The Rise of the Empire

Just when the Boers won the victory in the Battle of Bloemfontein, Ruprecht also left Vienna and returned to Munich. During the half-month visit to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the prince did not participate too much Politically, after all, contacts between Prussia and Austria-Hungary were handled by Admirals Tirpitz and Bohr, while contacts between Bavaria and Austria-Hungary were handled by local offices. What I do most is to attend various banquets accompanied by Princess Mary, get to know the high-level officials of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and see who can be potential allies, who can be temporarily wooed, and who need to beware!

The princess' prophecy lingered in the prince's mind like a nightmare. Even as a time traveler, it was difficult for him to see how much of it was true and how much was exaggeration. But one thing is certain, if Germany really gains a lot of benefits from the Eastern Front, then Prussia will definitely take the biggest part! The gap between the two sides will become wider and wider, and Bavaria's status will be far worse than it is today! And the suggestion from my fiancée is indeed very attractive! A double king! Descendants inherit two kingdoms!

The prince did not tell anyone what Princess Mary said. It is still too early to talk about these things. He needs a long-term plan. Just after he returned to Munich and greeted his grandfather, father, uncle and other important personnel, Before he had time to take a breather, a telegram from the Kaiser made him embark on a journey again! This telegram can be summed up as: "The navy is going to be built, what should I do? Wait online!"

In 1899, the construction of the last Friedrich the Great-class battleship was completed. With the Kaiser's interest in the navy, how could the German shipyard be stopped? Especially this time, the action of frightening France to force Portugal was a perfect victory, which made the naval faction in the German Central Committee flourish. Under the impetus of Erpitz, the next wave of expansion of the German Navy was finally on the agenda.

Now the German Central has money, people, and impulses, but how to build it also needs to refer to the ideas of the South. Germany built a powerful and efficient fleet with the least amount of money! In order to get the largest order in the future share of shipbuilding, the prince went to Berlin without saying a word.

This year is over, next year through the budget and preparations before the start of construction, construction began in 1901, and it will take 2 to 3 years to complete. If nothing else, it should be completed earlier than the British Dreadnought and Battle Cruiser. So when the time comes, what will this warship be called? His Royal Highness thought maliciously.

The prince counted, and now the steam turbine has become very impressive. The luxury cruise ship Wilhelm the Great, which was completed in 1898, was equipped with a new type of gas turbine, allowing this large cruise ship with a registered tonnage of 14,349 tons to travel at a speed of more than 25 knots per hour. sailing. The other sister ship, Crown Prince William, uses both kerosene-fired boilers and steam turbines, which allows this ship of similar tonnage to run at a speed of up to 26 knots, and because it uses fuel oil, the number of firemen required Also greatly reduced!

The combination of steam turbines and oil-fired boilers has won unanimous praise from within the German Navy. It is estimated that it will not take much effort to install steam turbines and oil-fired boilers on new German warships. In this way, the power problem of the dreadnought is solved, and more weight and space can be saved to strengthen armament and defense. As a naval enthusiast, His Royal Highness still has a lot of ideas about the pre-construction plan of the German High Seas Fleet in the future.

Among other things, heresies such as Nassau and Helgoland with hexagonal deployment of main guns in history will never appear! The most important thing is how the Imperial Navy is methodical and continues to maintain its leading position through small steps.

At the Berlin train station, the prince was greeted by Minister of State Tirpitz of the Navy and Prince Heinrich of Prussia. When he saw the Minister of the Navy opposite him standing in front of him with dark circles under his eyes, the prince knew that the prince was also arrested. It was quite a toss, and I guess he was dragged out to handle errands as soon as he met Germany, which made the prince feel a lot better....

"The Navy played a very important role in this operation, deterring the enemies of the empire and appeasing our allies, but we cannot stop. His Majesty the Emperor has decided to further expand the size of the High Seas Fleet. This time, it is not like It was a small fight like that before. We are going to make a big move, and His Royal Highness must have prepared for this move." Tirpitz approached the prince and said in a low voice. And this so-called big move, the prince is also well aware of it! The age of fearlessness is finally here!

"I will formulate a rigorous and feasible process. The new warship is a big project. We are not as rich as the Royal Navy, so there must be no mistakes in the construction plan. The emergence of the new warship will directly affect our strategy and tactics, and even affect other countries. countries, and even set off a new wave of global naval expansion. This will be the beginning of a new era.”

"Then, Your Highness, is it convenient for you to tell me now, how many alternatives are there in your plan?" Tirpitz said slowly with interest.

"Four alternatives, proceed in two steps!" The prince thought for a while and said. "I will mention the details at the meeting. All you need to do is help me convince some people who oppose it, and then let the entire navy implement our plan with higher efficiency!"

"It may be difficult, because this time, the major shipyards have come up with their own design proposals. You first need to compete with them, and then the Ministry of the Navy will select the best ones. We need to fully consider the cost, performance and construction period before making a decision." Tirpitz said with a smile.

"New competition? I welcome it. With more competition, our business will develop better, isn't it? Who is there?" The prince was stunned for a moment, then asked. This situation is somewhat beyond the prince's expectations. I didn't expect that there would be so many variables in the months when I was away. I am afraid that the German Navy has not called for bids for a long time. It is not just waiting for me. Buy time.

"The main ones are the Kaiser Wilhelm Shipyard and the Vulcan Shipyard. They have all come up with their own plans, and there is more than one set. You can rest for two days, and then the Bavarian side you represent will join other shipyards in the Admiralty. The bidding activity. Prince Heinrich and I will preside over the primary selection of this bidding together. And the Kaiser will finally decide which plan to adopt. "Tirpitz explained.

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