Therefore, it can be seen that Europe is currently too "competitive," and due to being overly fragmented, many countries have no choice but to heavily invest in their military.
Of course, this may not necessarily be a bad thing. After all, without such a fragmented state, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment might have struggled to be born in Europe.
Moreover, this further encouraged the various European countries to expand overseas, such as the old Portuguese Empire. One reason the Portuguese were able to become pioneers of the Age of Exploration is the lack of room for maneuver in Europe.
Not to mention, the reason Ernst headed to Africa for development follows this logic as well. Back in the small place of Hexionggen Principality, even if Ernst gave his all, his final outcome would likely just be mixing as a high-level military officer or civil servant in Prussia.
