The Rise of the Empire

Just as the Germans were thinking about how to kill the Russians, the Russians were also thinking about how to kill the Germans! Even when the Russo-Japanese War just ended, the Russians had already begun to think about the future situation of fighting against the Allies as a whole. However, compared with the prince's foresight, the Russians knew nothing about the strategy of the Allies, and they could only speculate. Make war plans for Russia!

But first of all, the Russians have to solve their financial problem first, well, yes, it is the financial problem! In order to win the Russo-Japanese War, the Russians spent as much as 3.2 million rubles on the battlefield every day! With the continuation of the war, the Russian treasury, which was not abundant, soon became able to run. After the war, although Britain and France provided loans of more than 2 billion francs, most of this money was used to fill financial loopholes and stabilize the domestic situation, and not much could be used as military expenses.

The Russians are facing a very serious problem, how to use limited military expenditure to build an army that can meet the needs of future wars. After all, if you take money from Britain and France, you will fight for Britain and France! In the palace in St. Petersburg, high-level Russian military leaders gathered to discuss how the Russian army should do in the future.

"I think that under the current circumstances, it is out of date for us to continue to maintain the principle of equal emphasis on the navy and the army. If it is reasonable to say that before that, the empire invested a lot of money in the construction of the navy in order to occupy the northeast of the country and suppress the Japanese navy. So now, in Europe, what Russia needs more is a powerful army than a navy!" Army Minister Kuropatkin first stabbed his former navy comrade-in-arms.

"When Britain, Germany, France, and the United States are all building their navies in hopes of catching up with this wave of naval technological innovation, you, Kuropatkin, attack and slander the navy for personal gain. This is simply a crime! I I admit that I have an unshirkable responsibility in the war in the Far East, but I still want to remind everyone here that the sea control of the Baltic Sea is directly related to the security of our country along the Baltic Sea coast. This is one of our most important industrial bases, and the Black Sea To the north of Russia is Ukraine, the breadbasket of Russia. In order to ensure these crucial areas, I believe that the construction of the navy should not only not be left behind, but should also be accelerated.” Admiral Essen, the current Minister of the Russian Navy, said.

"Okay, I have a few questions, can you answer me? First, can our country currently build new dreadnoughts?" Kuropatkin asked.

"Not yet, the Borodino-class battleship is already the largest and most advanced warship we can build, and this battleship is still a long way from Dreadnought, so we have to work hard to catch up." Admiral Essen said.

"Secondly, the Germans currently have 6 dreadnought ships, and there are no less than this number of warships being built on the berth. Then I would like to ask Admiral Essen how much money the empire needs to invest and how long it will take. Can we build a fleet that can compete with the German High Seas Fleet in the Baltic Sea? The construction cost of the German Navy is terribly high! Just last year, the German Navy spent as much as 12 million pounds! I would like to ask Your Excellency the Chancellor of the Exchequer again, whether the Empire Can you provide the same funding for the Navy?" Kuropatkin had a triumphant smile on his face.

"Third, I personally think that the Black Sea Fleet is enough to suppress the broken Turkish Navy. Even if they get the Prince Albert armored cruiser, they still can't change the status quo. Therefore, update the shipbuilding system for the Black Sea Fleet to build a bigger fearless It doesn't really make much sense to deal with this weak enemy, at least not what needs to be done now, so I suggest that the expansion of the Black Sea Fleet can be put on hold for a while." Kuropatkin added the last knife!

Looking at Essen's angry, frustrated and speechless expression on the opposite side,

Kuropatkin also had a dark feeling in his heart. It's not that he and Essen have any personal enmity, it's entirely because the ass decides the head. As the Minister of the Army, he naturally has to work for the interests of the army. For the army of a country, there are two biggest enemies in the country, one is the Ministry of Finance and the Duma, which determine the owner of the money bag, and the other is the navy...  And the master who grabs the money bag with himself! And now my set of combined punches is basically going to knock down the second enemy, right?

"Everyone, I hope that everyone can put aside their prejudices and think about the future of the Russian Empire. I admit that for a long time, the Empire's fleet in the Baltic Sea could not compete with the German Navy, but we still need a strong one. The fleet serves as the most basic deterrent force!" Essen calmed down his excitement and said.

"If we don't even have the most basic deterrence, then the German High Seas Fleet can open a gap on the Baltic Sea coast at any time, and then the German Army with powerful combat capabilities can land in Poland, the Gulf of Riga, or even near St. Petersburg! We cited The proud strategic depth will be greatly reduced because of the sea. Just imagine, if we lose the Baltic Sea coast, will Russia still be able to persist? Can you tolerate the German fleet showing off its power in the Baltic Sea and sweeping our land with heavy artillery again and again? City?"

"As long as the army can obtain enough resources, this situation will not happen at all. General Essen, you cannot exaggerate the Germans and belittle the Russian army for the sake of the navy." Kuropatkin said dissatisfied. "And I didn't say no to building a navy. I think we can build submarines, torpedo boats, destroyers, and develop mine tactics to defend the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is very small. Mine warfare and lightning strike ships are very useful in offshore defense, I think. You must have a deep understanding, right?"

There were thorns in Kuropatkin's words, which obviously alluded to the fact that the warship hit a mine when Essen led the fleet to sail before the outbreak of the South China Sea War. But to be honest, what Kuropatkin said has some truth. In the Baltic Sea, submarines and mine warfare are indeed sharp weapons for offshore defense. Of course, the more important thing is to save money...

"The Baltic Sea needs a strong fleet, and the Black Sea also needs a strong fleet. We cannot let the Germans do whatever they want in the Baltic Sea. Although the British promised that they would deal with the German Navy, we cannot place our safety on others. ! As for the Black Sea? I don’t think there is any need for expansion in a short period of time, at least within 4 years. Our Black Sea Fleet is enough to suppress the Turks. Compared with the Turks, they don’t have enough money to build a navy, right?” When Essen was about to fight Kuropatkin again, Nicholas II made the final decision.

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