Chapter 1164 Controversy

Although the Austro-Hungarian Empire's military performance was poor due to various factors, the same was true for Russia. It can be said that the problems that existed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire also existed in Russia, and the Eastern Front battlefield was different from the Western Front battlefield. It was Russia that faced Germany and Austria-Hungary at the same time.

Russia was restrained by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the German army showed great power on the Eastern Front battlefield. This gave the Allies an advantage on both the Eastern and Western Front battlefields. It was at this time that the Ottoman Empire, Russia's feud, made a choice.

"Basra Railway!" Crown Prince Friedrich calculated in his mind after knowing the intentions of the Three Kingdoms.

The Basra Railway is the unfinished part of the 2B Railway and is of great strategic significance. Once the construction is completed, the Allied Powers' ability to obtain supplies will be greatly enhanced, which will inevitably further amplify the Allied Powers' advantages.

After all, the Allies now have an overall advantage on the battlefield. With the support of the Basra Railway, the chances of victory will further increase.

The extraordinary nature of the Basra Railway was of great significance not only to Germany, but to the entire Allied camp.

It can radiate to the Ottoman Empire, Austria-Hungary, Germany, and "Balkan Prussia" Bulgaria, and can string the four Allied members together in a line.

Of course, railways are not maritime transport after all. Even if the Basra Railway is fully connected, its bonus to the four countries will be relatively limited. What's more, building a railway line hundreds of kilometers long and completing it in a short time will be relatively high.

"This matter still needs to be discussed within the East African government. Of course, I will report your opinions directly to my father. Whether it can be finally reached depends on the outcome of the internal discussions within the government." Friedrich said.

Soon, Friedrich submitted the proposal of the three-nation mission to the Rhine Palace, and East African senior officials also launched a heated discussion on whether to build the Basra Railway.

Minister of Railways Kaso: "The Basra railway can definitely be built. The geological conditions from Basra to Baghdad are not complicated. Although it also passes through desert areas with arid climate, it is far less difficult than the construction of railways in deserts and other terrains in our country. It passes through the United States. The Sopotamian Plain has a good industrial and agricultural foundation and a relatively rich population, making it one of the few excellent lands in the Middle East.”

The Mesopotamian Plain has always been an important grain-producing area in the Middle East, with developed agriculture, convenient irrigation, crisscrossing rivers and fertile land.

And this is all due to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, which are the real Mesopotamia. After all, the Shabelle River and Juba River in northeastern East Africa are also called Mesopotamia by East Africans, which is considered a pirated version.

"If we build a railway line led by East Africa, our East African influence can go deep into the two river basins and further expand our advantages along the Persian Gulf."

"At present, our domestic railway standards have never been exported to the outside world on a large scale. This time is a relatively good opportunity."

Railway construction in East Africa is basically concentrated in the country, and even colonial construction is relatively small. Of course, this is related to the poor conditions of the East African colonies. The East African colonies are mainly islands and have a relatively sparse population, so railway construction is somewhat wasteful.

However, as East Kalimantan and Lanfang Overseas Province are connected, the feasibility of building a railway on the island of Kalimantan in the future has been greatly improved. After all, the two areas combined have nearly 500,000 square kilometers, which is the same as some in Europe. Large countries are of similar size, but this is a matter of the future.

The domestic railways in East Africa have tended to be saturated. If it were not for the annexation of Gabon and other regions, the era of great expansion of East African railways may have ended in the future.

Therefore, the railway department is still very interested in the Basra Railway. With East Africa's infrastructure capabilities, it is quite difficult to build a railway of only a few hundred kilometers. In the past few decades, the annual railway growth in East Africa has been close to 10,000 kilometers.

Merkel put forward the opposite opinion: "The Basra Railway must not only consider economic factors, but also the international situation. After all, this railway involves two major camps, and Britain and Russia have relatively extensive interests in the Persian Gulf region. influence, and military presence, so it will be difficult for this railway to be successfully completed unless Britain and Russia are dealt with. "

Merk only said that it would be completed smoothly. After all, if East Africa really wants to build this railway, it can be completed.

Sweet: "Since Germany, Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire have all agreed to build this railway, we should not worry too much about the attitudes of Britain and other countries. After all, the 2B railway mainly passes through the Allied area. This is part of normal economic cooperation. As long as we If we reach an agreement with the Ottoman Empire, it’s basically no big deal.”

"Of course, as a compromise, we will definitely not build the Basra Railway according to the German plan. As a result, the railway will still need a transfer in Baghdad. After all, we are not too looking forward to the complete completion of the 2B railway."

In addition to strategic needs, economic factors are equally important for Germany's construction of 2B railway. The core of Germany's economy is mainly the countries bordering Germany, such as the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, etc. In the years before World War I, it rapidly moved to the Balkans and the Middle East. Regional expansion.

The Middle East is also one of the overseas markets that East Africa values ​​​​more. In the past, trade between East Africa and the Middle East was basically dominated by sea transportation, consisting of complex routes such as the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Black Sea.

Therefore, if the 2B railway is fully connected, it will not be very attractive to East Africa, because East Africa does not rely on railways for trade with Middle Eastern countries.

However, it will be different if the Basra Railway is built according to the East African Railway standards. Although it connects Baghdad and Basra, as we all know, the East African Railway is unique in the world. The railway gauge is different from other countries. In this way, even if the Basra Railway is built, , the 2B railway is not completely connected, and the goods need to be transferred again in Baghdad.

Generally speaking, most East African officials support the construction of the Basra Railway. After all, East Africans are also Germans. Most East Africans have a good impression of the Allies and hope that the Allies can win the final victory of the war.

Emperor Ernst left the final decision to Crown Prince Friedrich.

He asked the crown prince: "Friedrich, what do you think?"

Friedrich said: "Father, I think this railway can be built, and as Duke Sweet said, this railway must be constructed according to our country's standards. Although this will make the three countries feel dissatisfied, now At this stage, they have no choice, right?”

"Moreover, our trade with the Allies has been affected by Britain and France, so building the Basra Railway is completely morally defensible for us. Now there are no other forces in the Indian Ocean region that can interfere with the empire's decision."

With the outbreak of the European War, Britain and France both transferred their main forces back to the European battlefield. This caused the East African navy to shift its naval power to the Atlantic Ocean, but East Africa's strength in the Indian Ocean was significantly enhanced.

Moreover, the Allied Powers were far more important to East Africa than the Allied Powers. Although the Allied Powers also bought East Africa, Americans still competed in the Allied Powers' market, while most of the Allied Powers' business was monopolized by East Africa. This was a completely different concept.

The wealth of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire was no less than that of the Allied Powers, not to mention that East Africa also did business with Russia. In fact, in the final analysis, the place where East Africa salvaged oil and water during World War I was the most important market in East Africa before the war, the entire Central and Eastern Europe region.

Russia is also a big customer in East Africa, not inferior to any of the Allied countries. After all, if Russia wants to obtain external material support, it can basically only go through East Africa and the United States. However, trade between Russia and the United States is mainly realized through the Siberian Railway.

However, ships from East Africa can directly reach the Black Sea and trade with Russia. After the war with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Russia basically lost its trade channels with Europe, especially Western Europe.