The Rise of the Empire

The meaning of the tsar is very clear. There is no pressure in the direction of the Black Sea, and the threat to the country is not great. Let the Black Sea Fleet go first. Anyway, the old bottom is enough to deal with the Turks, but the Baltic Sea must be strengthened. Western Europe is the core of Russia. , and the Baltic Sea is the gateway to this core area, and it is impossible for anyone to open their door wide.

Therefore, no matter how poor Russia is, it must build the Baltic Fleet. And the Russians did this in history. Not long after the war started, the Russian Baltic Fleet had 4 Gangu super battleships, and 4 Izmail-class super dreadnoughts were under construction. Of course, they have been building , never finished. . . .

"If it is only to deal with the threat of the Germans, I think we can buy warships from the United Kingdom first, because buying warships may be more cost-effective economically." Kuropatkin said.

"Your Majesty, buying warships will only make Russia's shipbuilding industry farther and farther away! We should try our best to improve our shipbuilding capabilities and use our own warships instead of relying on the British." Essen said immediately.

"If we want to build a dreadnought by ourselves, when can we start at the earliest?" Nicholas II asked Essen with a glance.

"Our shipyard with the best conditions is naturally the Naval Shipyard in St. Petersburg. We first need to import some equipment. The fire control, power and design of the new dreadnought ship are all brand new. We have to gradually learn. If there is no accident, We can start the first batch of dreadnoughts in three and a half to four years at the earliest, and in ten years, we can keep the German fleet out of Russia's gates." Essen thought for a while and said.

"Ten years, the Germans may not give us such a long time. Once the Germans are ready, they can launch an attack immediately, and our dreadnought may still be laying the keel on the berth! Do you know? The Germans China's military production is gradually speeding up, military expenditures are increasing, and the army is also expanding. It is said that they have also received a large amount of loans from the Americans. Even with Germany's national strength, they cannot support it for a long time. Well, in the end, There are only two results, one is to go to war when the strength reaches its peak, and the other is to be dragged down, I think everyone should know what the final result will be!" Kuropatkin said with a trace of ridicule.

Although this Russian general is not very good at fighting, he still has a good vision in some things. Before the Russo-Japanese War, he was not very optimistic about Russia, and this time, he even smelled the war from some clues !

"I agree with General Kuropatkin's statement that Germany's national debt has continued to rise recently, and has now reached a high of 1.5 billion marks, and they have also received a large amount of loans from the United States. The Germans originally had relatively abundant funds Yes, it can fully support domestic construction and the general consumption of the army. There is only one possibility for this to happen. They have begun to expand their armies undisguisedly, and we are about to manage the most dangerous time." Earl Witt, Minister of Finance said.

"Well, the opinion of the French is also the same. They have once again adjusted the number of years of service, which allows their number of soldiers to be comparable to that of Germany. Arms companies including Schneider and Saint Moncha have placed military orders this year. It is also about 30% higher than last year! The French believe that from now on, 10 years from now will be the most dangerous time for the Allied Powers, and if this dangerous period passes, the military strength and national strength of the Allied Powers will crush the Allies. Therefore, If the Germans want to do something, they can only do it in these 10 years!" German Chief of General Staff Nikolaevich also agreed.

"That is to say, we will go to war with the Germans in the next 10 years? It seems that self-made warships cannot meet our needs." Nicholas II said.

"I support the Russian Navy's efforts to build its own dreadnoughts, but before that, we must first ensure that the navy has enough combat power, right? We can discuss the details of purchasing the dreadnoughts with the British first, um, then first Order two and see."

"Of order, Your Majesty the Emperor." Admiral Essen said respectfully. This is already the best result he can achieve. Although the construction of the Black Sea Fleet cannot enter the imperial agenda in a short period of time, the addition of the Baltic Fleet And the expansion passed, and as Kuropatkin and others said, the gap in the strength of the Russian and German navies is too great now, and it is obviously unrealistic to rely on self-made warships to survive!

"According to the current expansion speed of the German fleet, the total number of their dreadnought warships may be as high as 22 or more in 8 years, and if we want to resist the attack of the German fleet in the direction of the Baltic Sea, even if it is a conservative defensive war, we still need More than 8 capital ships are enough. In addition, the destroyers and submarines of the Baltic Fleet also need to be updated. These warships are an indispensable part of our defensive operations." Essen suggested.

"I will consider this issue. The imperial government will decide the allocation of funds to the Baltic Fleet according to the preparations of the German Navy. In fact, our pressure is not that great. After all, the British Royal Fleet can help us share most of the pressure." Witte said.

"In addition, there is another question. If Turkey, in case, also buys the dreadnought, what will happen to the Black Sea Fleet? I mean in case. The Dardanelles will not allow the completed battleship to pass. The capital ship of the Black Sea Fleet Supplements can only be self-made, so I still hope to increase some allocations for the Black Sea Fleet." Essen said that it is almost pleading here.

"Let's talk about it at that time. We have the Sevastopol fortress. The Turks are neither British nor French. They can't take it down. And maybe Britain and France will help us open the channel. We should trust our allies, Isn't it?" Nicholas II said impatiently.

As in history, the Allied Powers did not value Turkey, a weakened country. In their view, there is no need to fight. As long as the British and French fleets appear in the Dardanelles, Turkey may be able to succumb, right?

The remaining days of the meeting have nothing to do with Admiral Essen, because the top German military needs to come up with a feasible army combat plan. The pressure faced by the Russian army is actually not small compared to the navy! After all, the European battlefield is where the Army decides everything!

The German Army is said to be very powerful! What if there is a war? What a problem! The Russians don't know about the Schlieffen Plan, but this does not prevent the Russians from formulating their own plans in accordance with the military plans of the Allied Powers!

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