Whether the Bellerophon-class battleships or the St. Vincent-class battleships, they were merely simple modifications of the British Navy's Dreadnought. Even the later Neptune and Colossus-class battleships adopted similar layouts and continued to use five twin-mounted 305mm Main Guns.
It would not be until the subsequent Orion-class battleships that 343mm Main Guns were adopted. If the German Navy adopted 343mm Main Guns starting with the next-class battleships after the Nassau-class, it would give the German Navy an overwhelming advantage in main gun firepower.
"Oskar, are you planning to use larger main guns on the next-class battleships?" Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz frowned.
"That's right. Caliber is truth. In naval battles, large-caliber main guns are always more powerful than smaller-caliber ones. They have greater range, greater armor-piercing capability, and greater destructive power. If technical conditions permit it, then naturally we should use the largest-caliber main guns possible," Oscar answered without hesitation.
"But that will make the battleships even larger, and construction costs will keep rising as well." Wilhelm II also frowned deeply.
The German Navy was not particularly well-funded at present. In fact, in order to develop the navy, Germany's finances had already been burdened heavily. Once the arms race among the nations reached its peak, the required military expenditures would rise without end. One major reason the First World War had erupted was that the arms race had crushed every nation beyond endurance. If they did not divert the attention of their domestic populations through war and plunder the wealth of defeated nations through war, there would be only one outcome in the end: national finances would collapse.
"Father Emperor, battleships growing ever larger is inevitable. In the future, the displacement of battleships will continue to rise. This is especially true for German Navy battleships. We have always emphasized a battleship's defense and survivability, which means our battleships must have thicker armor and greater displacement than British Navy battleships. At the same time, construction costs will naturally rise by a great deal. Of course, in my view, that is completely worthwhile. Once war breaks out, our battleships will be able to suppress British Navy battleships, giving us better odds of victory in the war. After all, only if we defeat our opponents and win the war will the enormous military expenditures we have paid be worthwhile. If we lose, then it will all have been for nothing." Oscar spoke with a solemn expression.
That was indeed the logic of it. Since money had already been spent on armaments, defeat would mean a total loss. If spending a little more could improve their odds of victory, why not?
Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz both nodded repeatedly, acknowledging Oscar's reasoning.
"What you say is true, but the budget has been running deficits year after year. If we increase investment in the navy again, the government will face tremendous pressure. The opposition within Parliament will also be very strong!" Wilhelm II looked troubled.
"Father Emperor, Your Excellency. As promised, I will cover the construction cost of one next-class capital ship," Oscar said.
"The other ships will still be an enormous burden on the government." Wilhelm II shook his head.
"How about this, Father Emperor? I can provide a loan to the government—or rather, to the navy. The interest rate can follow the bank rate. This will support the navy's shipbuilding needs. Of course, this matter must remain confidential. Starting this year, the Welfare Lottery Company is preparing to develop markets in Britain, France, and other countries. If they discover that we are using the Welfare Lottery Company's profits to support naval construction, the consequences will likely be extremely serious," Oscar said.
In any country, they probably would not permit money earned from their own people to be used to develop weapons for an enemy nation. If that happened, the Welfare Lottery Company's hopes of entering the markets of Britain and France would be nothing more than a pipe dream.
"Oskar, that would undoubtedly be the best possible arrangement." Wilhelm II looked highly approving.
"Your Highness, we will certainly keep this confidential. It would be best of all if the Welfare Lottery Company can earn the money of the British and French. Then we will use the warships built with their money to pull them down from their throne as masters of the seas." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz was also beaming with delight.
In the eyes of Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz, the wealth Oscar controlled was astonishing even within the entire German Empire. In particular, the endless stream of wealth generated by the Welfare Lottery Company made everyone green with envy. In a capitalist society, the power of money was beyond doubt. If Oscar wanted to use this money for other purposes, it might have aroused Wilhelm II's suspicions. But now, Oscar was voluntarily providing a loan to the navy, which undoubtedly demonstrated his support for it. At the same time, it allowed Wilhelm II to see his patriotic heart.
"After the war ends, if the Empire wins, the government will have to repay it using the gains acquired from the defeated nations. There's no problem with that, right?" Oscar asked.
He was not a saint, so naturally he was unwilling to simply hand over the money he had earned through such hard work. Of course, unless he could become the Empire's Crown Prince or Emperor—in that case, it would be another matter entirely.
"Of course, there is absolutely no problem. Once the Empire wins the war, your loan will naturally be repaid as a priority." Wilhelm II answered at once. Getting Oscar to agree to lend money for the navy's armament development had already relieved their urgent crisis. If they still expected Oscar to contribute that money without compensation, would that not be pushing their luck too far?
"Your Highness, how much can you lend the navy?" Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz asked eagerly.
Oscar thought for a moment, then said, "One hundred million Mark!"
"One hundred million Mark?" Wilhelm II and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz were both startled. Although one hundred million Mark was already a large sum, it seemed like almost nothing to the navy. After all, even the Nassau-class battleships cost more than forty million Mark each. The next-class capital ships would likely see their cost soar directly to fifty million Mark or even higher. One hundred million Mark would only be enough to build two capital ships. It would not provide much help to the navy.
Besides, considering Oscar's current wealth, such a small sum seemed rather stingy, did it not?
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