African Entrepreneurship Record-Chapter 719 - 23: Dong’a Diplomatic Relations Upgraded
September 12, 1887.
Abyssinian Empire, Bahir Dar.
Bahir Dar is the new capital of the Abyssinian Empire, where John IV relocated the capital in 1880.
The entire history of the Abyssinian Empire has changed drastically under the intervention of East Africa, with John IV ending the civil unrest in his country and establishing a new political center by Lake Tana.
"Tana" in the local language means "never dries out," and it is the largest lake within the Abyssinian Empire, as well as the most important water source for the Blue Nile, known as the water tower of Northeast Africa, while the water tower of Africa is the East African Plateau within the East African Kingdom.
Fishing and shipping are very developed here, and due to being a new city, the population is only over fifty thousand.
The core of the original Abyssinian Empire was near the northeast coast close to the Red Sea, but the northeast region faced dual threats from Italy and Egypt. The Red Sea routes for the Abyssinian Empire's economic interests were gradually replaced by East Africa's development of southern trade.
Under the dual guidance of economic interests and strategic value, John IV had to move the capital from the northeast to Bahir Dar, the current center of the Abyssinian Empire.
The former East African envoy Aland: "Honorable Emperor of the Abyssinian Empire, from today onwards, the East African Legation in Bahir Dar is upgraded to an embassy. I am promoted to the East African Ambassador to the Abyssinian Empire to continue maintaining relations between our two countries. In the future, we East Africa will build railways, telegraphs, and factories within the Abyssinian Empire to strengthen the ties between the two nations. This also serves as a testament to the friendship between East Africa and the Abyssinian Empire."
The friendship between East Africa and the Abyssinian Empire is best described as "better than some, worse than others." Compared to the other two neighbors of the Abyssinian Empire, East Africa appears "kind and friendly." 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶
As the ultimate victor within the Abyssinian Empire, John IV is very satisfied with the attitude of East Africa, at least compared to the British, Egyptians, and Italians, East Africa appears very sincere.
The border issues between the two countries were completely resolved over a decade ago, and a clear demarcation was made on the territorial boundaries.
Of course, at that time, the Abyssinian Empire was still in a fragmented state, dominated by warlords, and it was not yet John IV's turn to take control.
But since the border demarcation was completed, East Africa indeed no longer extended its hand into the Abyssinian Empire, and their relationship has remained stable for over a decade. The sincerity and respect of East Africa have initially gained recognition from the Abyssinian Empire.
Of course, if placed in previous generations, what East Africa is doing would have been almost impossible. Essentially, the Abyssinian Empire suffered losses, with many subordinate forces and lands taken away by East Africa, but at that time, the Abyssinian Empire was struggling to protect itself, let alone its small allies.
"Envoy Aland, no, Ambassador, East Africa wants to build railways and telegraphs within the Abyssinian Empire. How will this impact our Abyssinian Empire?"
John IV, being a military emperor, is not very knowledgeable about national construction, so he remains very cautious about Aland's words.
"We are helping Abyssinia build modern infrastructure, not for conquest and enslavement, but for economic trade exchanges and cultural interactions, which is quite different from other European and American countries," Aland said.
"As we all know, we East Africa have never infringed upon the interests of the Abyssinian Empire. Our king has stated that the Abyssinian Empire is one of the world's important 'ancient civilizations,' and in the entire history of Africa, only Egypt and the Abyssinian Empire hold such a position. But unlike Egypt, which is a puppet kingdom of Britain and continuously conquered by external forces, the Abyssinian Empire has always been independent and autonomous throughout its millennial history."
Aland lavishly praised the Abyssinian Empire, knowing that kind words cost nothing and are evidently effective, as the smile on John IV's face increased significantly.
Aland seized the opportunity to say: "Our plan is to further deepen the 'friendly' relationship between our two countries, which requires intensifying exchanges and trade, focusing on transportation and connectivity."
"In modern transportation, railways are undoubtedly the most important on land. East Africa has already undertaken the project to build a railway spanning the entire Turkana Province, and the endpoint of this railway is the border city of Jima City. But once the railway reaches Jima City, the remaining issues within Abyssinian territory are for you to decide."
John IV naturally knows where Jima City is. Currently, relying on the trade of Jima City, the southern city Negmet in the Abyssinian Empire is developing rapidly, becoming an essential source of tax revenue.
Thus, extending the railway into the Abyssinian territory presents significant economic benefits for the country, but John IV values the military significance of the railways more.
"Ambassador Aland, I have heard of railways and supposedly they have the ability to transport troops in Europe. If railways are built between the two countries, how can you guarantee that they won't threaten the national security of our Abyssinian Empire?"
"Your Majesty, railways, in essence, are just roads constructed of steel. They certainly hold significant military value, but ultimately, the issue boils down to who controls them."
"Take the East African railway, for instance, the railways within our country are naturally under our control. We can transport an army of hundreds of thousands through the railway to any desired location. For example, after constructing the Turkana province railway, we can promptly transport troops from the south to the East Africa-Abyssinian Empire border within a few days."
"Can you stop us from doing so? Similarly, the railways within the Abyssinian Empire would naturally be under your control, whether transporting people or goods, it's yours to decide. We from East Africa would not interfere or meddle, which is significantly different from European and American countries. Therefore, there shouldn't be a fear concerning the railways."
East Africa's objective is to forcibly correct the Abyssinian Empire's economic pattern through transportation, forming a north-south orientation rather than the former east-west orientation.
After all, the Red Sea coast was the traditional commercial active region of the Abyssinian Empire, but once the railway is constructed, it would be difficult to change this pattern. Unless, in the future, the Abyssinian Empire builds an east-west railway.
However, commercial trade also has inertia, and by the time the Abyssinian Empire can build its railway, the north-south trade might have already matured for decades, making it a complete system.
Of course, Aland's words also bear a subtle hint of disrespect, especially regarding the description of the Turkana province railway. It plainly tells the Abyssinian Empire that if East Africa wanted to invade via railway, the Abyssinian Empire couldn't stop it, as its strategic depth has already been consumed by East Africa, Egypt, and Italy.
Currently, East Africa's only request from the Abyssinian Empire is as a market for product dumping, the various resources within the Abyssinian Empire are not considered overly significant, it's the population advantage that matters.
The Abyssinian Empire, with over a million population, equates to millions of market demands in sectors like clothing, food, housing, and transportation, which is beneficial for East African industrial goods and products, serving as the reason for East Africa's intent to build railways and roads within the Abyssinian Empire.
Ultimately, these transportation endpoints are the border between East Africa and the Abyssinian Empire, fostering trade paths for the future Abyssinian Empire, reliant and inseparable from East Africa.
The Abyssinian Empire doesn't entirely lose out, as East Africa indeed can bring modern elements to it, albeit these elements can only operate with reliance on East Africa.
