"Tirpitz, I personally have no objection to the formation of Marine Corps by the navy. However, the army will definitely have very big opinions. International relations are very tense now, and a war may break out at any time. I hope that the army and navy can cooperate sincerely instead of having conflicts." Wilhelm II said.
This is what Wilhelm II is most worried about. If Germany's military strength is affected due to the relationship between the army and the navy, it will be unacceptable to him.
"Your Majesty, such a situation should not happen, right? We established Marine Corps for the sake of the empire's future wars, not to compete for power with the navy. If the army cares about this, it will be too ignorant of the overall situation." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz said in a deep voice.
"Yes! Father Emperor. Everything we do is for the German Empire to win in future wars. This is the most important thing. In comparison, everything else can be put down. I believe that the Army will not be so ignorant of the general situation." Oscar also said.
Wilhelm II felt a little depressed. Based on his understanding of Moltke the Younger, Moltke the Younger was really such a ignorant person.
At the same time, Wilhelm II also realized that Oscar and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz really posed a problem for him this time!
"Your Majesty, the Marine Corps we plan to build is not large in scale, no more than five divisions at most. Compared with the army's dozens of divisions, Marine Corps is not worth their worries at all." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz continued.
"Five divisions?" Wilhelm II frowned. He didn't think this number was small. With the current establishment of the German Army, there are more than 80,000 people in the five divisions. Of course, this pales in comparison to the Army. Once a war breaks out, German Army will immediately mobilize a force of hundreds of Infantry Division, which will be further expanded later, raising the total strength of the force to more than two hundred divisions.
"Tirpitz, Oskar, I will consider this matter. I will give you a reply tomorrow afternoon." Wilhelm II said. He did not answer hastily. He needed to listen to the army's opinions.
"Yes, Your Majesty (Father Emperor)." Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz and Oscar didn't think that Wilhelm II could give them an answer right away.
After Oscar and Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz left, Wilhelm II asked Essen? Feng? Jonath to reveal the news to the Army to see their reaction before making a decision.
German Army Chief of General Staff Moltke the Younger has long regarded curbing Oscar's development in the military as one of his top priorities. Now that we know that Oscar actually encouraged the Navy to establish Marine Corps, is it okay?
"Damn it, what do they want to do? Are they going to break the rules? It's okay for that kid Oskar to be ignorant, but why is that guy Tirpitz also making noise? Could it be that it's not enough for him to have mastered the navy, and he also wants to build a ground force to challenge the army?" Moltke the Younger was very angry about this.
Even though Grand Admiral Count Tirpitz is First Sea Lord, Moltke the Younger always thinks that his status is higher than Tirpitz. Therefore, he viewed the Navy's attempt to establish Marine Corps as a challenge to him. This is undoubtedly absolutely unacceptable to Moltke the Younger. People like him value status, power, and reputation more than anything else.
"No, we absolutely cannot make their plan succeed. Otherwise, there will be no way to contain that kid." Moltke the Younger made up his mind in an instant.
Although, Oscar, as Crown Prince, has a respected status. But Moltke the Younger is not willing to give in because of this. In the current empire, Wilhelm II still has the final say. Based on the relationship between Moltke the Younger and Wilhelm II, even if Oscar is Crown Prince, nothing can be done to him. What's more, Wilhelm II is in his prime and in very good health. It won't be a problem to live another ten or twenty years. Therefore, Moltke the Younger is still very confident about his future. He did not think that Oscar could inherit the throne soon. This made him even more unscrupulous in his confrontation with Oscar.
"Come here, go and invite His Excellency Feng Falkenhayn and General von Waldow." Moltke the Younger ordered.
"Yes, Your Excellency, Chief of Staff." The secretary immediately went to make arrangements.
In less than half an hour, Minister of War Feng Falkenhayn and Deputy Chief of Staff General von Waldow arrived at Moltke the Younger's office.
"You two have just learned a very bad news, which is related to the vital interests of our army. Therefore, I hope that everyone can put aside their prejudices and unite together for the benefit of the army." Moltke the Younger said with a serious face.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, what happened?" Feng Falkenhayn asked. The conflict between him and Moltke the Younger has almost become public. Although Moltke the Younger still occupies a dominant position, after relying on Oscar, Feng Falkenhayn is not afraid of Moltke the Younger at all.
General von Waldow is also very curious and doesn't understand what happened to make Moltke the Younger so serious.
"The Navy plans to form Marine Corps, which is a ground force. Although it is nominally responsible for landing operations, everyone knows that it is simply to compete for our interests. Therefore, we must not give in this time. The Navy will be responsible for the battle on the sea. The battle on the ground should be left to our army!" Moltke the Younger said.
"Marine Corps?" Feng Falkenhayn and General von Waldow were also stunned. It was also the first time they got the news. Of course, they also believe that this will be a major challenge for the interests of the Army.
"You two, what are your opinions?" Moltke the Younger looked at Feng Falkenhayn, waiting for his answer. After all, in the army, Feng Falkenhayn turned to Oscar.
"The army is the only ground force of the empire. This is beyond doubt. There is no need for the navy to establish Marine Corps." Feng? Falkenhayn said. As Minister of War, if he doesn't want his subordinates to lose confidence in him, he must consider this issue from the perspective of the army.
Moltke the Younger nodded with satisfaction. It would be great if Feng Falkenhayn could be so knowledgeable.
"Your Excellency, Chief of Staff, I also think we should prevent the establishment of Marine Corps." General von Waldow also said.
On this issue, the senior management of the German Army has reached an agreement.