At the beginning of 1910, just as Tirpitz was preparing to further increase the naval budget of that year in response to the new Orion-class battleships and Lion-class battlecruisers that Britain had started construction a year ago, the major German shipyards suddenly welcomed a number of unexpected customers.

This group of uninvited guests was different from the blonde and blue-eyed Europeans with whom the German Navy had dealt with before. They wore ties and suits like London gentlemen, but they spoke the murmur of island birds; With an Asian yellow face and a height of just over 150 centimeters, his nationality is already known. And what surprised William and Tirpitz the most was that these people had come to Germany to buy warships!

After some exchanges, Qingying, who was far away in Berlin, finally understood the source and process of the incident. The reason why the Japanese took the initiative to do business in Germany this time was entirely due to the butterfly effect caused by themselves.

Historically, in order to win the war against Russia and dominate the waters of the western Pacific, Japan began a large-scale naval expansion in 1904. By 1911, Japan had purchased a total of 6 battleships and 6 armored cruisers through outsourcing and self-construction, raising the Combined Fleet to the fourth position in the world, second only to Britain, Germany, and the United States. In this plane, however, the situation has changed dramatically.

In the summer of 1898, in order to counterbalance Russia's Far East expansion strategy and make the polar bear be beaten to the head in the process of looking east, Qingying issued a usurious loan of up to 300 million marks. While this loan enriched Japan's Combined Fleet, it also placed an extremely heavy economic burden on Japan's finances. At a rate of 7.5 per cent per annum, the horrific usury of 1 cent is enough to bankrupt any government, and the Russo-Japanese War is even more protracted than in history. It has dragged Japan's economy to the brink of collapse.

In view of this situation. It is unlikely that Japan will begin to expand its naval fleet in 1904, as it has historically done. After holding back his strength to buy 2 Garibaldi-class armored cruisers. Japan did not build any new capital ships, but spent the last penny of its treasury on war expenditures and loans to pay off debts. At the beginning of 1906, the British and German dreadnought battleships were launched one after another, and the Japanese military government on the other side of the world coveted this new weapon of war; However, the ongoing war and heavy debts make it impossible for them to pursue these expensive luxuries. All Japan could do was end the war quickly and do everything in its power to repay the snowballing usurious loans!

In May 1906, with the signing of the Portsmouth Treaty, an armistice between Japan and Russia, mediated by the British, a tired Japan finally took a long breath. And after more than three years of hard work to tighten the belt. Japan finally managed to get out of the economic shadow after the Russo-Japanese War, and paid off the ultra-usurious loan issued by Germany that year. When the Japanese treasury had some money to spare, they were ambitious and immediately began to expand their naval fleet. Since it is difficult for Japan's current industry to independently build this kind of dreadnought battleship, which symbolizes the country's highest armed force, the Japanese government decided to realize its ambitions by purchasing from abroad; With the Americans already starting construction of 6 dreadnoughts, Japan on the other side of the ocean has been under tremendous pressure like a thorn in the back!

It stands to reason that Japan, as an ally of the British, should place orders with the British Armstrong and Weeks, but this time the Japanese Navy chose the German shipyard as its partner. This phenomenon contrary to international relations is not difficult to understand, as as Russia's expansion in the Far East was contained, Anglo-Japanese relations changed from interdependent and reliable allies to secretly wary rivals; If Japan chooses to order warships from the British, it is very likely that the British will not give full support to the country that dominates the waters of the western Pacific. Besides. The German-made warships in the Japanese Combined Fleet also outperformed the British-made ships in previous naval battles; Four 12,700-ton battleships, the backbone of the combined fleet, went through several fierce battles but none of them sank. In the face of this real battlefield performance. The pocket-strapped Japanese will obviously make the most optimal choice. And this move of the Japanese gave Qingying a dilemma.

There is no doubt that Qingying definitely did not want to build a man-made ship for the Japanese. This was not only due to his outright dislike of these militaristic warmongers in his previous life, but also due to Japan's national strategy of alliing with Britain and making Germany an enemy. Although Japan and Britain have long been distrustful of each other, and they are fighting openly and covertly, because of the extremely close ties between Britain and Japan in the economic and debt fields, and Japan's eagerness for the German Philippine colonies, Japan will inevitably side with Britain after the outbreak of the European war. If Germany had built the main battleships for Japan, it would undoubtedly be unhappy for its own fleet in the Far East; You must know that the core combat strength of the German Far East Fleet is only 2 quasi-battle cruisers equipped with 6 11-inch main guns!

In addition, building ships for Japan would also affect Germany's own shipbuilding speed, putting the High Seas Fleet at a disadvantage in the shipbuilding race with the Royal Navy. Unlike the British shipbuilding industry, which had limited funds but surplus capacity, Germany's naval military spending and its own shipbuilding industry were in a balanced position; This means that once German shipyards undertake capital ship orders from abroad, the number of capital ships that the country can build new ships in the current year will be reduced. The small Dreadnought built by Germany for the Ottoman Empire began in 1908 when the slipway was left to spare.

However, if you think about it, building capital ships for Japan is also the best opportunity to do business.

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Historically, on July 28, 1914, the British Navy, before the outbreak of war and the peace in Europe, brazenly seized two large battleships for which the Ottoman Empire had paid in full, and refused to refund them by citing the bandit treaty signed at the time of purchase. With the raising of the Royal Navy's red and white St. George flag with the Seven Turret Relic and the USS Ireland, Churchill the Fat Man was overjoyed: he added 2 powerful capital battleships to the Grand Fleet without spending a penny!

Although Churchill's move caused the Ottoman Empire to throw itself into the arms of Germany in a fit of rage, and directly contributed to the collapse of Russia and the establishment of the Red Soviet Union, it can be said to be the most disadvantageous act; However, it is undeniable that the British did make a huge sum of £5.4 million from the Turks. This act of the British in history reminded Qing Ying. Wouldn't it be a great thing if Germany could do as the British did, and seize the unfinished Japanese battleships in its shipyards at the outbreak of war?

If you think about it carefully, there is undoubtedly a lot to be done about the German drifting of the Japanese battleships. Japan was an ally of Great Britain and coveted the German Philippines for a long time; Based on their historical declaration of war on Germany, it is certain that they will choose the side of Britain in the future European war. In other words, even if Germany did not drift Japan's capital ships, Japan would have declared war on Germany on the side of Britain; In that case, then it is entirely possible to reap a vote on this country that is bound to become an enemy!

In order to successfully hack the Japanese capital ship for yourself, the most important thing is the time when the war breaks out. Only if the war in Europe broke out before the completion of Japanese battleships could Germany "receive" the unfinished Japanese warships in a bright and open manner. And this is not a difficult task for Germany today. The period between mid-1912 and June 1913 was an opportune time when Germany had completed its preparations for war and both France and Russia were still reforming their armies. If Germany had been able to wage war within this timeframe, it would have almost a 10 percent chance of victory. For the side with the intention of provoking war, a suitable excuse for war is simply at hand; As long as Qingying casually ignites a fire in the Moroccan question or the Balkan powder keg, and spreads nationalist propaganda in the media and press, these "bastards" will inevitably trigger a chain reaction through a series of domino effects. And if you calculate the time, the capital ship that started construction in 1910 will be in a state of imminent completion!

When Qingying was in the position he was, the humane compassion of the year was gone; In its place, there is a decision-maker and warmonger who sees only numbers and profit in his eyes.

Therefore, as long as Germany provokes a major war in Europe as scheduled, the capital ships ordered by Japan in Germany can only be turned into an array of German high seas fleets. In this way, Germany will not delay its own naval construction, but will also be able to grasp a big wronged person to bear the high cost of the capital ships, which is simply the perfect result! As soon as she thought of this, Qingying began to act quickly. He immediately found the person in charge of the Japanese side for the purchase of warships, and tried his best to sell him all kinds of stupid and coarse perverted design schemes; Anyway, it's all paid by the Japanese, and no matter how exaggerated the cost is, it's not to pay for it yourself!

Under the deception of Qingying and many German shipyard salespeople, the ambitious Japanese were instantly lost in many gorgeous design schemes. Although they preferred a design with a six-seat twin 356 mm gun, the Japanese, with limited funds, were forced to castrate and reduce the number of main turrets to five. In March of that year, the Japanese government signed a large order with a German shipyard for two battleships; Looking at the red-faced Japanese procurement staff, the corners of Qingying's mouth couldn't help but evoke a playful smile. (To be continued......)

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