Chapter 481: Coordinated Performance
To strengthen Mozambique's military, Britain and France planned to have the colony form a native African army. Though the Portuguese were reluctant, with an aggressively expansionist regime like East Africa next door, they eventually accepted.
East Africa's image in southern Africa was comparable to Russia's in Europe—except that Russia had a global reputation, while East Africa's presence faded beyond southern Africa. In North and West Africa, it was virtually unknown. Egypt even had a relatively positive impression of East Africa, while most nations, aside from displaced governments driven north by East Africa, barely acknowledged its existence.
Mozambique's plan to build a black army actually suited its colonial reality. Portuguese colonialism differed from the British approach. The Portuguese lacked the restraint of the Anglo-Saxons and had no control over their own impulses. As a result, like Brazil, Mozambique had a large population of mixed-race descendants—father Portuguese, mother African.
These mixed-race descendants formed the foundation of colonial rule after Portugal's decline. Given the motherland's diminished power—on par with some small East Asian states, Ernst doubted Portugal could even compete with Italy. Despite being weakened by Austria-Hungary, Italy's population and industry still outmatched Portugal.
So Mozambique would likely recruit soldiers from among the mixed-race population. They were more numerous than white settlers and shared vested interests in suppressing the black population. These mixed descendants already formed part of the ruling class, even though top power remained with white Portuguese. If they gained control of a military force, that balance could shift—one of Governor Leiford's greatest concerns.
March 1878,
South Salzburg Province.
While Britain, France, and Mozambique colluded, East Africa quietly prepared its countermeasures. Both sides began a shadow military competition. As Mozambique prepared a black army, East Africa assembled one of its own.
That's right—East Africa was organizing a black military unit too. But their purpose differed completely.
While black slaves were being replaced with livestock in eastern East Africa, some of those displaced workers were shipped by rail to South Salzburg Province, east of Lake Malawi, to be organized and trained.
When they saw German soldiers handing out firearms, these black recruits were stunned. They knew that what gave the Germans their dominance was exactly these "magic weapons."
Even holding them, the blacks didn't dare rebel. Years of East African oppression had instilled a deep psychological fear. They weren't wrong—without ammo, a gun is no more threatening than a stick.
But once they saw blood on the battlefield, their mindset might shift. In Ernst's previous life, German East Africa's black soldiers overcame their fear of whites and embarrassed the Anglo-Portuguese-Belgian alliance.
This was exactly the risk Mozambique now faced. If they trained blacks in modern weapons, they could inadvertently shatter the image of white invincibility.
But East Africa didn't care. This black force was a disposable unit. Once they were used, they'd be shipped off to the Americas. If they became troublemakers, it wouldn't be East Africa's problem.
Looking at the 5,000-strong force before him—dense as a black tide—Ernst nodded approvingly. They looked the part. All they needed were berets to complete the image of an African national army.
Ernst said, "If our regular army plays along too much, it'll feel staged. To make Mozambique believe we're evenly matched, it has to look real. That's why we need the black corps."
111th Division commander Johann Sebastian looked uneasy. "Your Highness, are you sure this is wise? I doubt the combat strength of these troops. What if they collapse and drag our regular army down with them?"
Ernst replied, "What's there to worry about? The Portuguese will also use black troops. Their colonies don't have enough white men to staff a full army. Even if they scrape together a force from Portugal, they'll still rely on native auxiliaries. So black versus black—what's the fear?"
Honestly, there was a concern. East Africa's black troops were armed with outdated flintlocks, worse than the Minie and Enfield rifles Britain and France had provided the Portuguese. Ernst didn't know this yet—Britain and France had only just started clearing out warehouse stock to arm Mozambique and Angola.
Even if he knew, Ernst wouldn't change course. He intended for this battle to look messy. That's why regular troops wouldn't be involved—they couldn't afford a PR disaster if things went wrong. It was better to let the black corps handle it.
Ernst explained, "Our army has been hardened by countless battles. Even if the enemies weren't elite, we've cultivated a solid force. They could easily handle any European military. If we let them face the Portuguese head-on, it'd crush the enemy's morale—and that's not what we want. Using black troops makes the play believable."
Sebastian chuckled. "You're right. I think the 111th alone could plow through Mozambique. Occupation might be tough due to manpower, but destruction? We could raze it multiple times over."
Sebastian knew Mozambique's forces well. Frankly, they were only as good as East Africa's militias. But East Africa had far more of those. Even using just militia would be overkill.
Ernst said, "You're not the main force this time. The black corps and second-line troops will lead. Your job is to stabilize the situation and prevent surprises."
East Africa's plan: black troops in front, second-line troops to supervise, elite units in the rear to handle emergencies. A double-layered insurance policy. Unless the Portuguese suddenly learned to cast fireballs, East Africa couldn't lose.
Ernst concluded, "There will be more blacks mobilized soon. For now, let's assemble 60,000. Let's see how the Portuguese handle that."
Sixty thousand troops—but only 40,000 had firearms. And those were ancient flintlocks—unearthed from dusty arsenals. The rest would fight with cold weapons. Not even the outdated Dreyse rifles would be handed out. Ernst had no intention of giving these troops quality gear.
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