Africa from a kingdom to an empire and laid out plans for a modest imperial ceremony and coronation on May 1, 1900. He named the new state the Rhine Empire and set the date as its founding day, while preparations began.

• Ernst argued that East Africa’s strength and completed capital relocation justified raising its status from a kingdom to an empire, and Svit supported the proposal.
• Ernst directed officials to keep the ceremony simple, invite government and societal representatives and friendly foreign guests, and hold it on May 1, 1900.
• Ernst proposed a military parade featuring elite troops, skilled commanders, and advanced weapons instead of following European ceremonial traditions.
• Ernst designated May 1, 1900, as the Rhine Empire’s founding day and ordered a military parade every ten years, while retaining the existing flag, emblem, and anthem.
• The East African government and military began arranging the ceremony, including decorating Rhine City, inviting guests, and rehearsing the parade.

Guard Division Commander Feleguin organized his troops for East Africa’s founding-day parade as the military regions and unit designations were reorganized. The chapter ended with the Guard Division preparing for training while major forces and military academies across East Africa assembled for the ceremony.

• Feleguin told his officers that the Guard Division would provide six infantry formations and 2,112 soldiers for the parade.
• He ordered troops selected for their appearance and set deadlines for assembly, training, rehearsals, and the May 1 review.
• East Africa reorganized its military regions and renumbered their units, with formations from all six regions assigned to the parade.
• The 221st Division was chosen to provide the parade’s cavalry, while Ferdinand Naval Academy and Hechingen Military Academy would send marching formations.

On May 1, 1900, East Africa extended its Labor Day holiday as diplomats gathered for the Hechingen Royal Family’s coronation ceremony. British and Russian ambassadors traded insults over East Africa’s rise and nearly fought, until East African officials separated them.

• Ernst extended East Africa’s May Day holiday from three days to a week, making it the country’s second-longest break after the New Year holiday.
• Burs and Blairon discussed East Africa’s elevation into an empire and whether European imperial titles could apply to a country centered in Africa.
• Lawrence, Wilhelm, and other diplomats exchanged views on East Africa’s new status while British and Russian representatives faced off.
• Maxim mocked Britain for helping East Africa gain territory in the 1889 war, and Wilson answered by insulting Russia and Maxim’s intelligence.
• Maxim demanded a duel with Wilson, and East African officials separated the ambassadors before the dispute escalated.