Chapter 537: The Past Seventies
"Prince Karl! Welcome to East Africa," Constantino stepped forward and said.
"Long time no see, King Constantino. You still look as energetic as ever."
Prince Karl gave Constantino a hug. Now that Constantino was king, Karl addressed him accordingly.
"Uncle Karl!"
"Haha, Ernst, we haven't met for a few years, and now you seem even more mature!"
For Sigmaringen, the House of Hechingen was still very important. As the saying goes, "When you prosper, remember old friends." That principle also held for Hechingen and Sigmaringen.
"How about Leopold? He's still in Germany?"
"Yes, he remains in a high position in the German military, while I—an old fellow—have come to feel things out. This way, Sigmaringen can maintain three footholds: in Romania, Germany, and Africa."
Seeing how far the House of Hechingen had risen in Africa, Sigmaringen could no longer sit idle. At Hechingen's invitation, Prince Karl came in person to East Africa to discuss Sigmaringen's African colonization plans.
Unlike the House of Hechingen, Prince Karl's sons were older, so there was no need for them to stay in Germany (like Constantino had once done) to stand behind a young Ernst who had no local foundation. Hence, Prince Karl could come directly to East Africa, while heir Leopold safeguarded Sigmaringen's status and influence in Germany.
Germany still served as Sigmaringen's fallback plan in case the African colonial project failed. Meanwhile, Sigmaringen's confidence in colonizing Africa came from Romania.
"Let's return to the palace and let you settle in," Constantino said to Prince Karl. "The climate here differs from Germany's—especially this time of year—so you should take it slow."
It was still winter in Germany, while East Africa lay near the equator and was quite hot. Arriving travelers needed time to adjust.
However, Africa's warmth actually suited older folks like Prince Karl and Constantino—most elderly people prefer warmer climates. It was similar to older folks from the Far East heading to Panzhihua, or Americans moving from the Northeast to the South to retire.
Prince Karl and the father-son pair of Constantino and Ernst then boarded a carriage to Sweite Palace, where Karl finally glimpsed the seat of power behind this vast East African kingdom.
"It's no exaggeration: First Town now looks much like Berlin and Vienna did in our youth. Back then, there weren't many German cities with populations above one hundred thousand. How many people live here now?"
"First Town has about one hundred fifty thousand residents. If we go by registered accounts, perhaps just over one hundred thousand," Ernst answered, being the better-informed on such figures.
"When I came ashore in Dar es Salaam, they told me it's East Africa's largest city. Is that right?"
"Uncle Karl, if you count both districts, yes. Dar es Salaam has two distinct urban sections, with a combined population of around three hundred thousand."
"Incredible. So many of your people must have immigrated here. I barely see any Blacks—figured it would look more like America."
Constantino said, "Old friend, East Africa is now a major power by both territory and population, so having a few big cities isn't surprising. As for Blacks, there are plenty, but we treat them differently than the Americans do, so you won't see many in the Central Province."
All major infrastructure in the Central Province had long been completed, so there was no large labor demand for Blacks there. Moreover, the Central Province had led the way in replacing slaves with livestock, meaning the average resident saw fewer Blacks.
From the last war with Portugal, East Africa had inherited more than one hundred thousand Black soldiers, and even now they weren't all sold. The Ottoman Empire bought the largest share—some fifty or sixty thousand—for the front lines, while around twenty or thirty thousand had gone to the United States.
Constantino's comment made Prince Karl realize just how many non-Black people East Africa must have—otherwise, it couldn't possibly forego using Blacks on a large scale.
"Yes… Could you reveal how many people have immigrated to East Africa these past years?"
Prince Karl couldn't help pressing the point. Constantino glanced at Ernst to reply.
Catching the cue, Ernst said, "Uncle Karl, we have no precise statistics, but likely several million—maybe as many as seven or eight million. After all, immigration to East Africa has been going on for over ten years. We only began taking a full census recently, so we're still not entirely sure."
The final count wouldn't be finished for another two or three months, but they already knew the overall total. Right now, they were just gathering the finer details.
Ernst wasn't deliberately hiding the truth, but fewer people in the know was better. If word spread that East Africa's population exceeded thirty million—some 35 million, even—and soared past fifty million including Blacks, many nations wouldn't sleep at night.
Even the figure of seven or eight million was enough to stun Prince Karl. In Europe, a population of one million or more could form a small to medium country. Seven or eight million outdid most European states.
"So you've already surpassed Bavaria? Truly incredible!"
Bavaria's population hovered between four and six million, certainly not beyond six. So yes, East Africa's claimed seven or eight million was more than Bavaria.
"These years have been ideal," Ernst explained. "Germany and Europe in general saw a big jump in births, then the economic crisis hit, so we seized the chance to bring in loads of people."
In reality, East Africa had taken six to seven million during the crisis alone. The crisis that began in 1873 still lingered, though it had mostly run its course. Now Britain faced the brunt of it, with global ripples fading. The slump in Britain would last through the century's end, a slow or 'long depression.'
During that lengthy downturn, East Africa had gained the most, recruiting countless migrants, machinery, and reaping other benefits. This allowed East Africa to complete foundational tasks—its defense industry, rail network, shipbuilding, electrical power, steel sector, plus a host of infrastructure. They had also assembled a formidable navy.
Likewise, East Africa had drawn in plenty of talent. Many Western firms went bust, letting East Africa poach specialists. That was why their electric power industry could start so quickly.
Overall, the 1870s had been East Africa's fastest-growing decade—almost overnight it had turned sub-Saharan Africa, which lacked any industrial or agricultural basis, into farmland and nascent industry.
They hadn't just progressed from zero to one, but jumped from zero to 2.5—straight from primitive societies to a feudal agrarian state transitioning into early industrialization, skipping slavery or feudal phases in between.
Yes, East Africa still had slavery and feudalism, and pockets of primitive society remained in the west. So you could call it a 'living fossil' that showcased all stages of human development at once.
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