Chapter 64: Military Industry Import and Production Lines
"But a team of industrial experts alone won't be enough. I hope to bring in some skilled German technical workers and immigrants to fill the gaps in Australia's industrial development," Arthur said with a smile. "At the same time, I hope Australia can send one hundred students to Germany each year to study at various universities. I believe Germany's education system can help Australia cultivate outstanding talent, solving the shortage of foundational and mid-level personnel once and for all."
For Australia's industrial ambitions, what it lacked went far beyond just experienced technicians. It also needed capable professionals and a large influx of immigrants.
To build a complete industrial system, abundant mineral resources and a large population were essential. Only then would there be enough workers, laborers, and intellectuals.
In terms of mineral resources, Australia lacked nothing—in fact, it was richly endowed.
Australia's mineral wealth was enough to make it one of the largest exporters of natural resources in the world, with no concerns about depleting reserves.
But its population presented a serious problem.
The major powers of Europe all had populations in the tens of millions. It was precisely because of these massive populations that they could sustain vast industrial systems.
Small countries failed to develop not just due to limited land or resources, but because of their limited population base.
If Australia wanted to rise and establish a powerful industrial foundation, it would need at least 20 million people.
Of course, that was Arthur's long-term goal. The immediate plan was to bring in immigrants to raise the population above five million, then work toward ten million.
"No problem, Arthur. The great Germanic people make excellent immigrants, and more German settlers will only help deepen our ties," Wilhelm II nodded. "As for the students, of course they're welcome. So long as they meet the academic requirements, any German university will gladly admit them."
Arthur's proposal fit perfectly within Wilhelm II's vision. To bind a country tightly to Germany's interests, making half its population German was an effective method.
Once Australians were half German, Arthur would have no choice but to consider the interests of all those German nationals when making policy decisions.
Under such circumstances, Australia's policies would naturally shift toward Germany.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Arthur already knew Wilhelm II would not oppose the idea.
In fact, he expected the Emperor would welcome it. After all, tying Australia more firmly to Germany's sphere of influence was exactly what Wilhelm II wanted.
"Your Majesty, in addition to that, we also want to import German military technology and industrial manufacturing systems. As one of the strongest industrial powers in the world, Germany produces some of the finest technologies in both sectors. We admire those advancements and dream of making them our own," Arthur said with a smile.
Sitting before him were two highly self-confident men. Wilhelm II, due to his physical disabilities, was known to have psychological insecurities that often expressed as pride. Chancellor Bernhard von Bülow, likewise, held Germany and himself in very high esteem. To them, the German Empire was second to none.
And indeed, under Bernhard's leadership, Germany's foreign policy had become increasingly assertive.
So when Arthur praised German industrial strength, both Wilhelm II and the Chancellor smiled proudly.
While they might concede naval superiority to Britain, they believed Germany had already surpassed Britain industrially.
"Of course, Arthur. Except for a few highly strategic technologies, we're willing to sell you any military or industrial production lines," Wilhelm II said with a grin.
Selling production lines was very different from selling blueprints or technology. While owning a line allowed for the manufacturing of products, once that line malfunctioned, they'd have to rely on German support.
Arthur had no objection. "I'd like to acquire the production technology for German rifles, as well as the artillery technology of the famous Krupp company. Australia has a vast territory to protect and needs strong forces and equipment to do so," he said with a smile.
"Rifle production lines? Which rifle do you mean?" Wilhelm II asked, frowning slightly.
"Of course, your new standard-issue model—the Mauser 1898 produced by Mauser Werke," Arthur replied.
The 1898 Mauser rifle wasn't famous in name yet, but its improved version—the Mauser 98k—would go on to become one of the most iconic rifles in the world.
"The Gew98? Arthur, if I remember correctly, you already control a military factory originally established by your Uncle Arthur. The rifles it produces are not inferior to the Gew98. I don't think it's necessary for your country to adopt two different standard rifles. It would only complicate logistics," Wilhelm II replied after a pause.
The rifle Wilhelm II referred to was the Lee-Enfield, produced by Arthur's factory. As the British Army's standard rifle, the Lee-Enfield matched or exceeded the Mauser 98k in performance and firepower—especially compared to the still-new Gew98.
The two rifles differed in design and caliber. From Wilhelm's perspective, it was unnecessary and potentially problematic for Australia to maintain two separate systems—it would only burden military logistics.
"It's not a problem, Your Majesty. Both the Lee-Enfield and the Gew98 are among the world's best rifles. I believe we can learn from both and perhaps even develop something better," Arthur said with a smile.
Both rifles had exceptionally long service lives. Their improved versions would remain in use well beyond the Second World War.
Though they couldn't compare to the semi-automatic and automatic rifles that would appear later in WWII, in this era—where such weapons were rare—these two rifles would remain among the most outstanding for the next forty years.
Besides, Arthur wasn't acquiring the Gew98 production line to equip the Australian army, but to mass-produce rifles for export during the First World War.
Although most European countries were already stockpiling weapons, the scale of war would cause staggering resource consumption. Even after converting civilian factories into arms producers, the demand would still far exceed supply.
This gap allowed industrial powers like the United States, which remained neutral at first, to profit enormously. Weaponry, food, medical supplies—everything exported became a major source of income, laying the economic foundation for America's eventual rise.
(End of Chapter)
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