Chapter 542: Birth of a Fleet
"Father-in-law, how's the Navy doing lately? Any trouble?" Ernst asked, sipping his tea.
Today, Archduke Ferdinand and Princess Charlotte had come as usual to First Town to visit their daughter and grandson.
Karina was the epitome of a virtuous wife and loving mother. She had inherited all the strengths of Empress Dowager Sophie, keeping the household in perfect order. Of course, Sophie was most famous for her intense mother-in-law conflict with Empress Elisabeth (Sisi).
In reality, Sophie's strong personality had much to do with her family background. Franz ascended the throne after his uncle Ferdinand I during a time of rebellion, so Sophie's involvement in politics stemmed partly from ambition and partly from necessity. Ambition isn't a bad word—most mothers hope their sons will succeed, so she was extremely strict with Franz. Necessity came from Franz's youth when he ascended, requiring Sophie to help stabilize the regime.
She was called "the only man in the palace" by contemporaries—a testament to her political prowess.
Karina had no such concerns. East Africa was essentially run solely by Ernst, and the Hechingen royal family had simple internal dynamics—just Ernst and Constantino. So Karina had no mother-in-law drama or similar frustrations and could enjoy her role as Ernst's dependable wife.
Sophie may have seemed overbearing, but that was partly because her husband and son were soft-spoken. After Franz aged, the situation improved.
Franz himself was rather rigid, and not one to mediate family tensions, which contributed to the disorder in the Habsburg court. Empress Sisi had a lively personality that clashed with Sophie's rigidity.
Ernst's family life was much simpler. With Karina by his side, things were easier. Constantino trusted both his son and daughter-in-law, and Ferdinand and Charlotte were very pleased with their son-in-law. The whole family got along harmoniously.
Ferdinand, now clean-shaven for years, looked even younger and more energetic than before. He visited the palace often with Charlotte to play with their grandson, little Friedrich, who laughed gleefully in his arms.
"Things are calmer now with the Navy," said Ferdinand. "With more staff in place, my workload has lightened. I'm even thinking of retiring soon and finding a hobby."
East Africa's naval personnel training system had become quite mature. In addition to a well-run naval academy, many of the students sent to Austro-Hungarian naval schools had returned, greatly relieving Ferdinand's burden.
Although the East African Navy remained in a phase of rapid growth, there were no current plans for new ships. However, base development was advancing significantly.
Especially after the integration of the Lanfang overseas province, the East African Navy's activity extended throughout the Indian Ocean, rather than just the western side.
Still, Lanfang was far from East Africa, so the main fleet wouldn't be stationed there.
Coincidentally, as immigration slowed, many ships were left idle. With some modifications, these armed merchant ships had become the main naval force in the Lanfang area. While they couldn't compete with Britain or France, they were more than a match for nations like the Netherlands, Portugal, or Spain.
This was the era of ironclads, and smaller countries couldn't keep up with technological progress. Limited national power made "buy over build" the norm. East Africa's navy also mostly relied on purchases, though they had built two of their own ships—at less cost-effectiveness, but with the goal of nurturing domestic shipbuilding.
"Ernst, the navy has grown quickly in recent years, but we're starting to fall short on vessels. What's your take on that?"
Ferdinand mentioned it casually—as Navy Commander, it was his duty to ask for funding, but whether Ernst approved was entirely up to him.
"East Africa has many construction projects right now. Even the Navy is heavily focused on building bases, so military expenditures are stretched," Ernst replied.
Not only the navy—take the massive Juba integrated training base, for example. It cost a fortune.
The navy's base investments were even larger. East Africa's coastline was straighter than most nations, offering fewer natural harbors. Artificial improvements were essential.
Profitable projects were rare—only East Africa's economic model could sustain them. Current losses were temporary; in the long run, all would pay off. Now was the time to build, with labor costs still low.
Eventually, when there were no more slaves to exploit, there'd be no similarly low-cost labor force. Everyone praises slavery—as long as they're not the ones enslaved.
"So, are you really not planning to add new warships? Naval tech is evolving rapidly these days."
"Oh, we'll build ships—ourselves. Not many, though. Immigration's slowed down, so I'll also repurpose more armed merchant ships for the navy."
"From the Bagamoyo Shipyard?"
"Father-in-law, you live in Bagamoyo—you should have faith in our own shipyard. We've already built ships before. First time's tough, second time's easier. Eventually, we'll fully localize our naval industrial base."
Shipbuilding is a long-term investment. You can't expect instant results, but you must also be brave enough to try.
East Africa's foundations are already better than many countries', so supporting local shipbuilding was an obvious choice for Ernst.
"I understand," said Ferdinand. "I also support localized equipment. But coastal defense isn't a game. Relying on purchases to fill gaps temporarily is okay."
"Don't worry, Father-in-law. I've thought it through—when Karina gets pregnant with our second child, we'll order a new advanced warship. And we'll continue this approach until East Africa's shipbuilding industry fully matures."
Karina rolled her eyes. "You!"
Ferdinand, watching the couple's interaction, joked, "What if the next one's twins?"
"Heh, then we'll buy two ships—we can't play favorites!"
Hearing that, Ferdinand actually hoped for twins. Ernst's words might sound flippant, but he always honored his commitments.
Princess Charlotte sighed, "You two and your jokes. So what—have a baby every year and buy a new ship each time? What if Karina has over a dozen? Will you just build an entire fleet?"
Ernst smiled without replying. He gently held Karina's hand to ease her blushing. As for fleets—he had the wealth to make it happen, but there was no need.
The East African Navy's current strength was just right. Overfeeding it could be counterproductive. In his previous life, America's shipbuilding decline stemmed in part from World War II's surplus of Liberty ships. Many shipping companies, thinking they were still usable, stopped ordering new ones. With no new orders, shipyards lost business, and American civilian shipbuilding fell behind.
To use an imperfect analogy—Far East's gold-rich soccer scene met a similar fate. But that was also due to national conditions. With the pressure of university entrance exams, most parents wouldn't let their kids pursue football. Sitting safely in a classroom seemed far more sensible than the risks of competitive sports.
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