After the German Navy achieved a decisive victory over the British Royal Navy, jubilation swept through the entirety of Germany. The citizens rejoiced not only for the triumph of the German Empire but also for the impending conclusion of the war.
To the vast majority of Germans, victory seemed imminent. The German forces had established a significant advantage throughout the conflict. On the Eastern Front, the German Army had secured victory, utterly defeating Russia. The Bolsheviks had signed an armistice with Germany, yielding fruitful results for the Empire.
With the recent defeat of the British Navy, the question arose: what other powers could the Allies, aside from the British and French forces stationed in northern France, use to contest Germany? Despite the Allied forces bolstering their ranks to nearly three million, the German populace remained steadfastly confident in their military. They believed that the German Army would ultimately prevail.
As for another major power within the Allies, the Kingdom of Italy, its betrayal of the Central Powers went largely unnoticed. After joining the conflict, the Italians launched a few offensives against the Austro-Hungarians but subsequently faltered, suffering heavy losses that left them hesitant to act.
Particularly after the Eastern Front concluded, the Austro-Hungarian forces returned home, posing a direct and severe threat to Italy. The Italians fortified their northern defenses while desperately appealing to Britain and France for assistance. Regrettably, both nations were embroiled in their own struggles and lacked the capacity to provide support.
Within the German General Staff, army leaders convened alongside Kaiser Wilhelm II and Qin Tian. Following the German Navy's resounding success, all eyes turned to the German Army. If they could defeat the British and French forces in the forthcoming battles, victory would be assured.
Kaiser Wilhelm II felt buoyant; after six months of preparation, the troops deployed on the Western Front were robust and ready for combat. Though the strength of the Allied forces had also increased, Wilhelm II was confident that the German Army would triumph over the British and French. Once the German forces secured victory, ultimate success would belong to the German Empire, which would then usurp the British Empire as the world's dominant power. Europe, and indeed the entire world, would bow before the German Empire, and he would become the greatest emperor in history. The very thought of this exhilarated Wilhelm II.
"Gentlemen, we have now been at war for over six months. During this time, the Empire has achieved a series of resounding victories. We are now on the cusp of final victory. I urge all of you to vanquish the British and French forces on the Western Front and crush France. Then our only adversary will be the British," proclaimed Wilhelm II.
The Italian Kingdom was of no concern to Wilhelm II. He believed that if the Italians could not defeat the Austro-Hungarians, they certainly stood no chance against the German Empire. At that point, Germany would only need to dispatch a minimal force to assist Austria-Hungary to thoroughly defeat Italy, making the task exceedingly simple.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" the generals of the Imperial Army enthusiastically responded.
They, too, were invigorated by the naval victory. In contrast, the previous year's performance of the Imperial Army on the Western Front had been far from satisfactory. Naturally, Wilhelm II attributed all responsibility for this failure to Moltke. The generals agreed, placing the blame for their inability to succeed in the West squarely on his shoulders. Although the reasons for the army's setbacks were multifaceted, no one cared to dwell on them now, especially since Moltke had already borne the brunt of the blame.
"According to our intelligence, the British Expeditionary Force in France has exceeded one million troops, while the French Army has mobilized over two million. We have deployed only eight corps to the Western Front, totaling 1.8 million men. Can we decisively defeat the British and French forces?" asked Wilhelm II.
Despite the German Army's reputation as the world's strongest, the gap in effectiveness between the British, French, and German armies had narrowed considerably after the harsh realities of war. Given the severe disparity in troop numbers, Wilhelm II felt a genuine concern.
"Your Majesty, while the British and French forces hold numerical superiority, warfare is not solely determined by numbers. Our 8th Corps annihilated two million Russian troops on the Eastern Front last year, which serves as the best example," replied Field Marshal von Falkenhayn with a smile.
The other generals laughed in agreement. Indeed, the 8th Corps' astounding victory in the East had shocked everyone. With fewer than 200,000 men, they had defeated two million Russians—a feat that seemed utterly impossible to any observer. Even accounting for the poor combat effectiveness of the Russian army, such an achievement was extraordinary.
Naturally, the commanders held Qin Tian, who had commanded the 8th Corps, in great admiration and respect. This admiration enhanced his status, adding to his prestige as the heir apparent to the Empire.
It could be said that Qin Tian's position within the Empire had solidified entirely; apart from Wilhelm II, no one ranked above him. His claim to the throne was equally secure. Even if Wilhelm's heir awakened, he would pose no challenge to Qin Tian's succession. After all, the Imperial Navy was fully under Qin Tian's control, and the newly formed 9th and 10th Corps were also led by his commanders. A significant portion of the remaining seven corps could be influenced by him.
With military power firmly in his grasp, even Wilhelm II would find it difficult to forcibly depose Qin Tian. The Kaiser had come to recognize Qin Tian's capabilities. If given another chance to choose a successor for the Empire, he would likely select Qin Tian without hesitation, rather than Wilhelm's heir.