African Entrepreneurship Record

"We must take advantage of the dry season to quickly build the cable bridges. We must build at least five cable bridges on this stretch of the river to ensure smooth traffic."

"An iron bridge connects the north and south banks, and the army can directly enter the south from the bridge. Fortunately, East Africa is dominated by light infantry, and the requirements for bridges are not high."

"Transportation is nothing more than connecting two places. These cable bridges will also play the most important hub role in the region for some time to come."

Two engineers were standing on the north bank of the Zambezi River chatting. The overall frame of a bridge had already appeared in front of them. All they needed to do was lay wooden planks on the iron cables.

The Zambezi River, formerly the dividing line between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is the fourth largest river in Africa, with a total length of 2,660 kilometers and a drainage area of ​​1.35 million square kilometers. Its water volume in Africa is second only to the Congo River and the Niger River.

The biggest feature of the Zambian River is that it is steep, with many canyons and rapids, and it is prone to flooding in the lower reaches of Mozambique.

Therefore, if you want to cross this natural chasm, you must build a bridge. However, the Zambezi River is too far from the economically developed areas of East Africa. In the East African Kingdom, except for the eastern territory, which has established a preliminary road system after many years of repairs, other areas can be said to have It's blank.

Therefore, it is unrealistic to transport building materials from the rear, so it is more time-saving and labor-saving to use a chain bridge.

"When all the bridges on this river are erected, it is almost the time when the southwestern provinces are completely stable."

As the saying goes, before the troops are moved, food and grass go first. Now East Africa is planning to build roads in Zambia.

There is a saying that goes, there is no road in the world, but when more people walk on it, it becomes a road.

In fact, the indigenous Africans have their own roads, but they are really walked barefoot. East Africa only expands the roads on this basis.

Unlike the Tanganyika region in East Africa, there are some indigenous kingdoms in the southwest, so traffic is not zero, especially in the north, where the original Kazembe Kingdom has the best traffic conditions.

Some people often misunderstand that the speed of road construction in East Africa is incredible, but in fact it is completely unnecessary. The construction of roads in East Africa and the construction of roads in later generations are not the same concept at all.

Except for the Eastern Central Province and those cities in the east, which use hardened roads, other areas are still dirt roads. What do you say about these dirt roads? Some areas were not even touched and were just taken over for use.

It's just that drainage measures will be strengthened when building roads in East Africa. This is actually the most expensive project.

While planning to build roads, the East African government also plans to build a telegraph line from Mbeya, South Salzburg Province, to Lusaka, the capital of Southern Frontier Province, so that the central government can directly contact the southwest region.

East Africa has not yet completely digested Zambia, but it can’t wait to enter Zimbabwe and other regions.

This is also the reason for the rush to build a bridge across the Zambezi River. At the same time, East Africa is actively expanding its army, intending to expand its army to about two hundred thousand.

Now the role of the army is very important. East Africa's territory is too large and more troops are needed to consolidate the territory. At the same time, East Africa plans to develop the slave economy in recent years, and the army is also needed to suppress slaves.

The river and lake troops will be greatly strengthened as a key support target. The Zambian river basin is crisscrossed by water systems, which is a good place for them to display their strength.

…

Rome, Italy.

In a remote courtyard, there were a hundred or ten more people that day.

"Pastor, where did you find this courtyard? Although it can accommodate many people, the conditions are too simple!"

"Well, it would be nice to have a house to live in. And don't forget the purpose of our coming here. Of course, it is easier to gather together. Otherwise, once things change, command will be a problem. Moreover, this place happens to be far away from the suburbs. A place where the Italians won’t notice.”

"Well, to be honest, I'm not surprised to go abroad. Going abroad with bare hands is the most difficult thing for me. If a soldier doesn't have a gun, is he still a soldier?"

"Mr. Bryce, stop complaining. As the elite of the empire, we should continue to maintain military integrity. Sending us to Italy further illustrates the importance of this operation. If it succeeds, we will be heroes of the empire when we return." The priest taught.

As a "devout believer" from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is natural to have a real priest accompanying him, so that it is not easy to get involved. It would be a disaster if these disguised believers of the Austrian army were allowed to operate alone.

"Dong dong dong..."

Then there was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" The pastor opened the door and looked.

"Sir, would you like an Italian pizza?"

"What flavor?"

"Pineapple flavor."

“Very delicious but I prefer the tomato sauce pasta.”

The code matches.

"Major General Karl is the person in charge of this operation. He should have passed Ostia now and is on his way to Rome. In two days, at three o'clock in the afternoon, the heads of each district will have a meeting at this address in advance."

With that said, the person who came to deliver the letter handed a piece of paper to the pastor. The pastor looked at the location on it and then said, "I know, but are we really doing this with bare hands?"

"You don't need to worry about the weapons. The empire will naturally solve this problem. Just be prepared and receive them when the time comes."

This is one of the strongholds of military personnel deployed by the Austro-Hungarian Empire into the Papal States. This time, the Austro-Hungarian Empire sent a total of more than 4,700 soldiers, most of whom came from the elite troops of the empire, including two praetorian guards under the royal family.

In addition, Franz also followed Ernst's suggestion and sent a diplomatic team to Rome. However, the number of members in the diplomatic team was somewhat excessive, and many people entered the Papal State as diplomats.

At the same time, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was also deploying troops and generals within the territory. In order not to make this military operation too eye-catching, it was under the banner of changing defenses.

But if you pay a little attention, you will find that the military equipment used to defend Italy has been significantly upgraded.

…

In June, Spain's cabinet meeting decided to find a suitable successor to the Spanish throne.

Prince Leopold of the Hohenzollern family, who was distantly related to King William I of Prussia, seemed to be a candidate for the Spanish royal family. Unfortunately, the news leaked at the end of June 1870.

The French Foreign Minister, the Duke of Grammont, immediately put pressure on Prussia to give up its support for Leopold, and also asked Prussia to guarantee that it would never get involved in the Spanish throne. William I declined.

Now East Africa is sharpening its sword in Zambia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire is also secretly gathering strength on the southern front. Prussia has been planning to change the situation on the European continent since more than ten years ago.

The strength of the Prussian army has been rising, and now the contradictions between Prussia and France have begun to emerge. Everyone is waiting for the opportunity, or waiting for Prussia's next decision. Prussia will become the protagonist of the incident. If France and France go to war, East Africa and the Austro-Hungarian Empire will also attack their respective targets.