Chapter 1181 Industrial Impact
This kind of capital import will naturally have a negative impact on the development of the Far Eastern Empire, but East Africa has no psychological burden. After all, if East Africa doesn't do it, the United States and Japan, as well as Britain and France, who have come back after the war, will do it.
Therefore, in Ernst's view, instead of taking advantage of other great powers, it is better to take advantage of East Africa. And at this stage, the Far East Empire really has no other better choice. At least if it cooperates with East Africa, East Africa will not be too cheated, but can get more. benefits.
For example, if the Far Eastern Empire exports tungsten ore to Germany, if it relies on itself, it will definitely be sanctioned by Britain and France, and this part of the market will not be accessible. However, with the channels in East Africa, this part of the German market can be successfully accessed.
And East Africa can go one step further. East Africa will first transport these tungsten ores back to East Africa for processing and purification, and then sell them to Germany and other countries at a higher price. In this way, both East Africa and the Far East Empire will make money.
After all, the Far East Empire currently has no relevant technology and can only export raw materials, so the Far East Empire is definitely not suffering a loss. Instead, it is making more money due to the expansion of the market.
And this is actually not entirely a bad thing for Germany. Although East Africa has made a profit from the difference, what Germany lacks most now is time and resources.
If East Africa engages in processing and production, Germany can invest more workers in military production, and the material supply in East Africa also allows Germany to obtain more strategic materials.
In summary, everyone in East Africa, the Far Eastern Empire and Germany won. This is actually the original essence of trade, which is to exchange what is needed and everyone gets what they want.
…
The focus is drawn back to the European battlefield.
Kemerch, an unknown small village in France, is also the front line of the confrontation between Germany and France. At this time, the exhausted armies of both sides are nesting in the trenches. Soldiers on both sides are extremely numb to the war.
The German trenches were filled with smoke, and several soldiers were puffing away with enjoyment.
Conrad: "As expected, East African cigarettes taste the most comfortable. If I am still alive after the war, I will replace all my rations with East African products."
Since the outbreak of the war, tobacco has become a hard currency in the army, especially for Germany, a big country that relies entirely on imported tobacco.
Before the war, Germany had very strict controls on tobacco and alcohol, thereby obtaining more tax revenue. However, after the war broke out, the German government could no longer take care of so much. If such materials, which were directly related to the combat effectiveness of soldiers, could be transported in, everything would be fine. , so the German government had to cede profits to neutral countries such as East Africa and the United States.
Before the war, East Africa was Germany's largest source of tobacco, and even more so after the war. Coupled with the German government's concessions, East African tobacco companies made great efforts to export to Germany, ensuring the daily needs of the German frontline.
Not only does it concern the army, but workers in rear factories also need more psychostimulants, and tobacco and alcohol are naturally more precious.
Conrad's comrade-in-arms Hans sighed after taking a sip: "I don't know when the war will end. Domestic production must have been greatly affected now. Many of our military supplies are imported from East Africa, and more and more There are more and more cans coming to the front line. In the past, the labels would be changed, but now I am too lazy to do this superficial thing. "
Conrad said: "This is not surprising at all. There is a huge shortage of people in the country right now. Last month I was still making military helmets in the factory. Guess why I was pulled to the front line?"
There is no doubt that the factory where Conrad worked was a veritable local German military enterprise. After all, military helmets are very important strategic materials. Generally speaking, military production personnel like Conrad will not be sent to the front line. After all, the importance of military factories to the frontline German troops is no less important than the frontline battlefields.
Conrad smiled helplessly: "It was because of East Africa that I lost my last job and was sent to the front line. You should know about the Stalheim M16 helmet recently developed by our country."
Another comrade-in-arms, Green, said: "I have seen it. The 24th Division got a batch of pointed helmets before. They are very different from our pointed helmets." Conrad nodded and said, "Yes, the 24th Division is equipped with ours." With the new domestically produced steel helmets, since the war broke out, you must have experienced the shortcomings of traditional pointed helmets, especially in this kind of trench warfare. "
"Other than good looks and comfort, traditional peaked helmets have few advantages, and furthermore, good looks and comfort are not advantages either."
"This means more complex production processes and high costs for materials. The factory I worked for previously produced traditional peaked helmets, and their comfort was sacrificed at the expense of safety. Of course, we underestimated the intensity of the war at the beginning. , and changes in the battlefield situation.”
"Trench warfare places higher demands on the protective function of helmets, and our newly developed Stalheim M16 helmet can effectively withstand shrapnel, mud and stones, these threats on the battlefield, ensuring the safety of soldiers."
"But the shortcomings of the Stalheim M16 helmet are also quite prominent. On the one hand, the production volume cannot keep up. On the other hand, its design has great flaws. It is very bulky and it is very uncomfortable to carry that iron lump."
Hans asked: "But what does this have to do with your unemployment?"
Conrad said helplessly: "On the one hand, tailors like me are no longer needed to produce new helmets. On the other hand, the military helmets imported from East Africa mean that our country does not need to be so urgent in the production of steel helmets."
"You probably don't know that in the field of military helmet production, the East African Defense Forces have all replaced steel helmets as early as the last century."
Naturally, many Germans don’t know this. After all, East Africa is just a legendary country for many Germans, not to mention the equipment of the East African Defense Forces. Only people like Conrad who were engaged in helmet production before the war. I came into contact with the actual East African steel helmet.
"Actually, the designer of our factory has seen East African steel helmets. At that time, he also laughed at the East African steel helmets as crude things. They have no meaning at all on the battlefield. On the contrary, they will increase the burden on the East African soldiers. They are far inferior to our traditional German steeples. helmet."
"But it turns out that East Africans are very prophetic, and I think that designer will no longer be able to make wild claims."
"Of course, this is obviously not good news for me. East Africa has been producing and designing helmets for more than ten years, so their design and production are at the forefront of the world."
"So the Ministry of National Defense also decided to purchase East African steel helmets on a large scale to directly use them as armor for our army. In this way, under the joint attack of the country's new military helmets and the East African imported steel helmets, I lost my job!"
"And my skills as a tailor have not been put to use. Now the country prefers to purchase finished textile products from East Africa. Many military uniforms are now produced directly in East Africa and then sent to Germany to supply the army."
In other words, Germany has directly outsourced many production activities to East Africa, such as the textile industry Conrad mentioned.
The textile industry was originally a large industry with many workers, but Germany lacked cotton. As soon as the war began, many German textile companies were negatively affected.
And Germany needs a large number of soldiers. After all, Germany is fighting on two fronts and is under great pressure, so many male textile workers have been drafted into the army. Although there are more female workers engaged in the textile industry and only a minority of males, for today's Germany, mosquitoes No matter how small it is, it is still meat.
Germany has abandoned many industrial productions and at the same time converted these abandoned industries to directly importing finished products from East Africa.
For example, Conrad's original work was greatly affected. East Africa's helmet production capacity is still very large. After all, the East African Defense Force is not small in size. If it supports Germany at full capacity, it can meet the German army's considerable needs. Therefore, Under this impact, Conrad's original factory stopped production and switched to the production of other military products.
(End of chapter)