Chapter 230: East African Expansion
East Africa's foundation lay in the vast East African Plateau, covering roughly one million square kilometers, encompassing regions like Tanzania, Kenya, and the Great Lakes area. When accounting for surrounding territories, this extended to nearly two million square kilometers. The Kingdom of East Africa's strength left it unafraid of any potential competitors.
With a significant immigrant population advantage, even if other colonizers combined their forces with indigenous populations, they could hardly pose a threat to the East African Plateau and its surroundings.
However, the southwest region, formerly Zambia, posed a challenge due to its recent inclusion into the East African Kingdom. Here, the East African Kingdom had made temporary concessions to local indigenous forces. While East Africa could gradually absorb this region unopposed, any external instigation could plunge East Africa into a difficult situation.
Apart from the southwest, areas like the Mitumba Mountains, coastal plains, and the northern desert constituted a significant portion of East Africa's territory, totaling just under four million square kilometers.
Constantine, accompanied by Von der Leyen, examined a revised map of East Africa. The kingdom's shape, akin to a leaf, was broad in the middle and tapered on both sides, extending diagonally into Africa's interior.
While Constantine found the map peculiar, Von der Leyen explained that the expansion had deliberately avoided areas with more robust forces. To the west, the kingdom had only reached the eastern bank of the Lualaba River due to the natural obstacles posed by the Mitumba Mountains, the Congo River, and the tropical rainforest. Unimpeded expansion in the southwest was possible along the plateau, where no competing forces currently existed.
Von der Leyen emphasized the plateau's importance as East Africa's core area due to its favorable climate, vast expanse, and gentle terrain. It held geographical advantages over its surroundings.
The key challenge in the southwest plateau was transportation, with rivers predominantly running north to south, posing a hindrance to eastward expansion. Additionally, the Zambezi River served as a natural barrier that needed to be addressed to ensure unhindered expansion.
To tackle this, it was suggested that the inland river and lake troops collaborate further, making use of their small boats in Africa's wetlands, swamps, and lakes. Temporary suspension bridges could be erected, ensuring smooth troop and weapon passage.
East Africa's future expansion direction included Southern Sudan, the Kingdom of Luba, the Kingdom of Luanda, and Zimbabwe. While Southern Sudan had potential, North Africa was situated further north, making water sources scarce. Therefore, the western options of Luba, Ruanda, and Zimbabwe seemed more promising.
Ernst made a swift decision and opted for Zimbabwe, well aware of its potential. Renowned for its rich coal and iron resources, Zimbabwe possessed the two most crucial elements for industry and constituted the foundation of the first industrial revolution.
Although Zimbabwe faced water scarcity, Ernst recognized that without coal and iron, East Africa would remain an agrarian and mining-exporting nation. With these resources, it could become an industrial powerhouse.
Africa, as a continent, lacked coal, and iron ore resources were concentrated in West and Central South Africa. Only three countries, South Africa, Angola, and Zimbabwe, possessed both coal and iron resources. The first two were already occupied, leaving Zimbabwe as the untapped "land of no man." Securing Zimbabwe would prevent Boer expansion northward and block Portugal's westward expansion.
Taking Zimbabwe was a strategic necessity for East Africa's future plans, and Ernst was ready to make the move. Whether the Portuguese or Boers would become East Africa's primary adversary would depend on whose reach was longer. Although initially wary of Portugal's colonies, Ernst recognized the resilience of the Boers, making it crucial to take the initiative and eliminate one potential threat.