Chapter Fifteen: The Trailblazer

The luncheon arranged by the Crown Prince was exceedingly lavish, with several Chinese dishes specially prepared for Feng Chengqian. This did not surprise him in the least, for William, having spent much of his childhood traveling through Britain with his mother, had been deeply influenced by the traditions of British aristocracy and had largely forgotten the customs of the Prussian nobility. As far as Feng Chengqian knew, the Crown Prince was a man highly concerned with appearances, and it was only natural that he would spare no expense when entertaining distinguished guests.

Of course, Feng Chengqian’s attention was not truly on the sumptuous fare before him.

At his first meeting with Tirpitz, Feng Chengqian’s initial impression was that the man was a quintessential Prussian officer—broad-shouldered, rugged in countenance, with piercing eyes that radiated vigor. At this time, Tirpitz was not yet forty; he showed no signs of balding, nor had he yet grown the signature walrus mustache for which he would later be known.

“Colonel, this is Count Feng Chengqian, whom I trust you have already heard of,” the Crown Prince said.

Tirpitz merely nodded slightly, offering no further remark.

With a smile, the Crown Prince continued, “My father has already appointed the Count as Minister of War, with special responsibility for naval affairs. I expect you two will be seeing much of each other in the future.”

Tirpitz nodded again, this time casting a measured glance at Feng Chengqian.

“I have heard, Colonel, that you accompanied His Highness to Britain last year,” Feng Chengqian said, for he was well aware that the trust and support of the Emperor alone could never win him the respect of a Prussian officer such as Tirpitz. “In your opinion, is there anything about the British Empire from which we might profitably learn?”

“Learn?” Tirpitz finally spoke.

“To learn from the strong is the surest path for the less advanced, is it not?”

Tirpitz’s brow twitched; he replied, “If the Count puts it so, then I believe what we ought to learn is not how to build a fleet, but how to use one.”

“Is that so?” The Crown Prince interjected.

“The fleet is merely a material foundation, much as the Imperial Army,” Tirpitz explained after a brief pause. “When His Majesty was crowned at Versailles, he told the Chancellor, Count Roon, and Field Marshal Moltke that it was Count Roon who had honed the Empire’s sword, and Moltke who had wielded it with skill. It is the same with the fleet: without knowing how to use it, even possession of one cannot bring victory.”

The Crown Prince nodded thoughtfully, apparently persuaded by Tirpitz’s reasoning.

Feng Chengqian smiled and said, “Suppose, Colonel, that the Empire does acquire a powerful fleet—how would you employ it?”

“Count, isn’t that thinking a bit too far ahead?”

“With the Empire’s resources, I do not believe it is far-fetched at all,” Feng Chengqian replied, unwilling to feign humility. “By my estimate, in twenty or thirty years, such a scenario will become reality. More importantly, if we do not know how to use a fleet, how can we build one suited to our needs? In the classic dilemma of chicken or egg, the key is first to clarify the purpose of owning a fleet.”

“Count, you are correct. Without a goal, there can be no direction for development.”

Tirpitz nodded, lost in thought, and said, “In fact, this is precisely what you suggested at the outset: it is what we should learn from Britain.”

“Colonel, you mean…” Clearly, the Crown Prince’s interest in naval matters was keen.

“Why does Britain build the world’s most powerful fleet? Why does it maintain a force greater than the combined strength of its two closest rivals?” Tirpitz paused before answering, “The reason is simple: the fleet is the foundation of Britain’s national power. It safeguards the homeland and underpins its global interests. Without a fleet, Britain is nothing; with a fleet, Britain is invincible.”

These words set the Crown Prince deep in contemplation.

Feng Chengqian, too, found himself regarding Tirpitz with newfound respect, realizing he had not underestimated the man.

“What is your opinion, Count?” Tirpitz asked.

Feng Chengqian smiled. “The Colonel is not wrong, but we must also understand that the fleet does not carry the same significance for the Empire.”

“Is that so?” Tirpitz frowned.

“It is undeniable that, if we continue on our present path, the Empire will sooner or later supplant Britain as the world’s foremost power. But before that day comes, a long road remains. For now, the Empire’s core interests are still rooted on the European continent—our focus remains land power.” Feng Chengqian paused briefly. “Nonetheless, there is no denying that a strong fleet could open vast new colonies for the Empire and elevate our international standing. Yet we must recognize that, until Britain is defeated and replaced, our overseas interests will be insecure. Should war break out, and if we fail to win at sea, the Royal Navy will blockade us and sever our colonial links. To put it bluntly, in wartime, all the gains of peace would vanish like smoke.”

“So the Count believes the value of a fleet does not lie in colonial expansion?”

Feng Chengqian nodded. “At least for now, the Empire’s primary purpose in building a fleet is not the conquest of overseas colonies.”

“Then what is it?”

“The value of the fleet lies in challenging Britain—making Britain wary, so it dare not interfere rashly in continental affairs.”

The Crown Prince’s brow furrowed in displeasure at this.

Tirpitz, however, was intrigued. “In the Count’s view, should war erupt in Europe, Britain will stand against us?”

Feng Chengqian smiled. “That would depend on circumstances.”

“How so?”

“At present, at least for the next twenty years or so, a major war on the continent seems unlikely. France and Russia are not yet strong enough to defeat us, and our relations with Britain are still amicable. France and Russia would not risk hostilities. However, the moment we commit to building a powerful navy, we become Britain’s chief concern, which will drive a rift between us and Britain, prompting France and Russia to seize the opportunity for war.” Feng Chengqian paused, then continued, “If we faced only France and Russia, there would be little cause for worry. Even in twenty years, the Empire should still have every chance of defeating them and remaining dominant in Europe. The question is: will Britain stand by? If we pursue a grand fleet, Britain will never tolerate our hegemony on the continent.”

“So the Count believes Britain will aid France and Russia?”

“Not merely aid them—enter the war directly.”

Both the Crown Prince and Tirpitz were visibly startled. After all, relations between Britain and Germany were currently in a honeymoon phase; negotiations were underway to prevent France from assisting Russia with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

“This is no exaggeration. For Britain, any threat to her maritime supremacy is an enemy.”

“Quite so. If we develop a navy, we become Britain’s enemy.”

“Then can we abandon the navy?” Feng Chengqian looked at the Crown Prince.

“Absolutely not. The Empire can never remain merely a continental power.”

“Then the answer is clear: in the next great war, Britain will not be our ally, but our principal foe. Once we accept this, it becomes evident that, until we defeat and supplant Britain, the chief value of our navy lies in undermining British sea power.”

“Undermine?” Tirpitz seemed puzzled by the phrase.

“Colonel, do you believe Britain would wait until our navy is strong before moving against us?”

“Well…”

Feng Chengqian gave a small laugh. “It is obvious that Britain will not sit idly by. She will not grant us time to grow strong; she will act while our navy is still weak—before we are capable of defeating the Royal Navy in a decisive engagement. The most effective action would be to incite a general war on the continent, provoke France and Russia to attack, and force us to focus on the land, thereby denying us any chance to surpass or challenge the Royal Navy, ultimately leading to our defeat.”

The Crown Prince was taken aback. “If that is so, Count, then we have not the slightest chance of victory.”

“Man proposes; Heaven disposes.”

“What do you mean, Count?”

“The choice of war’s outbreak rests with Britain, but the choice of how to fight rests with us.” Feng Chengqian paused deliberately before continuing, “Once the flames of war are kindled, the manner in which it is waged cannot be dictated by our adversary alone. Until that time, I believe our focus must be on preparation.”

“You are right, Count. Only with a powerful navy can we speak of the future.”

“Colonel, I have heard you are now captain of a cruiser?”

Tirpitz managed a modest smile. “It is my honor to serve His Majesty.”

“Then, do you have broader ambitions?”

“Well…”

“His Majesty has entrusted me with the Empire’s naval development—a vast and tangled task, and I scarcely know where to begin,” Feng Chengqian said, smiling as well. “I believe we must start from the foundations. If you would accept, Colonel, I wish you to take charge of organizing the Empire’s first Grand Fleet.”

Tirpitz was momentarily stunned, as though he had not expected such trust from Feng Chengqian.

“Of course, I mean only the preliminary organization. Before we have warships, we must first construct the ports to harbor them, and all the supporting infrastructure to sustain the fleet. Given the Empire’s geography, especially the Baltic and North Seas, we must look even further ahead.”

“Do you mean, Count, to improve the capacity of the Kiel Canal?”

“If the fleet must always pass through the Skagerrak Strait to enter and leave the Baltic, not only is the journey long, but in wartime it would be easily blockaded.”

“This is a major matter. I believe it should be reported to His Majesty before any decision is made.”

Feng Chengqian nodded. “Your Highness is right. My responsibility is for naval affairs alone; matters such as this are not convenient for me to raise.”

“I will find an opportunity to present it to my father.”

“In that case, nothing could be better,” Feng Chengqian replied with a smile, then turned to Tirpitz. “Colonel, would you be willing to serve as the Empire’s first Grand Fleet Commander?”

Would Tirpitz refuse? Clearly, he would not!