African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 494: Chapter 172 Collaboration Performance

To strengthen Mozambique’s military forces, England and France plan to enable the Mozambique colony to use local Blacks to form a military force. Though the Portuguese are reluctant, with such a highly expansionist regime like East Africa nearby, they can accept it.

The image of East Africa in Southern Africa does not differ much from that of Tsarist Russia in Europe, though Russia is slightly more superior. In the Asian region, Russia is also like this, so Russia’s international image is globally known, whereas East Africa merely has some presence in Southern Africa; it’s ineffective when it comes to West Africa or North Africa. For instance, Egypt holds a fairly good impression of the East African government, but apart from those displaced to North Africa by East Africa, most countries are unaware of East Africa’s existence.

Mozambique using Blacks to build an army actually fits well with its national situation. This speaks to the Portuguese colonial strategy. Unlike the British, the Portuguese cannot control their urges and cannot be as ruthless as the Anglo-Saxons, which is why, akin to Brazil, Mozambique has a significant number of mixed-race descendants born from Portuguese fathers and African indigenous mothers.

These mixed descendants remain an effective means of ensuring control over the colonies despite Portugal’s weakened national power. Frankly, Portugal’s current power is barely distinguishable from some small East Asian countries, and Ernst even doubts Portugal could compete against the Kingdom of Italy.

The Kingdom of Italy, weakened by Austria-Hungary, now shelters in the northwest of the Apennine Peninsula, alongside a few Italian islands. However, their population and industrial capacity still exceed Portugal’s.

Therefore, if Mozambique chooses soldiers from among the Blacks, it will certainly also select from the mixed descendants, whose numbers exceed those of pure Portuguese. Moreover, they collectively have an interest in opposing pure Blacks. These are the mixed descendants related to the Portuguese, inherently part of the ruling class of the Mozambique colony, although the higher echelons remain dominated by Portuguese whites. If the mixed-race individuals gain an army, this pattern may change, which is why Lieford is concerned.

March 1878.

South Salzburg Province.

As England, France, and Mozambique conspire together, the Kingdom of East Africa, with tacit understanding, is also planning countermeasures. Both sides secretly are engaging in a military competition, with Mozambique forming a Black army, and East Africa also forming a Black Corps.

No mistake here; East Africa also intends to organize a military force composed of Blacks. However, East Africa’s purpose in forming a Black Corps is clearly different from Portugal’s.

While livestock replace Black slaves in Eastern East Africa, some of the replaced Blacks are transported by East Africa through railways to South Salzburg Province, east of Lake Malawi, for organization and training.

Watching the Germans truly equip them with flintlock guns, it feels unbelievable for these Blacks because they know the Germans’ ability to rule over them is largely reliant on these ”magic weapons.”

Nonetheless, holding onto the magic weapon, Blacks still dare not confront the Germans. In East Africa’s relentless oppression, the fear entrenched in their hearts is not easily overcome.

Of course, their concerns are valid; even with East Africa’s weapons in hand, they cannot overturn the situation. Having guns without bullets is no different from having a burning stick.

However, things might change once they truly enter the battlefield, face blood. In their previous lives, this conversion happened, especially in German East Africa, where under German leadership, Black soldiers of German East Africa overcame their fear of whites, shaming the England, Portugal, and Belgium Allies.

This is also a concern for Mozambique in forming a Black army. If Blacks are equipped with modern weaponry, it may shatter the perception of whites being invincible in the minds of Blacks.

However, East Africa has no concern over this matter. This time, the Black armed forces in East Africa are disposable. Once used, East Africa will immediately arrange for their passage to the Americas, ensuring they could no longer be a future threat to East Africa.

Looking at the army of over five thousand Black soldiers before them, it’s truly a dense mass, genuinely having the appearance of soldiers of African nations from their prior life, merely lacking berets.

Ernst stated with satisfaction: ”If our army deliberately stages against the Portuguese, it would seem very unnatural. Thus, to give the Portuguese the illusion of meeting a competitive opponent, I believe it should be made a bit more authentic, which gives rise to the necessity of the Black Corps.”

Commander of the 111th Division, John Sebastian, stood by with some concern, asking: ”Your Highness, is this really okay? Personally, I doubt the combat effectiveness of the Blacks. If they become a flaw on the battlefield and subsequently drag our regular troops down, what then?”

Ernst: ”What is there to worry about? The Portuguese will also surely use Blacks to form their military. Their colonies don’t have enough whites to spare. Even if they fully mobilize troops from their homeland, Black servitude armies will inevitably be included. So are you afraid of lacking an advantage in using Blacks against Blacks?”

Indeed, there was no advantage because the East African Black Corps’ equipment was poorer compared to what Portugal prepared for their Blacks. To form the Black Corps, East Africa confiscated a large number of flintlock guns used by militias, quite inferior to the Minie rifles and Enfield rifles used by Portugal.

This was beyond Ernst’s knowledge, as at this time, France and England had only just moved these unsellable munitions from their warehouses to Mozambique and Angola to equip Black soldiers. East African intelligence personnel could not instantly acquire and send back such information to East Africa.

Moreover, even if it was known, East Africa would still choose to equip the Black Corps with outdated flintlock guns. Ernst just wants the East African forces to appear weak, which certainly cannot be done by the regular army. If the staged play turns into reality, it would be a disaster without recourse. Thus, it is better to let the Black Corps undertake this task.

Ernst: ”Our army, though refined through countless wars, despite opponents not being very strong, has developed a troop spirit and character capable enough to face some European armies effortlessly. Therefore, to confront Portugal directly with the army might cause the Portuguese to despair, which isn’t my intention. Hence, using the Black Corps to fight Portugal is key to performing this act well.”

John Sebastian: ”If put that way, indeed! I feel the 111th Division alone could devastate Mozambique. Occupation might pose a challenge due to insufficient manpower, but destruction, Mozambique could be plowed several times without difficulty.”

John Sebastian is familiar with the previous strength of the Mozambique army. Honestly, Mozambique’s army’s combat effectiveness might be on par with East African militia forces, but there are far too many East African militias. Using only militias against the Portuguese would somehow be bullying them.

Ernst: ”So this time dealing with the Portuguese, the main force won’t be you. Let second-line troops and the Black Corps press ahead at the frontline; you merely follow behind to stabilize the battle situation, preventing unforeseen incidents.”

East Africa’s strategy is to have the Black Corps at the forefront, second-line troops ensuring motivation, with elite forces guarding the rear to prevent mishaps. This double-layer insurance ensures that East Africa cannot lose unless the Portuguese could summon the Great Fireball Technique.

Ernst: ”Subsequently, more Blacks will gather. This time, we’ll organize a sixty-thousand-strong Black army to see how the Portuguese respond.”

Sixty thousand Black troops, yet only four thousand can be armed with flintlock guns, these being relics East Africa discovered by rummaging through old stocks. The remaining Blacks can only resort to cold weapons, as East Africa cannot truly allocate good equipment for the Blacks, not even the outdated Dreyse rifles.