Chapter 836: Tit for Tat (Supplement)
The moment Austria's shipbuilding plan was announced, public opinion across Europe exploded.
Although the Vienna Government repeatedly stressed that it was not aimed at anyone and merely intended to fill the gap left by previously retired battleships, no one was willing to believe it.
One had to know that Vienna already had a plan to "build ten battleships within ten years." The three pre-dreadnoughts currently in service were part of that shipbuilding plan.
Laying down one battleship per year on average was merely standard practice, enough to maintain the Austrian Navy's current capital-ship strength.
Now, a shipbuilding plan for five additional battleships had suddenly been introduced. It was clearly a response to the Royal Navy's earlier shipbuilding program.
At this point, many people finally realized that the Austrian Government had recently gifted the Russians a large number of warships, leaving its navy in an empty stretch.
A testament to Russo-Austrian friendship?
Perhaps there was some truth to that. After all, they had been given away for free. Even second-hand warships were quite valuable; if they could be sold, it was perfectly normal under international arms-market practice for ships five or six-tenths new to fetch their original construction cost.
But was it really not to make room for new battleships?
Austria was not the only country in need of a naval upgrade. Britain and France likewise had large numbers of warships awaiting retirement, and the international arms market simply did not have that many capable buyers.
Austria's army equipment might sell very well, but its naval equipment truly could not compete with the British.
This had nothing whatsoever to do with the ships' technology, performance, quality, or price.
The main reason they could not be sold was politics. Austria might have good relations with every