"Have the Germans gone mad? How dare they sell off so many capital ships all at once!" Prince Hirohito raged in the private train back to Berlin. Of course, his face wore more expressions of envy, even jealousy. The island nation's navy was now reduced to a single battleship, the Fusō, to hold the fort, while the German Navy was about to sell off so many capital ships, striking a tremendous blow to the Japanese fleet.
It must be known that although the Fusō-class battleships and the subsequent Ise-class battleships were equipped with 356mm main guns, their performance at best matched that of the German Navy's capital ships armed with 343mm guns. Now, the Germans were ready to decommission those very ships, meaning that even the capital ships the Germans were about to discard would likely be superior to the newest battleships of Japan. The stark difference stung Prince Hirohito deeply, filling him with a profound sense of humiliation and helplessness.
"Your Highness, the Germans are doing this purely to save money. By decommissioning so many of their capital ships, they will free up funds to build even more modern and powerful ones. Of course, the Germans are making a profitable deal. The capital ships they have left are the strongest, and those they plan to build in the future will undoubtedly be the most formidable. Taking all of this into account, the German Navy will only grow stronger," Kato Takaaki explained.
"Bastards!" Prince Hirohito cursed, his frustration mounting. The stronger the German Navy grew, the harder it would be to defeat them and redeem their previous humiliations.
"Other countries aren't fools. They won't let the Germans' scheme succeed!" Prince Hirohito declared.
Kato Takaaki shook his head. "Your Highness, the great powers will likely refrain from buying the German ships. They have the ability to build their own modern battleships. But the smaller nations are different. These ships from the Germans will likely be sold at very low prices. These smaller nations lack the capability to build capital ships themselves, so buying second-hand ships from Germany would be the best option for them."
"Those damn Germans! Are we just going to watch them grow stronger?" Prince Hirohito seethed with rage.
"Your Highness, the only way to deal with this is for us to grow stronger ourselves. There is no other path," Kato Takaaki advised.
"I believe the Empire will become stronger. One day, we will defeat the Germans and redeem ourselves!" Prince Hirohito said resolutely.
"Yes, Your Highness!" Kato Takaaki nodded in agreement.
The German Navy's expeditionary fleet had devastated the major coastal cities of the island nation, causing immense losses. This had turned most of the island's citizens into bitter enemies of Germany. Calls for the government and military to endure hardship and strengthen their forces in order to take revenge on the German Navy were widespread. In response, the government had implemented even harsher taxes, finding ways to extract more wealth from the people to fund military expansion.
The island nation, in its desire to defeat Germany and avenge its humiliation, had entered an era of reckless militarization. The lower classes of the island's population were now struggling to make ends meet. Despite these hardships, QinTian couldn't help but admire the resilience of the islanders. If it were any other nation, they would have likely revolted by now.
Just as Prince Hirohito and Kato Takaaki returned to the Japanese Embassy in Germany, they were informed that U.S. Secretary of State, Bryan, had invited them to a banquet at the American Embassy.
The recent German naval review had been a grand international event, with representatives from all over the world attending. This had turned Berlin into a gathering point for heads of state and diplomats, creating an excellent opportunity for fostering international relations.
"The Americans—what do they want?" Prince Hirohito frowned.
"Your Highness, the Empire still relies heavily on the United States in many areas. We cannot afford to refuse their invitation," Kato Takaaki explained.
Prince Hirohito nodded. He understood that the reconstruction of the island nation's navy had been made possible by large American loans. Furthermore, both the government and the people hoped to secure even more loans from the U.S., treating them almost as a "money god." Of course, they also understood the Americans' motives, but in their quest for rapid military rebuilding, they had no other choice.
That evening, Prince Hirohito and Kato Takaaki attended the banquet at the American Embassy, dressed in fine attire. Upon arriving, they realized that the invitation list included many distinguished guests, not just diplomats, but also high-ranking German officials.
Secretary of State Bryan was the center of attention, toasting one guest after another, extolling the power of the United States and the superiority of American-made goods, hoping to further expand the market for American products.
To boost the sales of American goods, senior U.S. officials were pulling out all the stops. After all, these officials had been elected by the country's leading businessmen. Without the support of these business magnates, they could easily be ousted from the White House. Thus, promoting American products had become a key duty once in power.
One need only look at future state visits, where large delegations of businessmen always followed behind the high-ranking officials.
Prince Hirohito and Kato Takaaki didn't stay long at the banquet. Soon, they were led by the U.S. Ambassador into a private room within the embassy. Inside, they found Secretary of State Bryan already waiting for them.
"Good evening, Your Highness, Minister Kato. I apologize for interrupting your evening, but I must take this opportunity to discuss certain matters with you," Bryan said.
"Secretary Bryan, we understand. After all, this is German territory. It's only prudent to be cautious," Kato Takaaki replied.
Bryan nodded. "Your Highness, Minister Kato, I'm sure you are both aware of the Germans' intentions in holding this grand naval review, correct?"
"The Germans are doing this with ulterior motives, seeking to proclaim their overwhelming military strength to the world!" Prince Hirohito said, gritting his teeth.
"However, one cannot deny that the Germans have a tremendously powerful military. As it stands, there is no country in the world that can match their strength," Bryan acknowledged.
Both Prince Hirohito and Kato Takaaki had no choice but to nod in agreement.