"How's the auction for the battleship going? Are there many countries that have signed up? "Qin Tian did not see the Austro-Hungarian Empire's liaison with the United States as a big threat. Qin Tian has already planned, wait until Franz? After the death of Joseph I, he began to act against Austria-Hungary.

The German Empire, which had become the hegemon of the world, would not allow such a powerful country as Austria-Hungary to exist.

The US imperialism in later generations suppressed the whole world, and didn't it also do everything possible to suppress neighboring countries? So that the surrounding countries have no possibility of becoming great powers, so as to ensure their own security.

The same is true of what the German Reich is to do. Austria-Hungary was close to the German Empire, and even if the two sides were allies, Germany needed to get rid of Austria-Hungary for its own security. It was undoubtedly in the interests of the German Empire to divide the vast Austro-Hungarian Empire into small states.

Splitting the Austro-Hungarian Empire was not too difficult for Germany. This huge empire was originally a dualistic empire composed of more than a dozen kingdoms and princely states. Completely by Franz? It was the prestige of Joseph I that allowed the country to be brought together. If Franz? Once Joseph I died, the prestige of Crown Prince Karl would not be enough for the empire to continue to exist as a whole. At that time, if Germany only needs to add another fire to it, the possibility of the division of Austria-Hungary will be very high. At that time, Germany's security will be guaranteed.

The other close neighbor is Burussia. Germany gained a great deal of territory in this war, and Germany's eastern frontier was greatly moved eastward. It's just that Burussia is no more difficult to deal with than Austria-Hungary. Therefore, if Germany wants to deal with Burussia, it has to take a long-term view. Only after all the powerful countries around it are eliminated can Germany compete with the United States for the status of world hegemon without any worries.

Of course, all of this will take time. After Qin Tian has drawn up these general directions, the military and political ministers of the empire will work in this direction. Qin Tian believed that it would not be long before his plan would succeed.

"Your Majesty, there are many countries where mobs participate in the auction. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the Republic of Chile, Argentina and Brazil have all paid their deposits. They will all participate in this auction. Marshal Count Tirpitz said.

"Austria-Hungary? Are they going to participate in the auction too? Qin Tian was stunned. Originally, he thought that only some small countries would participate in the auction, and almost all of those big countries could build their own capital ships, so they should not participate. After all, the capital ships sold by Germany this time are all decommissioned capital ships of the German Navy. The performance is weaker than the capital ships in service with the German Navy.

"Your Majesty, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's naval strength has not been strong, and now there are only four 'Combined Forces-class' battleships supporting the scene, and there are four more 'Austro-Hungarian-class' battleships under construction. Compared with the current international status of Austria-Hungary, such a naval strength is really not strong. Therefore, they probably want to take advantage of this opportunity to buy a batch of warships to strengthen their strength. After all, even the ships we sell are more powerful than their capital ships. So, it doesn't hurt them to buy our ships. Marshal Count Tirpitz said.

Qin Tian nodded, for the Austro-Hungarian Empire, these capital ships that the German Empire wanted to sell were indeed the best choice to enhance their strength.

"Did Austria-Hungary have so much money? Although these capital ships are all retired by us, if other countries start bidding, the price will not be too cheap! Qin Tian said.

"The financial pressures on Austria-Hungary were indeed tight. But didn't they hook up with the Americans? The Americans, with their deep pockets, should be able to give Austria-Hungary a lot of support! Marshal Count Tirpitz said.

"Your Majesty, the Austro-Hungarian Empire has purchased those warships, and its strength will be further enhanced. I am afraid that this will have a great impact on the interests of the empire in the Mediterranean. Should we ban Austria-Hungary from this auction? "Feng? Marshal Falkenhein said.

Qin Tian shook his head: "The previous promise of the empire was that all countries that were willing to participate in it could sign up. If Austria-Hungary were to be banned from participating now, it would have a detrimental effect on our reputation. Besides, those capital ships are, after all, capital ships that we don't look down on, and even if Austria-Hungary gets them, it's not a big deal. If we can build those capital ships, we will be sure enough to sink those capital ships. ”

"Yes, even if those capital ships were acquired by Austria-Hungary, it would not be a big deal. Anyway, with the strength of the Imperial Navy, sinking them is nothing. However, after all, those capital ships were built by us, and if we want to sink them with our own hands, I feel a little uncomfortable! Marshal Count Tirpitz said.

The other ministers laughed.

The auction for decommissioned warships of the German Navy soon began. The countries participating in the auction are very excited. They had already sent people to see those battleships before, and they were all very good ships. Although it has been in service for several years, it has also experienced a number of naval battles. But the combat effectiveness did not suffer much. If those ships are bought, their naval strength can be enhanced. With those capital ships, there is no problem at all with another ten years. Even if you want to strengthen maintenance, you can use it for another 20 years.

This time, the auction was in charge of Vice Admiral Hipper, chief of staff of the High Seas Fleet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the auction has officially begun. The first to bid is the 'Nassau-class' battleships, which have a total of four battleships, and we will bid on them separately. "After Vice Admiral Hipper introduced the performance of the 'Nassau-class' battleships, everyone began to bid.

The starting price of the battleship 'Nassau' was 20 million marks. This price is less than half the cost of the battleship 'Nassau'.

However, Lieutenant General Hipper believes that after everyone starts to compete, the price will definitely rise a lot.

"Twenty-two million marks!" Fatih Pasha of the Ottoman Turkish Empire was the first to offer.

The Ottoman Empire's naval development has always been very bumpy. The two dreadnoughts they ordered from the British were forcibly detained by the British. Now Germany is going to sell battleships, and their interest is undoubtedly great.

"Twenty-five million marks!" The Minister of the Navy of the Republic of Chile immediately raised the price.