Especially when I want his country's reason for the war to be an alliance. A lot easier to supply the location with stuff to inspire colonization and conquest.
Main war could be elsewhere, and this a crucial little supply location. It's industrialized enough that war supplies would need to be interdicted. Still got to wiggle about how they have a long route to get to it, and yet it can be vital to the other side -- presumably because they have a more direct access.
Perhaps they have to go by land, while their foes can go by sea, but there are limits to how much easier that is. Especially with dirigibles. I can make them crude and give them limited ability to handle winds, but they do have a way of dealing with obstacles.
ponder