Chapter 566: A Comparison
In short, Japan's national condition is inherently limited. If it relied solely on its domestic resources, its development potential would be quite constrained.
However, that's not an absolute rule. A nation's development is closely tied to its natural endowments, but in the end, governance still depends on human factors.
Japan, in particular, has potential in this area. First, it has the ability to feel shame and then improve itself, and second, it's good at learning from the strong. Moreover, Japan has a large population. And with more people comes the potential for more strength—if you can transform population from a burden into an asset.
Take Japan's silk industry, for example. Why is it so competitive internationally? Because labor costs are extremely low, Japanese workers are diligent and enduring, and the government strongly supports industrial development. That's why Britain and the U.S. are willing to invest in such a country—and use it to check the Far Eastern Empire.
Likewise, many Japanese go abroad to work and send back remittances.
Remittances are crucial for nations with surplus populations—like Egypt, the Philippines, or Bangladesh in a previous life. For them, remittances are a major source of income. If they had to create enough jobs domestically, the result would be masses of drifters.
Japan has an innate advantage in labor-intensive, low-end industries. It also values education and science—something very rare in this era. That lays the foundation for future industrial upgrading. Japan becoming Asia's sole major power in a few decades is a result of its own efforts.
"General Gleis, I'd like to ask—if Japan really goes to war with your nation, as East Africa's highest-ranking officer, what do you think your chances are?" Luo Yijun asked curiously.
Although East Africa has many Chinese and is only a semi-Western nation, it's still a Western power. Among Western nations, it's not a top-tier force but far from weak. Luo Yijun was very interested in seeing what kind of clash would arise between this "ordinary" Western state and Japan, the Far East's second-strongest power.
Gleis wasn't arrogant. He understood Japan's navy—not powerful, but if it committed all its resources, it could pose a threat to his fleet.
So he replied modestly, or rather conservatively, "About sixty-forty. Of course, sixty in our favor, forty in theirs. But the navy is the most unpredictable branch of the military. The sea is a dangerous place—it often defies logic.
As you say in your empire, warfare depends on timing, terrain, and unity. I'm sure we don't have the first two—East Africa is new to these waters. So we only have 'unity' on our side. And we do have an edge there. I can't speak for Japan."
Hearing a German discuss Eastern philosophy pleased Luo Yijun greatly. It's always uplifting when another culture acknowledges your own.
"Didn't expect the general to be so familiar with Far Eastern culture. You're absolutely right—'timing, terrain, and unity' are the three pillars of military success. But what unity advantage does your navy have?"
Gleis didn't hesitate. "There are three main points. First—equipment. Our navy's ships and weapons are a tier above Japan's.
Second—our officers. Our commander-in-chief is Archduke Ferdinand, former head of the Austro-Hungarian Navy. Most of our officers either came from there or, like myself, trained at the Austrian Naval Academy.
Third—our sailors. They're better educated than Japan's. That greatly helps in managing and operating complex ships. Thanks to years of progress, even our lowest-ranking sailors now have at least elementary education."
In the previous timeline, Japan didn't fully implement compulsory education until 1907. That can't compare with East Africa, which benefited from Germany's education model. Though qualified teachers were scarce, textbook-based instruction was easy to roll out.
That's because East Africa had plenty of native Germans—and most had attended school. Since most immigrants were young, few had forgotten what they'd learned.
Ernst felt deeply grateful to the German states for pushing compulsory education. Germany's benefit to America was well-known—so many educated immigrants helped build the U.S.
Now Ernst had intercepted that pipeline, and East Africa reaped the rewards.
Even if most were only elementary-level educated, East Africa had 5–6 million native Germans—that's millions of literate workers. Combined with literacy campaigns and education reforms, East Africa's future was boundless.
By contrast, America had reason to worry. Ernst had siphoned off its best immigrants—and saddled it with many Black people. Thinking about that sent chills down his spine. Sure, East Africa had plenty of Black people too, but with a life expectancy of only thirty-five, most would be gone in a few decades.
Ernst used to feel bad—thinking he should offer them a path forward. Now he was completely numb. Once the bottom line is broken, there's no line left.
Blacks represented economic value—especially in East Africa, where they made up half the population. That meant over half the economy was built on their labor.
Especially in tropical industries like coffee, cotton, and rubber—all reliant on Black labor. It saved East Africa huge costs.
At one point, East Africa even considered importing more Black workers. But Ernst vetoed that idea.
With so many literate youth, East Africa's army and navy were never short on recruits—especially for the technically demanding navy.
Middle school graduates were common. University graduates weren't rare. Japan's navy couldn't compete.
Even if Japan implemented compulsory education, it still lacked teachers and materials. They had to study in Europe, which was expensive. East Africa didn't have that problem—Hechingen's royal family had its own schools and land in Europe, cutting costs. Plus, millions already had basic schooling.
Japan, as a militarist state, spent heavily on industry and arms—but education was underfunded. It would take at least fifty years for compulsory education to pay off.
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