On October 11, 1862, the Kingdom of Prussia's first ironclad, the Friedrich the Great, underwent sea trials. William I personally presided over the ceremony, demonstrating his determination to develop the navy.
They had truly made up their minds. Seeing neighboring Austrian nobles make a fortune in the overseas colonial movement, then being egged on by domestic capitalists manipulating public opinion, even the Junker nobles could no longer sit still.
The younger generation in particular had long been dissatisfied with the government's conservatism. Austria had opened up overseas colonies less than ten years ago, yet it already possessed territory five or six times the size of its homeland.
Many optimistically believed that as long as they joined the colonial movement, they would soon make their fortunes, be granted titles, and reach the pinnacle of life.
"The future of the world lies upon the oceans." Who had first uttered those words could no longer be verified, but they had now won widespread recognition across European society.
When the drive to open overseas colonies had first begun, Franz had also fanned the flames by promoting this theory. It was now widely circulated throughout the German lands.
Ironclads were recognized as the pinnacle of contemporary naval technology. In only a few short years since their appearance, naval powers such as the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands had all built ironclads of their own.
Now that the Kingdom of Prussia finally had an ironclad of its own, many were celebrating. Only the upper ranks of the government understood the gap between their ironclad and those of the great naval powers.
After all, they were landlubbers. For a long time, the Prussian Navy had been a dispensable presence, more often serving as a coast guard. It could not even compare