Chapter 440: Too Beautiful, Vienna!
The military parade had a decent overall effect, though Ernst had underestimated how conservative people of this era still were. To the older generation, the East African Army's dress uniforms were far too unconventional.
In truth, military uniforms of this era weren't unattractive—some were even ornate—but that elegance was usually reserved for officers. The quality of enlisted soldiers' uniforms varied widely. East Africa's army, however, maintained a highly uniform appearance overall. Visually, there wasn't much of a breakthrough—if anything, it seemed less imposing due to the omission of the traditionally tall European headgear.
In other words, European military uniforms still carried traits from the age of cold weapons, while East Africa's were transitioning toward the more utilitarian style of WWII-era uniforms—focused on practicality. Aesthetically, East Africa might fall short individually, but their uniform style excelled in projecting collective solemnity and pressure.
After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted along Vienna's streets. While the East African Army wasn't Austrian, and thus didn't receive cheers of patriotism, the sheer discipline on display earned widespread admiration from the Viennese public.
"The Kingdom of East Africa carries a Prussian-like martial spirit in its bones—must be the Hohenzollern blood!" some citizens commented.
To say East Africa was as warlike as Prussia wasn't quite right—many of its soldiers had yellow faces, clearly not Germanic. But with the Hechingen royal family bearing the Hohenzollern name, it made sense that the East African Army reflected that influence.
"How do you know East Africa is warlike? Just from one ceremonial parade?"
"It's easy to tell from the details. Look at their eyes—those are the eyes of soldiers who've seen battle. You don't need to argue with me—I served in the Royal Army and fought in several wars. I can smell a real soldier a mile away."
As an elite unit, East Africa's Guards Division was formed from handpicked soldiers across various units, so it wasn't surprising many had wartime experience. Though native enemies lacked advanced weapons, they still gave East African forces plenty of real-world combat exposure.
"Also, look at their rifles—clearly not new. Well-maintained and maybe even refurbished, but you can tell they've seen multiple battles."
That was true. The production line for the Dreyse rifle had already been dismantled and shipped to the Far East. Only a small number remained operational, so the soldiers in the parade carried older weapons. Once they returned to East Africa, they'd switch to the 1873 Mauser. Moreover, due to intense training, even without combat deployment, the rifles in the Guards Division saw heavy wear and tear.
It's important to note that the East African Army had a complete and sizable military-industrial complex suited to the era. This was possible for two reasons: first, weapons in this era weren't nearly as complex as those in Ernst's past life. Technical difficulty was low, and weapon types were fewer—East Africa had the means and knowledge to build them.
Second, despite Ernst often claiming that East Africa was underdeveloped and poorly educated, its literacy rate was among the highest in the world—over 20%. Another 40% or so were semi-literate, meaning true illiteracy was under 40%, by period standards. This meant East Africa had a solid foundation of skilled labor, making military manufacturing feasible.
This was largely thanks to the benefits of German-style compulsory education. Around 45% of East Africa's population came from German-speaking regions (including the whole Austro-Hungarian Empire). Southern Germans and Austrians formed the majority, with smaller groups of Hungarians and Slavs.
In 1870, Germany's illiteracy rate was just 2%. So southern German immigrants in East Africa were almost entirely literate. The Austro-Hungarian Empire fared worse (22% illiteracy during WWI), but Austria itself had relatively strong educational standards.
As for semi-literacy, this was a result of East Africa's enforced adoption of German. To unify language, even non-Germanic immigrants had to take language classes. Vocabulary and grammar lessons meant that even if they couldn't write perfectly, many could read basic German texts.
Of course, literacy didn't equate to high education. East Africa currently focused mostly on promoting language. Subjects like math, physics, and chemistry still lagged far behind.
Education, after all, is a "use it or lose it" endeavor. Even among Germanic residents with full compulsory education, if they weren't working in factories or on construction sites, there wasn't enough in traditional agriculture to help them retain their knowledge. Experience was more valued than theory.
Thus, many German immigrants would forget their elementary education within months of entering the workforce. Compulsory education itself also varied across regions—some places lacked qualified teachers, and the quality of instruction was uneven.
Additionally, East Africa treated all Austro-Hungarian immigrants—including Slavic peoples—as equals to German-speakers, which skewed the literacy stats slightly lower than the actual Germanic average.
Finally—and most importantly—East Africa truly was rich in land and resources. This laid the groundwork for military-industrial development.
The most developed region of East Africa—its core territory—covered over 1.2 million square kilometers, almost equal to the combined land area of Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
In terms of natural resources, Germany and Austria had absurdly abundant coal and iron reserves—foundational to their status as world powers. Steel and energy equaled national strength.
To match them, East Africa could rely on Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Botswana for coal—more than enough to surpass both European empires. Other regions' coal output could rival Austria-Hungary alone, which was already a win.
This meant that, just using East Africa's eastern resources, the country could already match Austria-Hungary's industrial capabilities. So Ernst was unhesitant about developing military-related resources.
In the future, tougher competition would require even more. Thankfully, South Africa—one of the top five mineral countries in Ernst's previous life—could easily meet those needs.
But to truly control and tap into southern coal and iron, East Africa needed to complete the Central Railway. Once that happened, the kingdom's strength would rise to a new level.
After the parade, there wasn't much left of interest—at least not for Ernst. But Karina wasn't done having fun.
"Brother Ernst, I heard there's going to be a light show tonight! Can you tell me what it'll be like? Is it as amazing as the rumors say?"
"Hmm... probably pretty dazzling," Ernst replied nonchalantly.
He honestly didn't know what to say about the light show. Yes, he arranged it—but mostly as a promotional stunt. Once people saw it, other cities would want similar displays for their own celebrations or festivals, and Hechingen Electric Company would rake in the orders. Same principle as the "City That Never Sleeps" campaign.
As for how dazzling it really was—Ernst couldn't feel it. Compared to his past life, it was nowhere near. Time travel had definitely dulled some of life's joys.
8 PM.
Darkness had fully fallen.
As Hechingen Electric Company in Vienna flipped the switch, the city's colorful lights and lightboxes lit up all at once. In an instant, Vienna became a vibrant, dazzling city of lights.
"Too beautiful, Vienna!"
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