Chapter 220
December 30, 1869
Bagamoyo Port
Two imposing sailing warships were in the midst of a transfer ceremony.
"Archduke, these ships are drawn from our active fleet to support your endeavors," said Captain Blair of the Austro-Hungarian Navy, who was handling the delivery. He wore a broad smile as he introduced them to Archduke Ferdinand (Maximilian I).
"All right. I probably know them better than you," said Ferdinand, the Supreme Commander of the East African Navy, curtly interrupting. "When I first took office, they were already serving in the Austrian Navy. Now that they've come to East Africa, it's a fine place for them to keep playing a role."
As he spoke, Ferdinand climbed aboard one of the vessels, with Blair following closely.
"It hasn't changed much after all these years, though the paint looks new?"
"Yes. Before leaving port, both ships underwent a detailed inspection. Overall, they're still in good shape, but they did have a few minor issues from long use. Then they were taken to the Trieste Shipyard for maintenance and fitted with some modern features," Blair replied.
"Franz is all right. When you report back, hand him this letter for me," said Ferdinand, taking a letter from his coat pocket and handing it to Blair.
"Of course, Archduke. I'll make sure he receives it."
The letter was mainly words of gratitude. In truth, Ferdinand felt it was wonderful to have such a supportive older brother. After his defeat in Mexico, Archduke Ferdinand had gone from one extreme to another. In Mexico, he'd stubbornly refused to seek any help from the Austrian Imperial Family, but now he realized it was indeed "very sweet!"
With Franz's help, the East African Navy had suddenly taken form. Two retired Austro-Hungarian warships plus two antique vessels from the Sultanate of Zanzibar immediately gave it a halfway decent appearance.
"Blair, what do you think the future holds for the East African Navy?" Ferdinand asked.
"Archduke, that's hard to say. They do have potential – at least their maritime conditions are better than Austria's," Blair answered carefully.
He personally didn't have high expectations for the East African Navy. After all, where would the funds come from in such a poor place as East Africa? Looking at those two antique nineteenth-century warships made him feel a bit sorry for Ferdinand, the so-called commander. Even so, the geography here was indeed far superior to the "bathtub" at the Austro-Hungarian Navy's home base.
Bagamoyo Port wasn't so bad, yet because it lay close to Dar es Salaam, the East African government often overlooked it. Immigration and commercial export mostly went through Dar es Salaam and Tanga, or even Mtwara in the south – so Bagamoyo was overshadowed. With shallow waters, it couldn't match Dar es Salaam's deep-water port. Tanga and Mtwara each dominated their own coastal zones with no competition, making them more important. Still, Bagamoyo did have one advantage: It sat at the mouth of East Africa's "Little Rhine" (the Ruvu River), on the river's right bank.
The coastal rivers of East Africa aren't very valuable for shipping; the few larger ones stretch only a few hundred kilometers, and because of the terrain, only about a hundred kilometers can be navigated. But the "Little Rhine" was strategically important. Following it upstream leads directly to First Town, the political center of East Africa. Thus, the East African Navy base was set here, letting them use Bagamoyo's port facilities while controlling the mouth of the "Little Rhine," and they could support the colony's two main ports. Across from Bagamoyo lies Zanzibar Island, a natural barrier against winds and waves from the Indian Ocean. Since the town itself never managed to develop economically, they simply didn't try – choosing to set it up as a naval base.
It's fair to say that selecting Maximilian I as the Supreme Commander of the East African Navy was a wise move. Getting nowhere with the East African government, he set his sights on Austria: "I am Ferdinand – Franz, send me money!" This was why Emperor Franz joked that both Ferdinand and Ernst had turned cunning. Yet even Austria's navy got little in the way of funds, so how would it spare much for Ferdinand?
Strictly speaking, it's no longer the Austrian Navy but the Austro-Hungarian Navy – after 1867, when the Austrian Empire became Austria-Hungary, its naval forces were also renamed. Confronted by the Emperor's inquiries, the Austro-Hungarian Navy stated it was willing to donate two twin-masted, square-rigged warships to Ferdinand at no cost, and to send a group of young men as advisers to help the archduke create an East African Navy.
A brig (a two-masted, square-rigged ship) was prized in the Age of Sail for its speed and maneuverability, and could be used as a warship or commercial vessel. Nineteenth-century pine brig designs typically lasted around twenty years, though many served much longer in practice. These two ships were built around 1840 – the Austro-Hungarian Navy had long wanted to discard them but didn't know where. Now East Africa would take them. Since the Emperor wanted to help his younger brother, the navy handed them over. Next time they asked for a budget, they might stand on firmer ground.
As for those "young talents," they were inexperienced or sidelined junior officers. For them, being assigned to East Africa was almost like exile. In any case, both the Austro-Hungarian Navy and the East African government took the same stance: no cash changing hands, but free ships and personnel were fine.
The Austro-Hungarian Navy, stuck in the narrow Adriatic, wasn't that enthusiastic about maritime power – but unification gave Italy a boost, and in turn, forced Austria-Hungary to invest more. Starting in 1861, the Austrian Navy entered its ironclad phase, and now as Austria-Hungary it still had some impetus.
"You're right that potential is still just potential. Without a strong nation behind it, even favorable conditions can go to waste," Ferdinand said.
"No need to worry, Archduke. Personally, I think East Africa will do all right. Maybe not on par with Europe, but with Austrian help, it could develop fine in Africa," Blair said carefully.
Europeans in that era viewed Europe as the center of the world. The only overseas land that might match was – half of the United States. So Blair specifically said it would "do all right in Africa," distinguishing it from Europe. Also, Africa did have a semi-modernized country: Egypt. Under Muhammad Ali, Egypt's navy had once been fairly formidable, with up to 32 warships at its peak. Although Egypt later declined, it was still beyond East Africa's league as Africa's top military force.
Regarding ground troops, before East Africa's reform, its army count nearly matched Egypt's. After the reform cut the army in half, it no longer competed in scale. Besides, Egypt could partly produce its own gear, though it now mostly imported under British-French influence. Still, it retained part of its old weapons industry.
When Blair escorted these ships, he passed through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden before finally reaching East Africa. He had glimpsed some Egyptian cities. In East Africa, he only stopped at Mombasa for supplies, then arrived at Bagamoyo. Mombasa seemed fairly lively, but Bagamoyo felt deserted, so Blair concluded East Africa still fell short of Egypt – and overtaking it as Africa's top power looked difficult. He'd never heard of any other civilized place in Africa besides Egypt, and he didn't count the Ottoman Empire, since that was mainly in the Middle East and Europe.
It wasn't really Bagamoyo's fault, though. Immigration and exports went through Dar es Salaam (the free port next door), leaving Bagamoyo overshadowed. Historically, Bagamoyo's golden age came while Germany colonized it, but even the Germans switched focus to Dar es Salaam. Bagamoyo reappeared in the 21st century when a certain big country undertook the Belt and Road project, almost desperately seeking suitable ports. African countries' credit is not that high, and Bagamoyo's harbor conditions are only average. But there wasn't a better choice, as the best ports along the Indian Ocean were all controlled by Western or pro-Western powers.
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