Chapter 77 of 100

Chapter 77

16 min read3,938 words

Dark clouds hung low, enveloping the entire night sky. In a lavishly decorated room of the imperial palace, a fireplace crackled, and a plush carpet lay flat. A handsome young man sat on a soft, comfortable sofa, his eyes roving around, marveling at the opulence. The exquisite chandeliers, the finely crafted cabinets, the dazzling treasures, and the precious paintings—all of these left him in awe and his heart racing.

Since becoming the heir to the throne, Qing Ying's status had soared like a sparrow transformed into a phoenix. This magnificent palace was specially built by Wilhelm using royal funds for the new heir. Its vastness, luxurious decoration, and grand layout were almost on par with the side halls of the Yekaterininsky Palace in Russia. Compared to his previous bedroom and study, which together barely reached 40 square meters and resembled a small apartment, this place was like the difference between a shabby cottage and a luxurious villa. Even the carpet under his feet, imported from Persia, was of the finest quality, with intricate patterns and soft texture, costing 100,000 marks, which left even Qing Ying, who had seen the Amber Room, in shock.

As Qing Ying was admiring the room with a mix of pain and joy, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged man with a beard more impressive than Santa Claus entered. He wore a neatly pressed naval lieutenant admiral's uniform, carried a black file, but wore slippers, making him look quite out of place. What puzzled Qing Ying was that Tirpitz's face was dark and gloomy, his brows furrowed with barely concealed anger, as if the whole world owed him money.

In the nearly two years since he had arrived in this era, Qing Ying rarely saw Tirpitz display such an expression. In the past, Tirpitz had always given him the impression of being steady, experienced, cautious, and shrewd. Seeing this, Qing Ying was taken aback and asked, "Mr. Alfred, what's wrong? This morning, you were still chatting and laughing with Father."

Tirpitz walked to the coffee table, angrily threw the briefcase onto the sofa, and growled, "This hateful matter happened just three hours ago. Your Highness, do you remember the naval law I started planning in June this year?"

Qing Ying nodded. Such a significant event was something he, a naval enthusiast, couldn't possibly be unaware of.

Historically, the German people lacked confidence in their navy, believing that naval power could not secure development overseas. Despite the country's strong industrial base, they paid little attention to naval development. It wasn't until Germany's occupation of Jiaozhou Bay in 1897 and the subsequent lease negotiations that the navy's importance in foreign affairs became evident, leading to a surge in naval enthusiasm. Tirpitz seized the opportunity and proposed Germany's first naval law in November 1897, which was officially implemented in April of the following year.

In this alternate timeline, the situation had changed dramatically. The outstanding performance of the SMS Brandenburg in the Battle of the Yalu River had ignited a naval fever in Germany. Additionally, breakthroughs in warship design had bolstered the confidence of the German leadership in their navy. The desire for a powerful fleet and overseas colonies made the ambitious Wilhelm no longer satisfied with a navy that lagged behind even in the second tier. On the emperor's orders, Tirpitz began a systematic development plan for the German navy in June 1895. His strategy was to legislate the annual shipbuilding budget, bypassing the contentious debates with the parliament. The naval law would set a target fleet size and then break it down into annual tasks, to be executed until the goal was achieved.

What? You say the naval law triggered the Anglo-German naval arms race and was the key factor in deteriorating Anglo-German relations? Actually, this is a misinterpretation. In another parallel universe, Germany passed two naval laws: the first in April 1898 and the second in February 1900. The naval arms race was caused by the second naval law, not the first.

The first naval law Tirpitz proposed in 1898 aimed to build a fleet centered around 19 battleships. While this number seemed significant, it was crucial to consider the British fleet across the Channel. By the end of 1898, the Royal Navy had nearly 50 active battleships and 12 under construction. Even if Germany completed the first naval law in the planned six years, it would only have 19 battleships, far from enough to challenge the British. Therefore, the British had no reason to engage in a naval arms race with Germany.

The true deterioration of Anglo-German relations began two years later, in 1900. As Germany's national strength surged, Tirpitz's ambitions grew rapidly. He was influenced by the "risk fleet" theory, which advocated building a navy strong enough to deter the world's most powerful navy from engaging in war. Tirpitz believed that if the German navy could match the British, the British, fearing the risks of war, would avoid conflict and instead ally with Germany against the Franco-Russian alliance. Based on this, Tirpitz proposed the second naval law in February 1900, doubling the size of the German fleet to 38 battleships. He believed this would provide sufficient deterrence against the Royal Navy.

However, Tirpitz's plans backfired. The Royal Navy was never one to shy away from a fight. The spirit of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who fought valiantly at the Battle of Trafalgar, remained alive in the Royal Navy. In response to the German challenge, Britain chose the most aggressive means, even if it meant depleting its treasury, to defend the Royal Navy's centuries-old prestige. The stage was set for a 15-year shipbuilding competition, with furnaces roaring and steel pouring on both sides of the Channel.

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As Qing Ying was recalling the history of the German navy, he heard Tirpitz clear his throat and speak in his distinctive middle-aged voice:

"Currently, the German navy has 13 obsolete battleships from the era of Emperor Wilhelm I. They have all been in service for over 20 years and are no longer relevant in modern European warfare. Therefore, I plan to use this naval law to modernize the navy, replacing these 13 old ships with new battleships over seven years. If this plan is successful, the German navy will have 18 modern battleships, giving us a numerical advantage over France and Russia in the Atlantic and Baltic Seas." Fearing that the young man before him might not fully understand the current state of the German navy, Tirpitz provided a brief introduction.

Many people underestimate the German navy of the ironclad era, thinking it was insignificant. In reality, while it couldn't match the British and French, it was not as weak as people imagine. The German navy included the "Friedrich Carl" (6,822 tons, commissioned in 1867), the "Karl" (6,197 tons, completed in 1867), the "König Wilhelm" (10,691 tons, commissioned in 1869), the "Hansa" (4,334 tons, completed in 1875), two "Preussen" class ships (7,596 tons, commissioned in 1876-1877), two "Kaiser" class ships (8,799 tons, completed in 1875), four "Sachsen" class ships (7,677 tons, commissioned in 1878-1883), and the "Oldenburg" (5,652 tons, completed in 1886). According to the statistics of the steam armor ship enthusiasts, by the mid-1880s, the German navy had surpassed Russia and Italy, with a total fleet tonnage of 162,000 tons, ranking third in the world, behind only Britain and France. Of course, the gap between Germany and the top two was significant: the French navy had a total tonnage of 321,000 tons, and the British navy had 453,000 tons, almost twice and three times that of Germany, respectively.

These ships had indeed served their purpose, earning Germany the third-place honor in the world. However, by the late 19th century, with rapid naval technological advancements, these ships had become obsolete and could no longer play a significant role in European naval battles. Some of the older ships were even rejected by countries like Greece and Serbia. Replacing these old ships was a correct decision. However, Qing Ying thought that Tirpitz's plan was somewhat hasty. The four Sachsen-class ships, though 12-17 years old, were in good condition and could still achieve 13 knots. They could still be useful for secondary tasks like patrols and coastal support. The Oldenburg, less than 10 years old, was also worth keeping.

After listening to Tirpitz's detailed introduction of the German navy's ironclad-era assets, Qing Ying looked at him with some confusion and asked, "Mr. Alfred, replacing old ships is a good thing, but I still don't understand what has happened."

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