Chapter Summaries

Ernst weighed East Africa’s future and the reasons he had hesitated to leave Hechingen, while Prince Constantin urged him to take charge of the growing colony. Constantin offered to go in his place and, despite Ernst’s concerns, decided to sail to East Africa after proper preparations were made.

• Ernst told Prince Constantin that he planned to modernize First Town as East Africa’s temporary capital and showed him the colony’s statistics.
• After reviewing East Africa’s growth, Constantin urged Ernst to go there and personally lead its affairs.
• Ernst explained his concerns about leaving Constantin, coordinating East Africa with the Hohenzollern Conglomerate, and waiting for the right moment to declare sovereignty.
• Constantin offered to go to East Africa himself and hold the fort for Ernst.
• Ernst objected because of Constantin’s age, but Constantin asserted his authority and decided to go.
• Ernst agreed to arrange a suitable ship, staff, and living quarters before Constantin’s departure.

Ernst accepted that Prince Constantin would take command in East Africa and realized First Town’s redevelopment plan needed to be redesigned. Meanwhile, Becker’s party reached the Yeke Kingdom’s border and sought permission to meet Msiri.

• Ernst concluded that Prince Constantin’s authority would make him the best choice to command East Africa.
• Ernst returned to the First Town redevelopment plan and saw that Constantin’s involvement would make his original budget savings impossible.
• Becker ordered an interpreter to tell the Yeke Kingdom border guards that his group came peacefully and wanted to meet Msiri.
• The guards recognized Becker’s party as people from the east and feared they might be connected to the East African colony.
• The Yeke Kingdom soldiers said they would report Becker’s request to Msiri before allowing the visitors to continue to the royal palace.

Becker entered the Yeke Kingdom to negotiate with Msiri, who accused East Africa of taking his land and destroying his slave-trade revenues. Becker warned that East African hardliners were targeting the kingdom, then proposed cooperation, leaving Msiri asking what East Africa wanted.

• A Yeke Kingdom guard escorted Becker and his party through the slums and royal city to Msiri's palace.
• When the palace guard demanded that they surrender their weapons, Becker left Merke and the armed party outside and entered with the interpreter.
• Msiri accused East Africa of seizing Tanganyika and cutting off the Yeke Kingdom's slave-trade income.
• Becker claimed that most East Africans wanted peace but warned that some were setting their sights on the Yeke Kingdom.
• Msiri asked what East Africa wanted, and Becker said he had come to discuss mutually beneficial cooperation.

Becker negotiated with Msiri over East Africa’s planned takeover of the Yeke Kingdom, offering arms in exchange for Msiri and his people leaving. Msiri accepted five hundred guns, with the first hundred to be delivered before the rest were handed over at the border.

• Becker presented Msiri with the choices of resisting East Africa or voluntarily leaving the Yeke Kingdom in exchange for weapons.
• Msiri threatened Becker and his envoys, then demanded one thousand guns to surrender the kingdom.
• Becker refused Msiri’s demand and insisted that five hundred guns was East Africa’s final offer if Msiri took all his citizens with him.
• Msiri accepted the deal, and Becker said East Africa would provide one hundred guns first and deliver the remaining weapons after confirming that no natives remained.

Ernst restarted a backup submarine cable between Europe and East Africa and approved a network of inland telegraph lines connecting key regions to the central government. Construction began as Prince Constantin prepared to travel to East Africa.

• On March 11, 1869, Austro-Hungarian and German ships began laying submarine cables across the Mediterranean, Red Sea, and toward East Africa.
• Ernst resumed the long-delayed project for a duplicate cable to protect communications between Europe and East Africa.
• Von der Leyen presented Ernst's inland telegraph construction plan to East African officials in First Town.
• Kane outlined the Mombasa and First Town main lines and their branches to Kampala, Omorate Town, Mbeya, and Bujumbura.
• The officials began organizing workers to erect locally sourced telegraph poles while the imported wires and generators were still on their way.

Prince Constantin prepared to leave for East Africa and tried to persuade Prince Karl Anton that the move offered a better future for his family than pursuing power in Europe. Karl Anton remained concerned about the risks but agreed to support Constantin in securing German backing.

• Prince Constantin arranged for the Hechingen Royal Family’s retainers to either accompany him to East Africa, receive severance, or remain to manage the family’s properties and industries.
• Prince Constantin told Prince Karl Anton that he intended to go overseas, prompting Karl Anton to warn him about the dangers and uncertainty of colonial rule.
• Prince Constantin explained that Ernst had limited prospects in Europe and that he wanted to advance the family politically through East Africa.
• Prince Karl Anton urged Constantin to seek an opportunity in Europe, including a throne in the Balkans, but Constantin argued that East Africa offered greater potential and fewer political rivals.
• Prince Constantin asked Karl Anton to help secure more support for East Africa within the kingdom, and Karl Anton agreed to assist.

Prince Constantin and Prince Karl Anton discussed their families’ growing prominence and East Africa’s future. In First Town, Fischer oversaw construction of Wester Palace and explained why the Hechingen Royal Family’s new residence would be modest compared with Europe’s grand palaces.

• Prince Karl Anton agreed not to persuade Constantin further and offered to watch over matters in Germany if Constantin sent word.
• Fischer directed workers building a palace in First Town after the government established the town as East Africa’s political center.
• Fischer told the workers that an important member of the royal family would reside in the palace, though he did not know whether Ernst would come himself.
• A worker asked why the Hechingen Royal Family was not building a larger castle, and Fischer argued that a smaller palace could suit a family accustomed to grand residences.

German nobles reacted with alarm to Prince Constantin’s voyage to Africa, while East African officials planned to take control of the Yeke Kingdom after Msiri agreed to surrender it. The chapter left East African forces preparing to relocate most of the kingdom’s population and portray neighboring states sheltering refugees as aggressors.

• German nobles investigated Africa after learning of Prince Constantin’s voyage, but relied on outdated records and sensational explorers’ accounts.
• Becker and Merke reported Msiri’s agreement to Commissioner Svit, who convened a meeting to plan the takeover of the Yeke Kingdom.
• Svit approved sending East African troops and militia to assist with relocation, and Merke estimated that about four thousand men would suffice.
• Merke led soldiers and militiamen to the Yeke Kingdom border, where they prepared to help Msiri relocate its people.
• Msiri relocated only the capital’s population and nearby subjects, leaving East African forces to handle most of the kingdom while border residents fled to neighboring states.

Ernst received news that Becker’s diplomacy had secured most of the Yeke Kingdom and planned rewards and support for East Africa’s early mercenaries. He saw Constantin off on a protected voyage to East Africa, while Constantin advised him to rely on Prince Karl Anton for affairs in Prussia.

• Ernst read Svit’s telegram reporting that the Yeke Kingdom had largely been taken and asked Tom how to reward Becker.
• Tom proposed dividing Becker’s bonus between two accounts, prompting Ernst to order a review of the first mercenaries’ family circumstances so he could help those in need.
• Ernst gave Constantin travel and safety instructions and showed him Ping'an Hao, the outfitted ship that would carry him to East Africa with an armed escort.
• Constantin urged Ernst to consult Prince Karl Anton for help maintaining his ties with the Prussian Royal Family after Constantin’s departure.
• Ernst reflected on the different prospects of Hechingen’s overseas colonies and Sigmaringen’s European influence, while affirming the two royal families’ close alliance.

Ernst saw his father Constantin off on a long voyage, then sampled a new lemon-flavored sparkling drink developed by Richter and his team in Berlin. He named it “Lime” Sparkling Water and planned to produce it at his Austrian beverage factory after the researchers reduced its cost.

• Ernst watched Constantin sail away aboard the Ping'an Hao and felt the distance between them.
• Richter assured Ernst that the new drink was safe, and Ernst tasted its crisp, fizzy flavor.
• Ernst asked about the ingredients and production costs, and Richter explained that a cheaper version could be made for commoners.
• After rejecting the idea of naming the drink after a person, Ernst proposed calling it “Lime” Sparkling Water and explained the appeal of its lemon branding.
• Ernst praised Richter and the researchers, told them to keep lowering costs, and promised production at his Austrian beverage factory once it was completed.

Ernst reorganized the Hohenzollern Daily Necessities Company's R&D department, separating unrelated research projects and assigning food researchers to the newly established Vienna Food Company. Richter agreed to relocate to Vienna and lead its R&D department.

• Ernst advised Antonio to focus Russian marketing on industrial products and reduce investment in textiles.
• Ernst told Antonio that the Hohenzollern Science and Technology R&D Center would be separated from Hohenzollern Daily Necessities Company, and Antonio supported the plan.
• Ernst instructed Antonio to retain researchers working on daily necessities and send the other researchers and projects to headquarters.
• Ernst told Richter that food and beverage researchers would join Vienna Food Company to establish its R&D department.
• Richter promised that the food R&D staff would relocate permanently to Vienna.

Maximilian I and Empress Carlota rode through Dar es Salaam as the garrison prepared to welcome an important arrival, and Maximilian explained why Prince Constantin had come to East Africa. He praised Ernst’s colonial ambitions while questioning why African societies had not developed like other civilizations.

• The Dar es Salaam garrison assembled at the docks beside four East African ships, prompting Miller and Schultz to speculate that an important person was arriving.
• Maximilian I and Empress Carlota rode through the city in their guarded carriage, drawing the attention of residents.
• Maximilian I told Empress Carlota that the Hechingen Royal Family had turned to overseas colonies because its prospects for advancement in Europe were limited.
• Maximilian I praised Ernst for recognizing East Africa’s potential and contrasted its opportunities with his own failed rule in Mexico.
• Maximilian I wondered why African natives had not developed a more advanced civilization, despite East Africa’s favorable location and the hardships faced by its immigrants.

Empress Carlota learned that Maximilian I was thinking about East Africa and their daughter’s future, while Prince Constantin arrived in Dar es Salaam to an awkward musical welcome. Maximilian I greeted Constantin, who struggled to recognize the changed former Archduke Ferdinand.

• Empress Carlota asked Maximilian I whether he still dwelled on Mexico, and he said he was considering advice for Prince Constantin about East Africa.
• Miller and Schultz speculated that a royal visitor had prompted martial law and Maximilian I’s personal welcome in Dar es Salaam.
• Prince Constantin left the Ping'an Hao after a month at sea and came ashore with his entourage.
• The welcoming band played a jarring mix of German and Arab music, and Martin explained that Dar es Salaam lacked trained musicians and instruments.
• Maximilian I criticized East Africa’s neglect of cultural education before greeting Constantin, who asked whether he was Archduke Ferdinand.

Constantin arrived in Dar es Salaam, where Maximilian I welcomed him and East African officials made arrangements for his stay. In a separate scene set days earlier, Ernst visited Prince Karl Anton in Sigmaringen and asked him about the railway business across the German territories.

• Maximilian I introduced Charlotte to Constantin, and East African officials greeted Constantin, including Hans Zhang, a graduate of Hechingen Military Academy.
• Maximilian I urged Constantin to rest before discussing business, and an East African official explained that Ernst had arranged lodging and meals for Constantin’s attendants.
• On May 23, 1869, Ernst arrived at Sigmaringen Castle and asked Butler Schneider to let him know when Prince Karl Anton was free.
• Ernst explored the castle and recalled visiting it as a child before Schneider escorted him to the drawing room.
• Prince Karl Anton asked what brought Ernst to Sigmaringen, and Ernst requested details about the railway business throughout the German territories.

Ernst explained to Prince Karl Anton why he wanted to acquire a small German railway company: he hoped to gain experience and prepare for future opportunities while testing railways’ usefulness in East Africa. Prince Karl Anton questioned the colony’s profitability, then asked Ernst to explain his railway plans directly.

• Prince Karl Anton warned Ernst that building railways in East Africa would be difficult to make profitable, and Ernst clarified that he only wanted to build a short stretch.
• Ernst said he wanted to gain railway experience in advance because he believed the industry would offer opportunities later, despite the crowded German market.
• Ernst explained that East Africa’s rivers were poor for transport and railways might help export bulky agricultural goods, but he needed to test them before committing to construction.
• Prince Karl Anton questioned how East Africa could profit from grain exports and immigrant labor, and Ernst described the colony as a long-term investment that was not yet expected to earn money.
• Ernst told Prince Karl Anton he wanted to acquire a small railway company with construction experience, and asked for guidance about the industry’s hidden complications.

Ernst asked Prince Karl Anton to help find a suitable railway company to acquire, while explaining his plans to inspect a factory project in Trieste. In Dar es Salaam, Maximilian I discussed East Africa’s education and security with Prince Constantin, ending by stressing that the colony’s valuable ports had no navy to defend them.

• Ernst asked Prince Karl Anton to identify railway companies with useful experience and qualifications, and Karl Anton agreed to investigate opportunities, especially in southern Germany.
• Ernst told Karl Anton that he would travel to inspect construction of his agricultural-processing factory in Trieste.
• Maximilian I described East Africa’s climate and explained to Prince Constantin why its government was based in coastal First Town rather than inland.
• Maximilian I criticized East Africa’s weak cultural and educational programs, and Prince Constantin said he had brought musicians and books to help address the shortcomings.
• Maximilian I warned Prince Constantin that East Africa had five important seaports along its long coastline but no navy to protect them.

Prince Constantin and Maximilian I debated whether East Africa needed a navy, and Maximilian persuaded Constantin that it should begin building a small fleet and training naval personnel. The discussion ended as a misunderstanding: Ernst had already developed inland lake and river forces but had postponed plans for a true navy while the Northwestern Campaign consumed East Africa’s resources.

• Prince Constantin explained that East Africa should prioritize its army because naval forces were expensive and the colony’s expansion depended on land forces.
• Maximilian I argued that East Africa needed at least a small fleet to defend its coastline, deter armed ships, and cultivate naval personnel for future development.
• Prince Constantin accepted Maximilian I’s argument but wondered whether Ernst had considered East Africa’s naval strength.
• The account revealed that Ernst had built river and lake forces on Great Lake, Lake Tanganyika, and Lake Malawi as a foundation for a future navy.
• Ernst had shelved plans for an ocean-going navy because the Northwestern Campaign and its military and migration operations demanded East Africa’s resources.
• Prince Constantin knew nothing of the river and lake forces because he had not yet taken charge of East Africa’s government affairs.

East African official Merke delivered firearms and gifts to Msiri in exchange for his cooperation and the former Yeke Kingdom’s territory. Msiri accepted the deal and moved his base farther away, while East Africa expected his raids to destabilize neighboring states and keep him dependent on its supplies.

• Merke delivered repaired firearms to Msiri, whose officials counted them and whose test shot confirmed they worked.
• Merke gave Msiri vodka, a decorated cotton cape, and cigarettes, presenting the goods as fitting gifts for a king.
• Msiri tasted the vodka, accepted the gifts, and was instructed to smoke cigarettes after meals.
• Msiri handed the former Yeke Kingdom’s territory to East Africa and moved his people toward the borders of nearby native states.
• Msiri established a relatively distant base but kept contact with East Africa so he could obtain more ammunition.
• East Africa expected Msiri to use his weapons against neighboring peoples and judged his small arsenal no threat to its security.

After East Africa took over the former Yeke Kingdom, Portuguese merchant Santos learned that the Germans would allow merchants to stay and promised future supplies. Santos distrusted them and decided to leave for the Kingdom of Kazembe, while Afonso chose to remain and pursue his own opportunity.

• Afonso told Santos that the Germans had bought the Yeke Kingdom from Msiri and would let Portuguese merchants stay under their laws.
• Santos complained that East Africa's expulsion of the natives had destroyed his business, while Afonso said the Germans promised to provide goods after their personnel arrived.
• Santos announced that he would leave for the Kingdom of Kazembe, and the Portuguese merchants divided over whether to stay or depart.
• Afonso chose to remain in the Yeke Kingdom, hoping to benefit from its trade after Santos left.
• Santos warned the merchants that the Germans could not be trusted, persuading more of them to join him in leaving.

Prince Constantin arrived in First Town to take over East African government affairs, where officials introduced the colony’s tangled government and military structure. His arrival formally established the Hechingen Royal Family’s presence in East Africa and made Svit Palace the center of its politics.

• Afonso told Merke that Santos and many others had left the Yeke Kingdom for Kazembe, while privately appearing pleased.
• Prince Constantin sent Maximilian I’s proposal to Ernst, then agreed that Maximilian could help establish the East African Navy if Ernst approved.
• Von der Leyen escorted Prince Constantin and the Hechingen entourage from Dar es Salaam to First Town.
• East African officials welcomed Prince Constantin, and Yalman, Svit, Wiggins, Berleide, and Karal introduced their roles.
• Prince Constantin saw that East Africa’s government and military authority were divided among officials, departments, and companies, and his arrival marked the start of his takeover of government affairs.