Chapter 1087: Problematic Warships
Chapter 1066 – Problematic Warship
After dismissing the crowd, Franz’s taut face instantly eased. It was evident that he wasn’t really angry.
The competition between the army, navy and air force for military expenses was originally the right thing to do, and it was also part of the balance of power. If the land, sea and air forces do not compete, that is the real problem.
Seeing that Franz was not angry, Frederick asked with concern, “Father, which of the three options the military just proposed do you prefer?”
It had nothing to do with curiosity, Frederick was genuinely unable to make up his mind and was completely at a loss as to who to support.
On the surface, the strategic plans proposed by each of the Army, Navy and Air Force all had very strong maneuverability. The success of any of the plans would be able to bring the Holy Roman Empire to the top.
All of them were “high-quality strategies”, and it was impossible to analyze the advantages and disadvantages, but on the contrary, it made the choice more difficult.
“Does it matter?”
Franz asked rhetorically.
As if tortured by his soul, Frederick’s mind kept flashing back to “Does it matter”. As if it mattered, and as if it didn’t matter at all.
The Shinra military was still qualified, although the three options proposed all had their own flaws, but in the end, they all came to the same place.
None of the other competitors had grown up, and as long as the British were brought down, Shinra was the unique world hegemon.
After a long time of work, Frederick slowly replied, “I understand.”
Looking at his son with a cautious face, Franz laughed, “No, you don’t understand. As a matter of fact, we don’t have a choice at all.
Politics is never about winning or losing based on right or wrong. Perhaps by adopting a strategy alone, we can win at the smallest possible cost, but we have to consider the actual situation.
Some years ago, the Army was dominant, and in order to balance the strength of the military, I supported the Navy and divested the Air Force, creating the current triangular system of checks and balances.
Now the Navy and Air Force together can barely compete with the Army, and at the same time touch the Army’s bottom line.
No matter how much they concede, there is no way they will let the Navy get the same amount of military spending as they do, which is the pride of the Army up and down the line.
You should know how much influence the Army has. The Holy Roman Empire was able to be established basically because the Army fought it out.
More than ninety percent of the overseas feudal lords and emerging farmers were from the Army, and more than seven layers of bureaucrats in the government had served in the Army.
Civilians, not to mention our compulsory military service laws, are aimed at the Army. The Navy and the Air Force are technical services, and it is simply impossible for everyone to serve.
With so many supporters, the Army can’t lose. As long as they insist on not giving in, even if the Air Force and the Navy join forces, it won’t do any good.
It’s not like we can personally go down and pull the plug, right?”
The Emperor personally going down to pull the plug is like the referee going down to kick the ball. Just think about it, no mature monarch would do that.
Even before supporting the Navy and stripping the Air Force, it was the Cabinet that was charging, and to the end Franz had never personally stepped off the field, let alone now.
Perhaps for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, this military spending scramble is crucial, and has a bearing on their development over the next decade.
But for the Emperor, for the Holy Roman Empire, no matter which option was chosen, the end was doomed.
This is the comprehensive national power to decide, to date, God Luo with Britain, has opened a qualitative gap.
Counting the citizens of the colonies, the total population of the Holy Roman Empire, has been as high as 160 million, only Europe has 120 million.
On the contrary, Britain, the British Isles together only more than 30 million, plus the citizens of overseas colonies, the total population is only 40 million out.
Of course, counting the colonial natives, the ratio was reversed again. India alone had three to four hundred million, and the entire British Empire controlled a total population of over five hundred million, while Shinra had less than 180 million.
It’s not true that the population of the British Empire’s jurisdiction is large, but unfortunately the utilization rate is not high. The primitive colonial rule to scavenge wealth is okay, want to strengthen the national power is far from enough.
Comparing the figures, the Holy Roman Empire’s economic output is one-fifth higher than that of the entire British Empire (including colonies), and its industrial output is 2.5 times that of Britain.
This is just the beginning, with the passage of time, this gap is still widening.
If such a big advantage could be lost in the end, Franz wouldn’t have to be in the business.
Deliberately expressed dissatisfaction, in addition to knocking the military, the main thing is that Franz hopes that the military can compromise with each other.
Unless the British admit defeat in advance, no matter which strategy is chosen, the future will require the cooperation of the land, sea and air forces, it is just a matter of priority.
Even if the three armies compromised, simultaneous development would waste a lot of financial resources, Franz also admitted it.
This is the helplessness of big countries, in order to balance the interests of all parties, almost every big country will face the problem of wasting resources.
……
The fight for military spending continues, but the newborn “Roma” is the first problem. After the armament and supporting facilities were completed, everyone suddenly realized that the resistance to wind and waves of the “Roma” was very ordinary.
There is nothing strange, almost all the test ship, have this and that problem. The one-time production of a perfect product is not applicable to warships.
In the Navy, the saying “design ahead, build behind” has always been circulating.
“The Roma is considered good, at least after the completion of the world’s leading standard. The British “super battleship” is still in the process of design, other countries are not even interested in following the trend.
Despite the lack of resistance to wind and waves, as well as a number of minor problems, can not disguise the “Rome” combat power, at least in the Mediterranean Sea is strong enough.
Caught in the act, the army will naturally take advantage of the situation. As long as it is proved that the “Rome” does not have the ability to fight in the ocean, the Navy’s super battleship program will have to die.
Unfortunately, this little trick, Franz has long been familiar with, simply do not give everyone the opportunity to speak: “block the news, the defects of the Rome stopped, and there is no need to talk about it in the future.
The lack of resistance to wind and waves does not affect the use of the Mediterranean Sea. When the Navy arranges the mission, pay attention to it, and just do not let it out of the Mediterranean Sea.
Follow-up publicity will continue, as long as the item on world cruises is removed.
The exploration of new technologies is inherently full of uncertainty, and this is a risk we can still afford.”
The Shinra Navy already had a reputation as a “bathtub navy,” and Franz didn’t mind letting it become a reality. If the British wanted to see a joke, let them see it first.
On the other hand, using the Mediterranean Sea as a bathtub was another achievement.
Throughout the history of mankind, which country that used the Mediterranean Sea as a bathtub, is not a bully?
As long as not out of the Mediterranean Sea, “Rome” is a real super battleship. Whether it is to support the facade, or take it out to scare people, all can be arranged properly.
Inside Franz has already made up his mind, if not really necessary, he is not ready to let the “Rome” on the battlefield.
After all, it is a test ship, who knows how many potholes it has stepped on. Specifically, you can refer to the original time and space world countries of the first generation of dreadnoughts, that are all kinds of styles of stepping on the pit.
Hundred years of navy is not that the navy must be developed for a hundred years, but the navy warships need to spend a hundred years, constantly stepping on pits and mines, accumulating all kinds of lessons.
For Franz, as long as the test ship was unsinkable and able to sail normally, it was qualified. As for other problems, they could wait for the second and third generations to improve.
Although Franz’s words, exempt from in-depth investigation of responsibility, but the Ministry of Navy’s “super battleship program” is a step ahead of the collapse.
A can not go out of the Mediterranean Sea “Rome”, everyone can tolerate, but in one breath to get out of more than twenty, that really no one can accept.
Even if the Ministry of Navy repeatedly guaranteed that similar problems would not occur in the later warships, people did not dare to accompany them to take risks.
Of course, the Roma was not without its merits. At least the combat power that is really strong, in as long as the bad gale weather is avoided, or the king of the sea battle.
In the end, the Ministry of Navy’s “five years and twenty-five” super battleship program, was cut to “five years and five”, the first out of the battle for military expenditure.
Looking at the Castagni left the reluctant eyes, Franz knew that things are not over, it is estimated that when the problem is solved, the Navy will again put forward the “Super Battleship Program”.
With the Royal Navy as a rival to help set the stage, I believe this day will not come too late.
……
Cutting back on shipbuilding is not the same as cutting back on publicity. As the brightest of the year, HMS Roma is still the media’s favorite.
After the supporting facilities were perfected, “Roma” has been wandering in the Mediterranean Sea, under the guise of exchanging experience, constantly visiting the countries along the Mediterranean Sea.
Every country, it is inevitable to come to a joint military exercises.
The most bitter or just independent Italian states, with more than 1,000 tons of small little destroyer and more than 20,000 tons of “Rome” joint exercises, the scene is simply ……
If it were not for the different flags flying, it is likely that everyone would think of them as small followers, and it is impossible to believe that this is a joint military exercise.
There’s no way around it, in order to hype up the heat, the Vienna government has to do it. Only after building up the momentum would the British Parliament be willing to allocate funds to the Royal Navy.
Thinking so thoroughly for the enemy, it’s intoxicating to think about it. But in order to deplete the British national strength, Franz decided to do it anyway.
Regardless of whether the Shen Luo Navy could surpass the British in the Dreadnought Era, at least in this wave of warship renewal, the British losses would be more than seventy percent greater than Shen Luo.
Who let them have more warships?
Catching up with this era of naval technological revolution, whoever had more warships had the most to lose.
(End of chapter)