Chapter Summaries

After his memories of a modern life in Tanzania awakened, twelve-year-old Ernst realized he had transmigrated into the House of Hohenzollern’s Hechingen branch in 1862. His father Constantin left him to rest, while Ernst began considering his new life and place in history.

• Prince Constantin returned to his castle and learned from Keno that Ernst had fainted while riding.
• The physician found Ernst healthy, and Constantin reassured himself after Ernst recognized him as his father.
• Ernst concealed that his fainting had followed the sudden awakening of memories from his previous life.
• Ernst recalled his work and experiences in Tanzania and reconsidered his former views of Africa.
• Ernst reflected on Tanzania’s conditions and Africa’s history before turning his thoughts toward his future in Europe.

After recovering, Ernst toured Hechingen and reflected on how to adapt his knowledge and abilities to his new life. He persuaded Prince Constantin to let him travel across Europe to study, though Ernst mainly hoped to reach Berlin and pursue his plans.

• Ernst rode through Hechingen, bought a newspaper, and read that Bismarck had become Prussia’s chancellor.
• Ernst considered how little experience he had with leadership and resolved to learn how to function in his new position.
• Prince Constantin summoned Ernst to discuss his future, and Ernst said he wanted to travel across the continent to study.
• Ernst argued that nobles should use industrial and capitalist methods to preserve their power, and Prince Constantin appeared convinced.
• Ernst concealed his real ambition to go to Berlin and pursue his ideas while presenting his proposal as a plan for education.

In June 1863, Ernst studied at the University of Berlin while beginning to pursue his plans for making money and eventually establishing a refuge in East Africa. He left the chapter with his first business idea, a T-shaped safety razor, stalled by a blade that broke too easily.

• Ernst arrived in Berlin, met King Wilhelm I and other members of the House of Hohenzollern, and began studying at the university.
• Ernst balanced his classes and noble gatherings with physical training, and he declined Garrett’s invitation to a banquet so he could rest.
• Ernst went to his workshop, where Peter showed him a completed prototype of the T-shaped razor he had designed.
• Ernst considered East Africa as a future overseas kingdom and viewed the razor as a way to raise the money he needed.
• Peter demonstrated that the razor blade snapped under pressure, so Ernst ordered further experiments and decided to seek metallurgical experts.

Ernst solved the T-shaped razor blade production problem, secured funding from his father, and opened a factory in Berlin. After launching his Gillette razor and promoting it for two months, he gained repeat customers and planned to use the profits to expand across the German territories.

• Ernst hired a Berlin metallurgical expert and commissioned the machinery needed to produce razor blades, then borrowed startup capital from Prince Constantin.
• Ernst opened a factory, set up assembly-line production for razor blades and handles, and tested a finished razor by shaving Peter.
• Peter praised the razor’s quality but doubted its market prospects, while Ernst planned door-to-door sales, distributors, and large advertisements to promote it.
• Ernst launched the product under the name “Gillette,” and two months of promotion made Berliners familiar with it and brought in repeat customers.
• Ernst appointed Peter acting factory manager and planned to reinvest profits in advertising before expanding sales across the German territories.

Ernst expanded Gillette razor sales by securing Prussian military trials and pursuing markets across Europe and North America, while establishing the Hohenzollern Development Company. After his cigarette production line was completed, he planned to diversify into other everyday goods, including flush toilets and kerosene lighters.

• Ernst persuaded King Wilhelm I to test 20,000 Gillette razors in the Prussian military, and soldiers' enthusiasm generated repeat orders for blades.
• Ernst promoted Gillette razors to other German armies and precision instrument factories, where employers wanted workers to shave safely and efficiently.
• The Hohenzollern Development Company sent sales teams to Austria, Russia, and other markets, and Ernst arranged a U.S. military deal that gave him a ten-percent annual share in U.S. dollars.
• Ernst established a mass-production cigarette line and prepared to sell rolled cigarettes to German consumers and the military.
• Ernst planned new factories for flush toilets and kerosene lighters as he gradually diversified his business.

Ernst anticipated war with Denmark and planned to expand production of tobacco and kerosene lighters for military and civilian markets. Prince Constantin revealed that Prussia was preparing to join Austria in forcing Denmark to relinquish Holstein and Schleswig.

• Ernst reasoned that the Second Schleswig War was approaching and decided to accelerate construction of his tobacco and lighter factories.
• Constantin returned to Berlin from discussions with the royal family and praised Ernst’s business success.
• Ernst inferred that Prussia was preparing for war from military supply orders and increased factory activity.
• Constantin confirmed the kingdom was preparing to use force against Denmark and explained Prussia’s plans with Austria over Holstein and Schleswig.
• Constantin described how Prussia hoped to use German anger over Denmark’s new constitution to build support and expand its influence in North Germany.

Ernst used Prussia’s preparations for war to secure military orders for cigarettes and kerosene lighters, then expanded his company’s sales and research plans. As Prussia and Austria mobilized against Denmark, Ernst hoped the conflict would last long enough to bring his enterprises greater profits.

• Ernst persuaded Prince Constantin to support selling his cigarettes and kerosene lighters to the Prussian military.
• Constantin brought the products to the Prussian Royal Palace, and the military placed orders that quickly recouped Ernst’s investment.
• Ernst directed the Hohenzollern Development Company to expand production and sales, including into Austria and other neighboring countries.
• Ernst established a research and development center near Berlin and began preparing a separate institute for electrical research.
• As Prussia and Austria mobilized for war against Denmark, Ernst anticipated profiting from the conflict and hoped it would not end too quickly.

Prussia and Austria prepared to fight Denmark while competing for influence over the German territories, and Ernst used the troop buildup to promote his products among Austrian soldiers. The chapter ended with Austria and Prussia signing an agreement to decide the fate of Schleswig and Holstein jointly.

• Bismarck drew Austria into the conflict by proposing that the two powers jointly determine the fate of Schleswig and Holstein.
• Prussian, Austrian, and other German-state armies assembled, with Prussia coordinating its forces through its rail and logistics networks.
• Ernst supplied the camps with free industrial goods, and his cigarettes became popular among Austrian soldiers, prompting Austria to place large orders.
• On January 16, 1864, Austria and Prussia signed an agreement requiring both countries to consent before deciding the duchies’ succession.

The Prussian-Austrian Allied Forces crossed the Eider River and began probing Denmark’s defenses while Denmark sought diplomatic support. The first Prussian assault was repelled, but the Allied commanders treated it as a preliminary test and remained confident in their broader campaign.

• The Prussian-Austrian Allied Forces crossed the Eider River under cover of night and established positions on its northern bank.
• The Danish Army reported the crossing to the capital, and the Danish government appealed to Britain, Russia, France, and Sweden for help.
• On February 2, the Prussian Army launched a probing attack against Danish fortifications.
• Danish troops used their defenses and favorable terrain to halt the Prussian advance and inflict heavy casualties.
• Prussian commanders ordered an orderly withdrawal and regarded the attack as a test before the larger Allied forces entered the battle.
• Britain offered Denmark verbal support but did not commit to sending troops.

Austria’s offensive forced the Danish army to abandon its defenses, but a blizzard made the withdrawal costly and General Meza was dismissed afterward. Denmark continued resisting at Flensburg while Britain and other nations failed to provide the help it sought.

• The Austrian army launched the Battle of Königgrätz and drove the front toward Denmark’s defenses with heavy artillery.
• General Meza held an emergency meeting, and the Danish officers unanimously voted to retreat rather than defend the position.
• The Danish army withdrew through a blizzard, losing supplies and weapons and suffering non-combat casualties before completing the retreat at dawn.
• Danish civilians protested the failed withdrawal, and the government removed General Meza from office.
• The remaining Danish troops regrouped at Flensburg and continued fighting the Allied Forces.
• Britain told its ambassador to delay while Denmark’s efforts to secure intervention from other nations made little progress.

The Second Schleswig War boosted the Hohenzollern Development Company, and Ernst planned a corporate restructuring to manage its growing industries. He outlined a conglomerate centered on the Hohenzollern Development Bank, with separate tobacco, general merchandise, and research divisions, and planned investments in emerging industries.

• The Second Schleswig War drove demand for tobacco and supplies, increasing production and profits for the Hohenzollern companies.
• Ernst assessed the company’s expanding factories, products, and distribution network and decided that its industries needed centralized management.
• Ernst planned to establish the Hohenzollern Development Bank as the center of a conglomerate and separate the Hohenzollern Tobacco Company from the other businesses.
• Ernst proposed creating the Hohenzollern General Merchandise Company and the Hohenzollern Science and Technology R&D Center to oversee consumer goods and product development.
• Ernst planned for the bank to invest in emerging German industries, including electronics, internal combustion engines, radio, and telephones.

The Allied cavalry crushed the Danish cavalry, and the Allies advanced to Denmark’s border before Austria halted further expansion and negotiated a ceasefire. At the border, Austrian farmer Kane and his fellow soldiers rested as their headman Morey recounted fighting Napoleon’s army.

• The Allied cavalry pursued the Danish cavalry across the snowy plains, defeated it, and drove the survivors back toward Flensburg.
• The Allied infantry joined the cavalry, and the Allies captured Flensburg before the Danish army withdrew into Denmark.
• The Prussian Army occupied Kolding on February 18, but Austria opposed further advances and the two sides entered a brief ceasefire.
• Kane rested with fellow Austrian soldiers at the Danish border while Prussia and Austria negotiated.
• Morey told Kane and the other soldiers about his experiences fighting Napoleon’s army.

Austria and Prussia defeated Danish forces at Dybbøl and occupied much of Jutland, while Britain convened the London Conference to mediate the Schleswig question. The conference temporarily slowed the German offensives, but Denmark rejected its proposal and withdrew to Als Island as Prussian forces gathered across from it.

• After Denmark rejected Austria and Prussia’s demand for the duchies’ independence, Austrian and Prussian forces resumed their campaign, and the Prussian Navy clashed with Denmark’s stronger fleet.
• On April 18, Prussia’s artillery and infantry broke through the Dybbøl defenses, forcing the Danish commander to retreat while the Eighth Brigade covered the withdrawal at heavy cost.
• Following the defeats at Dybbøl and Fredericia, Denmark abandoned attempts to retake the occupied areas, and Britain called for European mediation over Schleswig.
• At the London Conference, Prussia demanded Schleswig’s separation from Denmark, Austria reluctantly supported the proposal, and Denmark rejected the terms.
• The conference temporarily slowed the offensives as Danish troops completed their final mobilization and withdrew to Als Island; in June, Prussia began massing forces opposite the island.

Prussia launched an assault on Als Island, forcing the Danish defenders to surrender and bringing the Second Schleswig War to its final stage. Denmark signed away Schleswig and Holstein to Prussia and Austria, leaving Prussia with control of Schleswig and the port of Kiel.

• On June 29, Prussian forces crossed Als Fjord under gunboat cover and landed on Als Island.
• Prussian artillery destroyed the Danish defenses, and the demoralized defenders raised the white flag after brief resistance.
• The allied forces won the Battle of Lundby on July 3, leaving Denmark unable to continue fighting.
• Christian IX signed a preliminary peace treaty on August 10, relinquishing Denmark's rights to the duchies to Austria and Prussia.
• Denmark ceded the lands under the Treaty of Vienna on October 30, while Prussia gained Schleswig and Kiel and Austria gained Holstein.

Ernst established the Hohenzollern Development Bank and launched new companies to develop internal-combustion engines and electrical technology. He then inspected Amsterdam to arrange Dutch partnerships for trade with East Asia, leaving with plans to scout Adriatic ports, especially Venice, as future shipping hubs.

• Ernst founded the Hohenzollern Development Bank, which invested in the Berlin Electric Company and Berlin Energy Power Company.
• Ernst appointed Étienne Lenoir to lead Berlin Energy Power Company, hired Karl Friedrich Benz as his assistant, and acquired Alphonse Bo-Rochat's engine patent to pursue a practical four-stroke engine.
• Ross August Otto partnered with Eugen Langen and began profiting from their engine factory, so Ernst could not recruit him.
• Carl von Linde became general manager of the Berlin Electric Company, which began operations and focused on modest electrical innovations.
• Ernst reached agreements with Dutch trading companies to establish commercial footholds in East Asia and use Dutch ships for transport and intelligence.
• Ernst prioritized scouting Adriatic ports such as Venice for future trade routes through the Suez Canal and planned to inspect the region after leaving the Netherlands.

Ernst admired Venice’s canals and reflected on the city’s history and Austria’s lost opportunities before considering Venice’s future under Austro-Hungarian rule. He took control of the Martin Shipyard, renamed it Hechingen Shipyard, and planned its expansion and staffing.

• Ernst traveled through Venice by gondola and considered how the city had risen through trade before declining as sea routes shifted.
• Ernst reflected that Austria had wasted resources pursuing dominance in Europe and imagined how Venice might have benefited from Austrian investment and the opening of the Suez Canal.
• Ernst purchased the struggling Martin Shipyard from Fortez Martin, who planned to invest the sale proceeds in textiles.
• Ernst planned to expand the shipyard, recruit Austrian workers, train Germanic staff for a future Hamburg branch, and bring in managers from Berlin.
• Ernst renamed the yard Hechingen Shipyard and retained its existing managers while preparing to add new oversight.

Yalman led a Prussian colonial expedition hired by Hechingen Bank to Dar es Salaam, where he negotiated with the Sultan of Zanzibar for permission to develop farms in Tanganyika and use Zanzibar’s port. The Sultan agreed to cooperate under restrictions, and Yalman secured permission to leave twenty armed men to guard the port facilities.

• More than two thousand men from Yalman’s Prussian colonial expedition landed at Dar es Salaam and alarmed the Sultan of Zanzibar.
• The Sultan of Zanzibar questioned Yalman about Prussia and the expedition’s purpose, and Yalman claimed they intended to establish farms in Tanganyika.
• Yalman promised not to interfere with Zanzibar’s inland interests and offered to sell it ivory and other goods obtained during the expedition’s expansion.
• The Sultan of Zanzibar agreed to help the expedition leave Dar es Salaam within two weeks, hoping to avoid a confrontation.
• The Sultan of Zanzibar allowed Prussian supplies and personnel to transit through a designated port area, and Yalman negotiated to leave twenty armed guards there.

Ernst began building a military academy in Hechingen to train Qing Chinese recruits for his ambitious plan to establish Hohenzollern rule across East Africa. He explained his colonization strategy to Prince Constantin and expanded trade and recruitment operations in Qing China, while the chapter left the East African venture dependent on European profits as it awaited immigrants and development.

• The Zanzibar colonial team began producing travel equipment, while Dutch ships continued toward East Asia after replenishing supplies at Dar es Salaam.
• Ernst told Prince Constantin that the new Hechingen building would be a military academy for preparing talent to develop East Africa.
• Ernst showed Constantin his plan to establish Hohenzollern control across Tanzania and neighboring regions, recruit hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Qing China, and eventually create an overseas country.
• Ernst explained that the academy would train Qing Chinese boys to speak German and help govern immigrants, and Constantin agreed to support his plans.
• The Jiaozhou Bay German Commercial Liaison Office began recruiting five hundred boys from poor northern families, while also recruiting laborers and promoting trade.
• Ernst linked Europe, East Africa, and the Far East through a trade route that was still losing money, but his European businesses and bank supplied funds for continued expansion.

Ernst had the Hechingen Military Academy prepared to receive more than five hundred undernourished youths recruited from Qing China, while he planned to use Chinese laborers and local Africans to develop East Africa. He intended to train the youths as future managers and translators, leaving East Africa German-speaking and under German control.

• Ernst fed the newly arrived youths small portions of vegetables, bread, and potatoes while they recovered from famine and the sea voyage.
• Ernst recruited Chinese workers because he considered them disciplined, diligent, and easier to manage than European laborers.
• Ernst planned to organize Chinese farmers to cultivate East Africa while using local Africans for heavy labor and reclaiming wilderness.
• Ernst intended for the youths to become future managers and translators for Chinese workers in East Africa.
• Ernst planned to spread German throughout East Africa and establish German descendants as its ruling class before promoting eventual ethnic integration.

Yalman established First Town as the Hechingen colonial team’s first settlement in East Africa, where newly arrived immigrants and captive indigenous people began work on roads, canals, and farmland. The settlement prepared to grow wheat for food and sisal for export while the colony planned to develop the region’s agricultural potential.

• Yalman named the new settlement First Town and located it on high ground near the Little Rhine River.
• Seven hundred East Asian immigrants arrived at Dar es Salaam, were disinfected, given German clothing, and sent to First Town under twenty-year employment contracts.
• The colonial team held more than five hundred indigenous captives and put them to work on canals and a road between First Town and Dar es Salaam Port.
• The settlers discovered that most immigrants lacked experience growing rice and that rice seed had not been prepared, so wheat would temporarily supply their rations.
• The colonial team planned to develop sisal as a profitable cash crop suited to the region’s warm, rainy climate.