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Cape to Cairo
Topic Started: Jan 19 2012, 03:20 PM (310 Views)
Basil Fawlty
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Post Tenebras Lux
Why didn't the British cooperate with the Belgians in linking the rail lines through the Congo?
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JBK
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Or Germany through German East Africa.
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Simon Darkshade
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Nefarious Swashbuckler
The Congo was extremely rough territory, and more importantly, the purpose was not international cooperation; a useful similar case is the All Red Line.
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Basil Fawlty
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Post Tenebras Lux
It would have been hard to move troops through German East Africa if Britain was at war with Germany, but Belgium would not have presented the same problem. Although I suppose questions of neutrality might arise in different circumstances.
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JBK
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The railroad through German East Africa might not have made it possible to move troops to South Africa from Egypt but it would make it possible to move troops to German East Africa from the two, facilitating a quick concentration of forces threatening German East Africa.

For Germany the railroad would be worth it because of the undoubted economic benefits it would provide. East Africa is already the jewel in the German colonial Empire, and a prestigious railroad would only have benefits for Germany.

Besides these two advantages it would undoubtedly open up Africa allot more than was historically the case. And probably cause an increased presence of European settlers in Africa.
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