On May 1, 1865, the Russian navy launched a surprise attack on the East Prussia region, and the Baltiysk region fell, marking the turning point in the Prusso-Russian War.
In Berlin, the Prussian Government was filled with wails of despair as Wilhelm I urgently called a military meeting.
Army and Navy Minister Roon analyzed, "With the fall of the Baltiysk region, our strategy to keep the enemy beyond our national borders has collapsed. To avoid being sandwiched from behind, we have no choice but to pull our troops back to West Prussia.
Before the outbreak of the war, in order to maintain colonial stability, we did not recall our Far Eastern fleet. Our current homeland fleet is not capable of contending with the Russian navy, and our coastal defenses must be fortified."
This was merely an excuse, as even the concentration of the entire Prussian Navy wouldn't make much difference in reality.
The Danish Navy could match them, let alone the more formidable Russian navy.
