Recaps

Crown Prince Friedrich and Foreign Minister Alfred considered Dalmatia’s request to reduce East African troops and discussed using the kingdom to expand East African economic and cultural influence in Europe. Friedrich approved reducing the symbolic garrison and proposed supporting Dalmatian radio stations, newspapers, and economic development as a European showcase for East Africa.

• Prime Minister Yulitean asked East Africa’s ambassador in Split to reduce the East African garrison in Dalmatia, and the ambassador referred the request to East Africa.
• Crown Prince Friedrich and Alfred agreed that East Africa could reduce its symbolic garrison because Dalmatia had stabilized and its strategic value was limited.
• Alfred explained that German reputation, European prejudice, and racism hindered East African exports despite East Africa’s high-end manufacturing strength.
• Friedrich called for improving products and expanding cultural outreach through new media while consolidating East Africa’s influence in regions where its position was stronger.
• Friedrich proposed making Dalmatia a European center for East African cultural dissemination by supporting its radio stations, newspapers, and economy.

In May 1937, Ernst inspected East Africa’s military preparations in Bulawayo and discussed the challenges of expanding the air force with Lieutenant General Hilde. The chapter leaves East Africa focused on elite pilot training and exercises while studying foreign air forces, especially Germany’s and the Soviet Union’s performance in Spain.

• Ernst warned Bulawayo’s senior officers that war could erupt at any moment and ordered steady progress in training, re-equipment, and logistics.
• Lieutenant General Hilde reported that rapid expansion had strained aircraft production and pilot training, while Ernst insisted on strict selection and scientific instruction.
• Hilde described East Africa’s advantages in industry, population, education, civil aviation, and personnel training as foundations for building a strong air force.
• Ernst recommended aerial exercises with simulated opposing forces to compensate for East Africa’s lack of combat experience.
• Hilde said East Africa studied aerial warfare in Spain and sent personnel to Europe, noting that German aircraft held an advantage over Soviet aircraft there.

Ernst explained why East Africa had lowered army enlistment standards and ordered the National Defense Army to reform its ideology, discipline, and public image. He left the military inspection to visit classified engineering projects in Bulawayo, while secretly pursuing a model for reform in the Far East.

• Major General Tavisihe told Ernst that low recruitment standards had brought criminals and other troublesome recruits into the army.
• Ernst defended the policy, arguing that military service could reform idle people and that training standards must remain high despite the recruits’ poor quality.
• Ernst warned Tavisihe and the other officers that East Africa’s army needed new moral standards and must become a force for peace, national security, and public safety.
• Ernst ordered a future rectification of the National Defense Army’s military thinking, discipline, regulations, and conduct, citing Germany and Japan as negative examples.
• Ernst kept secret that he had sent personnel to study the Northwest Armed Forces in the Far East and planned to adapt their military practices for East Africa.
• Ernst ended the inspection in Bulawayo and told the officers he expected the army to be transformed by his next visit.

Gladen’s East African research team met American journalist Snow while studying the Red region and negotiating trade and an airport project with its regime. After Japan launched a full-scale war against the Far East Empire, Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich discussed how the conflict could create an opportunity for East Africa to expand its military preparations.

• Gladen and Snow discussed East African activity and investment in the northwest of the Far East Empire.
• Gladen’s team negotiated trade in supplies and weapons, along with plans to build an airport, with the Red region’s regime.
• Japan launched a full-scale war against the Far East Empire on July 7, 1937, a date East Africa later designated as the start of World War II.
• Ernst told Crown Prince Friedrich that Japan’s attack marked the beginning of World War II and argued that East Africa should expand its military preparations.
• Friedrich said East Africa should watch the Soviet Union, Britain, and the United States as the Soviet Union sought closer relations with East Africa and America.

Crown Prince Friedrich warned that the Soviet Union might cooperate with the United States to contain East Africa, especially over control of the Middle East. Ernst outlined East Africa’s strategy of focusing on five regions and using Germany and Japan to weaken Britain and France, leaving East Africa to claim their overseas interests.

• Crown Prince Friedrich explained that East Africa’s potential land corridor through Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula could extend its influence across Eurasia and alarm other powers.
• Crown Prince Friedrich argued that the Soviet Union could seek cooperation with the United States to counter East Africa, while Ernst said East Africa could exploit their rivalries in Europe and the Far East.
• Ernst identified South America, West Africa, the Mediterranean rim, the Indian Ocean coast, and Southeast Asia as East Africa’s core strategic regions.
• Ernst said Britain and France held overseas interests East Africa wanted, but East Africa would avoid confronting them directly.
• Ernst planned to use Germany and Japan as proxies against Britain and France, then seize the gains after those countries were exhausted by war.

Ichiro Kawasaki and Tsugu Koizumi inspected the East African Pacific Fleet at Billiton Island and judged its ships and sailors undisciplined and weak. Their observations left them convinced that East Africa’s naval reputation exceeded its real strength, while they envied its easy acquisition of overseas colonies.

• Ichiro Kawasaki and Tsugu Koizumi watched the East African Pacific Fleet in Billiton Island’s harbor and criticized its aging, rusty ships.
• Ichiro Kawasaki and Tsugu Koizumi disparaged the East African sailors’ training and discipline, comparing them unfavorably with Japan’s Army Baka.
• Tsugu Koizumi listed how East Africa had acquired colonies through purchases, force, and pressure, while Ichiro Kawasaki lamented that Japan had missed similar opportunities.
• Ichiro Kawasaki’s belief that East Africa’s navy was weak was reinforced by Japan’s celebrated victories over the Far East Empire and Russia.
• The account explained that East Africa’s royal connections and standing among Western powers had helped it acquire overseas territories and resist American pressure.

Ichiro Kawasaki and Tsugu Koizumi discussed Japan’s naval strategy and the threats posed by East Africa, the United States, and Britain. They left the discussion focused on seizing British resources and strategic positions to secure Japan’s rise and keep East Africa out of the Pacific.

• Tsugu Koizumi and Ichiro Kawasaki judged East Africa’s Pacific Fleet to be poorly maintained, while praising Britain’s Singapore base and navy.
• Ichiro Kawasaki warned that Japan needed to destroy East Africa’s Pacific forces efficiently while preserving strength to face the United States.
• Tsugu Koizumi urged Japan to prioritize East Africa and the United States, but Ichiro Kawasaki cautioned that Britain could still intervene in the Far East.
• Ichiro Kawasaki argued that Japan would need to seize British holdings, including Singapore, northern Borneo, Myanmar, and Australia, to secure resources and block East Africa’s return to the Pacific.
• The chapter explained how British oil development in northern Borneo and East African propaganda had encouraged Japan to covet the region and Australia’s resources.

Commander Yodeler worried that war in Europe and Asia could threaten East Africa’s Pacific Fleet, while Staff Officer Derisen dismissed the risk of Japan or the United States provoking the Empire. The chapter ended with Derisen confidently treating Japan as too weak to challenge the great powers.

• Yodeler listened to news of Japan’s war against the Far East Empire and grew concerned about worsening international tensions.
• Yodeler summoned Derisen, and the two exchanged jokes about Derisen’s laziness and the possibility of transferring him to a remote Pacific posting.
• Yodeler warned that conflict in Europe could spread to the Far East and asked whether the Pacific Fleet should prepare for trouble.
• Derisen argued that the United States would not turn against the Empire and that Japan would not risk provoking other nations while fighting the Far East Empire.
• Derisen declared that Japan was merely a regional power and could not seriously threaten the Empire.

Commander Yodeler and Derisen concluded that Japan was unlikely to wage war against East Africa, while East Africa prepared a highway through Afghanistan and Soviet territory to reach the Far East Empire. The Soviets agreed to build and supervise their section, viewing the route as both a strategic link and a way to improve Central Asian transportation.

• Commander Yodeler explained that Japan's victories over the Far East Empire and Tsarist Russia did not prove it could defeat Britain, the United States, or a fully mobilized East Africa.
• Commander Yodeler and Derisen agreed that the Pacific Fleet faced no imminent war and could continue its routine.
• East Africa prepared to begin construction of the Central Asia Highway in August 1937, with routes linking Shule and Yili to the Far East Empire through Soviet territory.
• Crown Prince Friedrich told Ernst that the Soviet Union would build its own highway section and permit passage, while restricting East African contact with Soviet Central Asian communities.
• Crown Prince Friedrich and Ernst accepted Soviet oversight and intended to keep East Africa's involvement in Afghanistan focused on securing a temporary land route to the Far East Empire.
• The Soviet Union planned to improve its highway section and saw the route as a future trade connection to the Indian Ocean and a strategic link to the Far East Empire.

Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich discussed the risks and limited benefits of the Central Asia Highway, stressing that East Africa needed Afghanistan’s support and a stable Afghan government. In Afghanistan, King Shah and his relatives saw the project as a chance to strengthen royal control and build closer ties with East Africa as Britain weakened and the Soviet Union grew stronger.

• Ernst said the Central Asia Highway’s strategic value outweighed its economic returns and argued that Afghanistan’s government should help provide manpower and maintain order.
• Ernst explained that German investments in Afghanistan depended on both Germany’s continued strength and the survival of Afghanistan’s regime, while Crown Prince Friedrich noted East Africa would also struggle to recover losses if Britain or the Soviet Union fomented unrest.
• Ernst argued that the highway could help Afghanistan’s unified government extend its control into the north.
• King Shah convened the Royal Family and described the highway as an opportunity to improve transport, develop the economy, and strengthen control over northern Afghanistan.
• Hashim urged Shah to use Afghanistan’s cooperation on the highway to deepen ties with East Africa and attract its investment.
• Mahmoud said the Soviet Union posed Afghanistan’s greatest threat and that East Africa was the best prospective patron as Britain declined.

Afghan leaders weighed the dangers of East Africa and the Soviet Union while deciding to use the Central Asia Highway to test East Africa’s intentions. At Gwadar Port, East African officers discussed the highway’s prospects as a trade route and strategic lifeline to the Far East Empire.

• King Shah, Mahmoud, and Prime Minister Hashim discussed Afghanistan’s need to balance the Soviet Union against East Africa and agreed to judge East Africa through the Central Asia Highway.
• On September 13, 1937, Colonel Montre and Lieutenant Colonel Tanal discussed how the highway could connect Gwadar Port with Afghanistan and Soviet Central Asia, bringing trade and prosperity to the port.
• Montre argued that Soviet investment and the highway’s links to several countries would give the project long-term potential, despite Soviet restrictions and tensions in Central Asia.
• East African engineering companies brought workers and equipment ashore at Gwadar to build a basic road capable of carrying large vehicles toward the Far East Empire.
• Montre and Tanal considered the highway safer and easier to maintain than routes through mountainous Burma, and the chapter described it as a potential military supply lifeline beyond Japan’s reach.

Crown Prince Friedrich and Ernst assessed Japan’s industrial strength and rapid gains in the Far East Empire, then considered how the war and Germany’s growing power could shape Japan’s next moves. They left the discussion focused on building the Central Asia Highway and on the coming struggle to reshape the international order.

• Crown Prince Friedrich reported that Japan produced about six million tons of steel, far more than the Far East Empire, whose industry had been crippled by lost territories, weak policy, and limited resources.
• Crown Prince Friedrich warned that Japan’s capture of Shen City and northern regions threatened the Far East Empire’s remaining steel production and could soon leave everything north of the Yellow River under Japanese control.
• Ernst said the Far East Empire’s people would develop stronger national consciousness as they experienced Japan’s invasion and urged East Africa to accelerate construction of the Central Asia Highway to deliver supplies.
• Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich discussed how Japan’s possible move south depended on Germany’s actions in Europe and on whether Japan would gamble against East Africa and the United States.
• Crown Prince Friedrich estimated that Germany’s steel output could approach or exceed thirty million tons, while Ernst’s East Africa was expected to produce more than eighty million tons, and they concluded that a new international order would require countries to be pushed out of power.

Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich discussed East Africa’s domestic steel market and the growing military strength of Germany and the Soviet Union. Germany’s rapid expansion and its looming conflict with the Soviet Union left the outcome of a future clash uncertain, especially in the air.

• Crown Prince Friedrich explained that East Africa’s huge domestic market, rather than steel exports, sustained its steel industry.
• Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich discussed how global overproduction and Germany’s military buildup were driving Europe toward war.
• Crown Prince Friedrich reported that Germany had expanded its armed forces to more than four million troops, surpassing the Soviet Union’s numbers.
• Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich compared Germany’s mechanized army and resource constraints with East Africa’s industrial and energy advantages.
• Crown Prince Friedrich described the Soviet Union’s larger air force, while Ernst judged that an air war between Germany and the Soviet Union would be uncertain and their armies’ abilities difficult to assess.

Ernst and Crown Prince Friedrich assessed the military strengths of Germany and the Soviet Union, while officials in Tete Province discussed the scale, delays, and future benefits of the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Power Station. The station remained under construction and was not expected to be completed until 1939, with the Zambezi River’s full development still far off.

• Ernst argued that Germany and the Soviet Union both had formidable armies, and that the Soviet generals could challenge Germany if they avoided serious mistakes.
• Crown Prince Friedrich warned that the military strength of the world’s industrial powers made it difficult for the Empire to seize its desired gains.
• Senior Official Cristiano and Director Wasser surveyed the Cahora Bassa construction site and discussed its expected completion in 1939 and the safety demands imposed by nearby Tete City.
• Wasser explained that filling the reservoir and coordinating further Zambezi River projects would delay the station’s full economic and shipping benefits for years.
• Cristiano and Wasser criticized the Far East Empire’s wartime instability and questioned its ability to undertake projects on the scale of Cahora Bassa.

Director Wasser and Cristiano discussed how the Cahora Bassa project could ease East Africa’s water and transport constraints and support Tete City and Xindai city. In 1938, as Madrid endured a worsening siege, Soviet officer Taslov announced Moscow’s order to withdraw personnel from Spain, and the dissenting officers accepted it.

• Director Wasser explained that the Cahora Bassa project would improve East Africa’s water use and could help the lower Zambezi region grow into a major urban center.
• Cristiano agreed that Tete City and Xindai city would likely form a dual-core urban cluster despite their distance from Eurasia’s main trade routes.
• Antonio despaired over the siege of Madrid and the deaths of his companions, but Martin urged him to keep fighting, and Antonio refused to retreat.
• Taslov told a secret meeting in Madrid that Moscow had ordered Soviet personnel to withdraw from Spain because the Republican cause was failing and Germany threatened the Soviet Union.
• Trotsky and Taslov argued that withdrawal would preserve their forces for a future struggle against Germany, and the protesting officers reluctantly accepted the order.

Franco and Luis Carrero Blanco discussed how to govern Spain after the Nationalists won the civil war, including rebuilding the economy, controlling rival military factions, and limiting foreign influence. They agreed Spain should avoid another European war and strengthen ties with the United States and East Africa, especially East Africa.

• Blanco told Franco that Soviet withdrawal from Spain made Nationalist victory and the recovery of Madrid only a matter of time.
• Blanco warned Franco that Spain faced economic ruin, wartime debts, and deep divisions among the Nationalist forces after the war.
• Franco outlined plans to control the military through a General Staff, personal approval of senior appointments, loyal Army of Africa officers, and an independent intelligence agency.
• Blanco urged Franco to balance the Falange, Carlists, and other factions while using the Falange against the Labor Party and winning over senior officers.
• Franco and Blanco agreed to reduce German and Italian influence over time while maintaining relations useful for Spain's reconstruction.
• Blanco argued that Spain should stay out of a future European war and build ties with Britain, France, the United States, and East Africa; Franco agreed to deepen cooperation with East Africa.

Franco planned to secure East African loans and investment while preserving ties with other powers. Yugoslav President Koshutich resolved to resist German and Italian pressure, pursue support from France and the Soviet Union, and settle territorial and transport issues with the Kingdom of Dalmatia.

• Franco and Blanco argued that Spain should deepen economic ties with East Africa to obtain postwar aid and avoid excessive dependence on Germany and Italy.
• Foreign Minister Macek warned President Koshutich that expelling the Ustaše had angered Germany and Italy, while Koshutich insisted the organization threatened Yugoslav unity.
• Koshutich rejected submission to German and Italian threats and decided Yugoslavia should prepare for war by seeking French and Soviet support.
• Koshutich proposed a military alliance with France and a secret agreement with the Soviet Union to secure military and economic assistance.
• Koshutich called for Yugoslavia to settle its border with the Kingdom of Dalmatia and secure restored railways through former Dalmatia and Bosnia.
• Koshutich identified Bosnia and Serbia as strategic defensive regions because Zagreb lay close to the German border.

Yugoslav Ambassador Taherovich and Minister Modrov discussed the government’s order to improve relations with the Kingdom of Dalmatia, despite Taherovich’s desire to reclaim its territory. They traveled to meet King Karl I, leaving Yugoslavia focused on gaining time to rearm and develop amid German power.

• Taherovich lamented that improving relations with Dalmatia meant abandoning Yugoslavia’s hopes of recovering the disputed homeland, while Modrov argued that national security had to come first.
• Modrov warned that Germany and its allies would block any Yugoslav attempt to seize Dalmatia, and Taherovich agreed that Yugoslavia needed time to arm itself and avoid being absorbed by Germany.
• Taherovich and Modrov decided to carry out their government’s instructions and arrange a meeting with King Karl I.
• Taherovich and Modrov drove through Split in an East African car and observed Dalmatia’s economic growth, supported by East Africa and Germany.
• Taherovich and Modrov discussed how French and Soviet aid might help Yugoslavia develop, while Taherovich complained that Dalmatia’s population had grown at Yugoslavia’s expense.

Yugoslav officials discussed Split’s rapid development and Dalmatia’s advantages through its ties to German-speaking powers, while worrying about German influence and the threat it posed. At the Split Royal Palace, Yugoslavia offered to restore border and railway links, and the two countries formalized an agreement in the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance.

• Minister Modrov and Ambassador Taherovich observed Split’s growth and discussed how Dalmatia’s German-language ties helped its economic and technological development.
• Modrov and Taherovich warned that Germany’s assimilation policies and growing influence made Yugoslavia wary of a possible German threat.
• King Karl I and Prime Minister Yulitean awaited Taherovich at the Split Royal Palace, expecting another hostile exchange.
• Taherovich presented President Koshutich’s letter and proposed reopening the border and railway connections while Yugoslavia reduced troops along the frontier.
• Karl I, Yulitean, and Taherovich agreed to formalize their rapprochement in the Treaty of Friendship and Mutual Assistance Between the Kingdom of Dalmatia and the Republic of Yugoslavia.

France debated whether to support Yugoslavia, with Blum approving indirect economic aid despite fears of provoking Germany. The Soviet Union offered direct military and industrial assistance, and the two countries began supporting Yugoslavia through different channels, leaving it better equipped to develop both civilian and military industry.

• Blum discussed France’s declining position and Yugoslavia’s request for support with his ministers in Paris.
• Boncour argued that France should fully support Yugoslavia as a way to resist Germany, while other officials warned that doing so could provoke Germany.
• Blum approved support for Yugoslavia through industry and commerce, avoiding military aid and weapons exports.
• Yosef received Yugoslavia’s envoy in Moscow and promised weapons, military-industry assistance, and support for civilian industries.
• France and the Soviet Union began providing Yugoslavia with complementary economic and military aid, using East Africa to disguise their involvement.

Mostar City sought to revive its economy after Dalmatia restored trade with Yugoslavia, using reopened rail links to rebuild its role as a Balkan transport and industrial center. Mayor Hanweis called for support for wool textiles and meat processing, leaving the city ready to resume exports to East Africa, Germany, and other markets.

• Trade resumed between Dalmatia and Yugoslavia, sending wool, timber, and grain through Mostar Railway and Port of Ploče.
• Mayor Hanweis convened Mostar officials and businesses and urged them to restore the city’s inland trade and economic importance.
• When an official questioned whether Yugoslavia might close the border again, Hanweis argued that Mostar needed access to inland markets to grow.
• Hanweis warned that Dubrovnik City could compete with Mostar if the Dubrovnik Railway was completed, and called for immediate action.
• Hanweis announced that the city would seek support for its wool textile mills and meat processing plants.
• Hanweis said renewed trade with Yugoslavia would let Mostar restore wool and pork exports to East Africa, Germany, and other markets.

Mostar City planned to revive meat exports to East Africa by restoring trade routes and taking advantage of the North African Railway, while trade with Yugoslavia surged after both countries reconciled. In Yugoslavia’s Dinaric Alps, Soviet engineers helped build the Southern Fortress Complex as preparation for a possible German invasion.

• Mayor Hanweis explained that the North African Railway shortened trade with East Africa and urged Mostar City to restore its traditional shipping route and develop new railway-centered routes.
• The Kingdom of Dalmatia and Yugoslavia reopened their economies, and trade between them rose rapidly as Yugoslavia relied more on Dalmatian ports and commerce.
• Soviet engineer Korchev explained to Yugoslav officer Rovca how a concealed bunker fit into the Southern Fortress Complex’s mountain defenses.
• Rovca described Yugoslavia’s shortages of materials, machinery, and transport infrastructure, which slowed construction of the fortress complex.
• Korchev said the complex would support a prolonged war and retain secret routes for outside aid, then warned that Yugoslavia could not ignore Germany’s expansionist ambitions.

In April 1938, Franco took control of Spain and received diplomats at the Madrid Royal Palace. He agreed to deepen cooperation with Germany and Italy, leaving the European Axis poised to consolidate its alliance.

• Rovca told Korchev that Yugoslavia would rely on its own strength to defend its independence, and Korchev praised his resolve.
• Franco reviewed Nationalist troops in Madrid and declared that peace had arrived as Spain welcomed its new ruler.
• Franco moved into the Madrid Royal Palace and learned that representatives from Germany, Italy, East Africa, and several other countries had arrived.
• Franco received German Ambassador Stohrer and other diplomats, then met privately with Stohrer and Count Ciano.
• Stohrer and Ciano urged trilateral cooperation, and Franco pledged that Spain would do everything in its power to cooperate with Germany and Italy.

Franco privately resolved to use Spain’s war damage to delay deeper commitments to Germany and Italy. During a massive East African joint exercise in the Mozambique Channel, Admiral Kabriel told Lieutenant General Bartel that the Indian Ocean Fleet needed to prepare for responsibilities extending into the Pacific, especially a possible conflict with Japan.

• After the German and Italian guests departed, Franco and Sunyer agreed Spain would rely on its ruined economy to avoid becoming deeply involved in another war while still seeking their support.
• Admiral Kabriel and Lieutenant General Bartel observed an East African exercise involving more than 300,000 personnel and drills for island seizures and amphibious landings.
• Kabriel warned that the Indian Ocean Fleet must prepare for large-scale warfare and coordinate with the army and air force, despite Bartel’s confidence in the fleet’s regional security.
• When Bartel asked whether the Empire had chosen a target, Kabriel said the fleet should study Japan and the North Pacific and take on responsibilities previously assigned to the underfunded Pacific Fleet.
• Bartel inferred that Japan was the likely threat to East African interests in the Pacific, and Kabriel told him to keep the matter confidential.

In Jinyang, Umezu Yoshijiro learned that Far East Empire resistance forces had improved despite Japan occupying or destroying much of the country’s industry. After ruling out Soviet support, he and the Head of Jinyang Special Agency suspected East Africa, but the chapter ended before they confirmed how it was helping.

• The Head of Jinyang Special Agency presented Umezu Yoshijiro with a report on unexpected improvements in the Far East Empire’s resistance forces.
• The Head of Jinyang Special Agency explained that Japan had seized or destroyed most of the Far East Empire’s industrial base, yet the resistance forces’ supplies and equipment had not declined.
• The Head of Jinyang Special Agency reported that investigations found little evidence of Soviet support, and Umezu Yoshijiro agreed that the Soviet Union was unlikely to risk conflict with Japan while facing Germany.
• Umezu Yoshijiro and the Head of Jinyang Special Agency concluded that East Africa was the likeliest hidden source of large-scale support for the Far East Empire.