Donation of a Battleship

"Your Excellency, please listen to my explanation," Oscar said hurriedly.

If Director Birkenhagen sent a Telegram to Wilhelm II, wouldn't all his efforts have been in vain?

Director Birkenhagen looked at Oscar coldly. If not for Oscar's status, he would not have wanted to waste words on him at all. He would have simply had someone throw this good-for-nothing fellow out of Kiel Naval Academy.

"Your Excellency, perhaps in your eyes, spending four years studying at Kiel Naval Academy is a tremendous improvement to one's abilities. But to me, it is a waste of four years. Must I really stay here for four full years, only to become some insignificant second lieutenant after graduation?"

Director Birkenhagen was so angered by Oscar's words that his whole body trembled.

"Your Highness, enough! If you do not wish to join the Navy, I will not force you. But please do not insult the Navy. It is precisely those countless humble second lieutenants who graduated from Kiel Naval Academy who hold up the German Navy!" Director Birkenhagen flew into a rage.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. I spoke out of turn," Oscar apologized hurriedly.

"However, Your Excellency, forgive my bluntness. Although the German Navy has been striving to catch up, the gap between us and the British Navy has not narrowed—it has instead continued to widen. The British control most of the world's colonies, allowing them to plunder wealth from those colonies without restraint and pour it into naval construction.

But what about Germany? Our geographic position forces us to invest considerable funds in the Army. As a result, our investment in the Navy is far beyond comparison with the British. If this continues, wanting to challenge the British Navy will be nothing but a fool's dream."

Director Birkenhagen fell silent. Having worked in the Navy for decades, he had watched the German Navy grow bit by bit from nothing. Naturally, he knew exactly how enormous the gap between the German Navy and the British Navy was. Although Wilhelm II was fiercely ambitious about developing the Navy, constrained by national strength and external factors, it was indeed exceedingly difficult for the German Navy to defeat the British Navy.

"Though our enemy is powerful, the German Navy will never yield. We will grow stronger, and one day we will certainly defeat the British," Director Birkenhagen said stubbornly.

Oscar nodded. These German Navy admirals, officers, and sailors were all worthy of respect. It was precisely because of their unceasing efforts that the German Navy had, in such a short time, developed into the world's second-largest navy, surpassed only by the British Navy.

But what did that change? In the end, the German Navy had still failed to defeat the British Navy. After Germany's defeat, all those German warships had scuttled themselves. From then on, Germany never again possessed a powerful navy.

"Yes, Your Excellency. I believe that through everyone's efforts, the German Navy will become even stronger. But defeating the British Navy will still be extremely difficult. With Britain's financial resources, they can easily maintain a two-to-one advantage over us in Capital Ships. When that time comes, how could defeating them possibly be easy? At the current level of naval warship development, luck plays an increasingly small role in naval battles," Oscar continued.

In the age of sail, luck played a major role in naval warfare. But once the Navy's Capital Ships entered the era of ironclad behemoths, pinning victory on luck meant certain defeat.

Director Birkenhagen nodded involuntarily. Though unwilling to admit it, he had to acknowledge that every word of Oscar's analysis struck home.

"Your Highness, are you truly so pessimistic about the future of the German Navy? Do you believe we will not be a match for the British?" Director Birkenhagen asked.

"Your Excellency, to be frank, if the Navy continues developing at its current pace, there is not the slightest chance of defeating the British. And once, in a future war, the Navy fails to defeat the British Navy, it will be an absolute disaster for Germany. Our coastline will be blockaded, our overseas trade routes severed by the British, and we will be surrounded on all sides by enemies. If the Army cannot swiftly defeat the enemy either, allowing the war to enter a stalemate, Germany's final fate will likely be to be dragged to death alive."

Director Birkenhagen and Karl were both stunned. Clearly, the scene Oscar had painted had frightened them. They had immense confidence in Germany, but they also had to admit that their enemy was powerful. And everything Oscar had described was entirely possible.

"Your Highness, does Germany truly have no chance left?" Karl's voice trembled slightly.

"No, Germany still has a chance. If we can build more Capital Ships whose performance can utterly crush the British, then our Navy can defeat them. So long as the Navy can win, Germany will stand on invincible ground in any future war," Oscar said.

"But the Empire simply does not have that much money to invest in naval development. Trying to compete with the British in the number of Capital Ships is completely unrealistic." Director Birkenhagen shook his head.

"Indeed, in terms of Capital Ship performance, we are no worse than the British. But if we are competing in numbers, we are still far behind. That is why I am unwilling to waste four years at the Naval Academy."

"Your Highness, what does that have to do with your unwillingness to study at the Naval Academy? Precisely because the German Navy's gap with our enemies is so enormous, we need talented people like you to join us!"

Without realizing it, much of Director Birkenhagen's hostility toward Oscar had dissipated. In his view, since Oscar possessed such insight, he should not have been some good-for-nothing wastrel!

Oscar shook his head. "Your Excellency, the most crucial factor restricting the development of the German Navy is nothing more than funding. If I can, through my own efforts, contribute more development funds to the German Navy, then that would undoubtedly be even more beneficial to the German Navy."

Director Birkenhagen could not help frowning. Oscar's reasoning seemed far too far-fetched—perhaps even pure fantasy.

"Your Excellency, if I can guarantee that within the next four years, I will donate a Battleship to the German Navy, would Your Excellency agree to my earlier request?"