The East African industry and commerce sought opportunities overseas during an unfortunately unsuitable period, as Europe was facing a new round of economic crisis at the time.
In 1912, Austria-Hungary was the first to encounter an economic crisis, triggering a wave of business closures in Near Eastern countries, leading to a gradual shrinkage of international trade and financial markets. By August 1913, the heavy and financial industries in Britain and Germany began to face difficulties, with unemployment numbers sharply rising, and industries in countries like France, Italy, and Japan showing declining trends.
