African Entrepreneurship Records

Chapter 1026 The steel industry plan is completed ahead of schedule

Time flies to 1905. At that time, the Russo-Japanese War has not yet ended, and the African region is not stable. In addition to the South German Kingdom, which is busy with its western expedition, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are also busy stepping up their penetration into West and North Africa. Spain and Portugal The two countries also continued to strengthen their military power in the African colonies to protect their few colonies in Africa. The entire West and North Africa fell into chaos.

On the other hand, the overall situation around East Africa is good. Although Italy has some thoughts about the Abyssinian Empire, the security of the Abyssinian Empire, which has become an economic colony in East Africa, is naturally guaranteed by the big brother of East Africa, so a possible The regional disputes that occurred were quietly eliminated under East Africa's mediation.

For the neighboring countries or colonies in East Africa, East Africa has unknowingly become a well-deserved giant in the region. After the South African War, it has digested Angola, Mozambique and other regions. Even the United Kingdom can no longer be what it was before the South African War. A disdainful attitude toward East Africa.

Because Britain is already the most powerful force around East Africa, and the British Somaliland and Egyptian (Sudan) colonies it controls are the most powerful, it is difficult to pose any threat to East Africa.

Among other countries or colonies bordering East Africa, the French colonies of Gabon and Madagascar are too backward to be included in the discussion.

The Belgian Congo, the Italian Red Sea Colony, and the Kingdom of South Germany are actually political forces supported by East Africa. The Abyssinian Empire, the only traditional native African country, has completely become a follower of East Africa.

Under this favorable geographical situation, the First Five-Year Plan for East Africa has been implemented safely, and the East African government can devote all its energy to industrial and agricultural construction.

Geography is very important to the development of a country. The East African government has always focused on maintaining political stability in its own country and surrounding areas.

In previous lives, Americans liked to use geo-conflicts to interfere with the normal development of some countries. For example, they encouraged small countries to continue making small moves around the Far Eastern Empire, used Pakistan or Bangladesh to restrict India's development, used NATO to suppress Russia's living space, and used Israel to prevent Arab countries from becoming bigger.

Therefore, East Africa’s positive attitude towards the security situation around its own country cannot be underestimated. If East Africa imitates Tsarist Russia or the United States, I am afraid that the entire African region will be in chaos.

With this kind of effort, East Africa has naturally also gained a lot of results. On the one hand, its domestic industry has developed steadily, and on the other hand, trade with neighboring powers has continued to expand, strengthening East Africa's economic and political influence in the region.

The first point is easy to explain. Without a solid foundation for national security, it will inevitably affect the implementation of the First Five-Year Plan for East Africa. In the past, the Soviet Union’s Third Five-Year Plan was affected by war and was forced to interrupt.

As for the second point, East Africa provides more stable governance conditions for neighboring countries or colonies and accelerates the development of neighboring countries or colonies, which is also beneficial to East Africa.

After all, the resource development of these countries or colonies must be realized in the end. With the existence of the suzerain country, it can naturally be digested internally, but it is more advantageous to sell the developed minerals and other products to East Africa nearby.

After all, these outputs have to bear the freight when transported back to the country, and some resources may not be digested by the home country, such as Belgium and Italy.

Although the economy is relatively developed, it is too small and the industrial chain is incomplete. In this case, some colonial products are worthless, but if you change your thinking and choose East Africa, you may be able to turn waste into treasure.

Moreover, East Africa is right next to its colonies. Through shipping or railway, East Africa can digest these outputs nearby, which has a greater cost advantage.

In fact, this has actually formed the prototype of an economic region similar to the German Customs Union around East Africa to a certain extent.

Not to mention the Abyssinian Empire and the South German Empire, they have been fully integrated into the East African economic circle and are affiliated forces in East Africa.

…Rhine City.

As the First Five-Year Plan comes to an end, the East African industrial sector has begun to evaluate some industrial data during the First Five-Year Plan. The steel industry, as one of the most basic industrial sectors, was the first to update the results.

“At the end of 1904, with the commissioning of the steel plant in Letania Province (southern Angola, northern Namibia), the tasks of the steel industry during my country’s First Five-Year Plan were completed ahead of schedule. Last year, my country’s steel production reached 5.3 million tons. This year Steel companies such as Letania Steel should be able to increase production by hundreds of thousands of tons on this basis, which means that in 1905, my country's steel production capacity is likely to be close to, or even exceed, six million tons."

The steel production target in East Africa's First Five-Year Plan was to exceed five million tons. In 1904, East African companies had already completed the task ahead of schedule. This was very exciting news for the East African government.

"Our country's steel industry has not only achieved superior results in terms of quantity. According to the Ministry of Industry's forecast, in 1904, our country's steel industry further widened the gap with Russia and France, and was also very close to the British steel output. By the end of 1905, it may even be The British steel industry overtook the industry and ranked third in the world, second only to the United States and Germany.”

Last year, the British steel output was more than 5 million tons. The specific data has to be known, but the statistics department estimates that it should be between 5.4 million tons and 5.8 million tons. In terms of scale alone, East Africa has unlimited Close to UK levels.

Russia is still ranked fifth in the world, and France is sixth in the world. Both countries have a production capacity of more than two million tons. Compared with Russia, the French steel industry is developing very quickly.

In 1900, France's steel output was only more than one million tons, while Russia's production had reached more than two million tons at that time, so Russia had basically made no progress. After all, Russia had been hit hard by the economic crisis since the first year of the 20th century.

At present, the Russian steel industry has recovered after the economic crisis, coupled with the results catalyzed by the Russo-Japanese War. In fact, between 1900 and 1902, the Russian steel industry was affected by the economic crisis and declined instead of increasing. Therefore, Russian steel production did not increase much. It was fully expected by the East African government.

As for the accelerating development of the French steel industry, it can be described as a bittersweet one. Since the Franco-Prussian War and until the 1990s, the French economy was first hit hard and then continued to grow slowly, in sharp contrast to Germany's rapid progress.

In the late 1990s, the French economy finally emerged from the long-term slump. First, as time went by, France got over the impact of the war. Second, French overseas colonies also began to support French local industry.

During the First Five-Year Plan period in East Africa, it can be said to be the best period for the French economy in decades. In the face of a lack of local energy and mineral resources, the rapid expansion of steel production capacity and keeping pace with Russia is a good illustration of the problem. According to estimates by the East African government, Between 1906 and 1907, French steel production was likely to exceed that of Russia again.

Because of its early industrialization, France's steel output was actually higher than Russia's before. It is only in recent years that Russia's steel output has surpassed France's.

As for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it is currently competing with Belgium for the seventh position in the world. Despite its small land area, Belgium is indeed a real power in the field of steel, often on par with the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Belgium is rich in local coal and iron ore resources, and it is a type of food that God rewards. Whether Germany or France eats Belgium, it can make their country's industry further.

In 1900, Belgium's steel production was more than 500,000 tons, which was more than the steel production of many major countries in the world. According to the East African government's forecast, last year, in 1904, Belgium's steel production may have exceeded one million tons. , this level is lower than that of most countries in the world.

(End of chapter)