Chapter Eight: The Age of Empire

The royal yacht "Brandenburg" was a small vessel, with a displacement of less than five hundred tons. Adhering to Prussian tradition, its interiors were remarkably simple. The paint on the hull was freshly applied, still exuding a pungent smell. Owing to the yacht's limited space, Feng Chengqian was allotted a cabin less than ten square meters in area. Its furnishings were sparse: a single bed, a wardrobe, and a chair. Like the other attendants, Schmidt could only sleep in a hammock in the lower deck.

Within the harbor, several warships were anchored.

According to the arrangements, a warship would escort the royal yacht to Portsmouth. The Imperial Navy possessed few large warships worthy of display; of the four Saxon-class ironclads, some were unfit for duty and others under maintenance, so the second-class cruiser "Irene" was chosen to accompany the visit.

Commissioned earlier this year after its construction last year, the cruiser counted among the best the Imperial Navy could offer.

Yet for royal affairs, there was no need to deploy large warships.

After sunset, the "Brandenburg" followed the "Irene" and slowly sailed out of the harbor.

Wilhelmshaven faced the North Sea, and the voyage to Portsmouth was less than a thousand nautical miles—two days would suffice for arrival.

Since the British ambassador to the Empire was among the entourage, Frederick III arranged an evening banquet, paving the way for the diplomatic visit.

Feng Chengqian did not attend the banquet. Instead, he remained in his cabin, reading documents provided by Crown Prince Wilhelm.

No one could halt the Empire’s rise in economic strength, and thus the contradictions with the old empires became irreconcilable, inevitably leading to a comprehensive war between the new and old powers.

Was it possible that this outcome had not been foreseen?

The answer was no; not only had someone foreseen it, but they had done so long ago.

That someone was none other than the Imperial Chancellor, Bismarck.

In the history familiar to Feng Chengqian, Bismarck was credited with seventy percent merit, thirty percent fault. Posterity viewed his greatest error as an excessive reliance on Britain, attempting to forge an impossible balance between an alliance with Britain and the realization of the Empire’s overseas ambitions, hoping to use British power to counterbalance continental rivals, secure national safety, and gain colonies and foreign markets.

After the Franco-Prussian War, all of Bismarck’s diplomatic policies revolved around this core.

But was Britain truly reliable?

A seasoned schemer like Bismarck could not have been unaware of the irreconcilable conflicts between Britain and the Empire; he would never place all his hopes in Britain.

Someday, the Empire would become Britain’s greatest rival.

Bismarck was not unprepared; he had made ample preparations, though few could discern them.

For example, diplomatically, he fully exploited Russia’s ambitions in the Balkans, uniting Britain, Italy, and Austria to counter Russia. Economically, he promoted domestic capital through trade protectionism, labor legislation, and the opening of overseas markets.

All the policies Bismarck pursued after the Franco-Prussian War served to strengthen and develop the Empire.

Feng Chengqian had to admit he had misunderstood Bismarck.

As Chancellor, Bismarck understood better than anyone that once the Empire developed smoothly, it would eventually challenge the world's strongest nations. The outcome would be either to replace them or suffer total defeat; there was no third option. As an emerging power, the German Empire desperately needed a period of peaceful development. Bismarck’s diplomacy aimed to secure this essential respite.

After more than a decade, the Empire had already undergone remarkable transformation.

In the history known to Feng Chengqian, another ten years would see the German Empire surpass Britain, becoming Europe’s leading economic power.

Yet what Bismarck foresaw, other politicians could foresee as well.

The increasingly powerful German Empire had become a threat to many countries.

France and Russia felt this most acutely.

The conflict between Germany and Russia began ten years prior, when Russia, seeking to protect its own industry, raised tariffs on German industrial imports, severely impacting German industrial capital. Bismarck retaliated with agricultural tariffs against Russia.

This trade war drove Russia into France’s arms.

Feng Chengqian had to admit that before he arrived in this era, economic conflict had already led to a German-Russian rupture, and the Franco-Russian alliance was inevitable.

Of course, economics was only one aspect.

Influenced by the Crimean War and the Balkan situation, the Tsar resolved to build the Trans-Siberian Railway from Europe across Siberia to Vladivostok. The Russian military and capitalists fully supported the plan, hoping the railway would hasten troop movements, open Asian markets, and stimulate Russia's metallurgy, coal mining, and machinery industries.

Initially, the Tsar sought assistance from Germany.

Though Germany and Russia were quasi-allies at the time, Bismarck would never help the Tsar build this railway. Its greatest value was military, not economic. With the railway, Russia could easily transfer Far Eastern troops to Europe. As Germany’s neighbor, the Empire would suffer most; Bismarck would not lend a hand.

Like the Empire, Britain did not wish to see Russia grow strong.

Thus, the Tsar could only turn to France.

Ultimately, the railway became the foundation for the Franco-Russian alliance.

Early this year, France decided to lend Russia five hundred million francs, nominally for building the Trans-Siberian Railway. Yet five hundred million was far from sufficient; Russia would surely seek more loans from France. How much would actually fund the railway remained unknown.

The Franco-Russian alliance forced Bismarck to seek new allies.

Britain, practicing a policy of "splendid isolation," was unreliable.

On the continent, aside from Germany, France, and Russia, only two nations counted as powers: Austria-Hungary and Italy, with the Ottoman Empire barely qualifying as a great power. Situated at the world’s crossroads, the Ottoman Empire’s interests were numerous and easily conflicted with Britain, so Bismarck focused on Austria-Hungary and Italy. Last year, Bismarck personally orchestrated an agreement among Britain, Austria, and Italy, pledging to maintain the status quo along the Mediterranean, Black Sea, Aegean, Adriatic, and North African coasts.

Though the Triple Alliance had not yet formed, its outlines were emerging.

Whether it was the Three Emperors’ League of fifteen years ago, or the post-Russo-Turkish War alignment of Britain and Russia, all Bismarck’s policies centered on one goal: to prevent the rise of any military power or alliance on the continent that could threaten the Empire.

There was no denying the efficacy of Bismarck’s diplomacy, though it sowed seeds of future disaster.

In the short term, the Empire gained a period of respite. Over ten years of peace had yielded tangible results, and the German Empire’s rise was imminent. In the long term, the Empire would inevitably face even harsher challenges, perhaps confronting multiple great powers simultaneously.

And thus, the issue circled back.

As long as the emperor, nobility, officials, capitalists, and ordinary citizens refused to accept the Empire as merely a secondary nation, sooner or later it would challenge the old empires.

Reviewing Bismarck’s policies over the past ten years, one could not deny the Chancellor’s achievements.

Feng Chengqian had to admit that, in the history he knew, it was not the aging Chancellor who buried the German Empire, but the inept emperor.

Now, Frederick III was no longer the “Hundred Days Emperor.” Would history repeat itself?

If the First World War were still to erupt in the early twentieth century, would the German Empire still be defeated and meet its demise?

These questions plagued Feng Chengqian.

He understood Bismarck and Crown Prince Wilhelm, but Frederick III remained a mystery.

Yet, was there any other choice?

In the history familiar to Feng Chengqian, his own homeland had suffered a century of humiliation, and the great powers did not treat all participants fairly after the First World War. If the outcome of that war changed, the history of that ancient eastern nation would change as well.

Helping the German Empire win the First World War was Feng Chengqian’s only option.

At least, as rising powers, the German Empire and Feng Chengqian’s homeland shared the same enemies and thus a common foundation of interests.

With no choice, there was no need to choose.

Once his mind calmed, Feng Chengqian felt considerably more at ease.

The German Empire was not without chances to win the First World War; rather, it had squandered many opportunities.

Yet, Feng Chengqian did not know where to begin.

The best method would be to utilize advanced technologies from the future, but Feng Chengqian had been an ordinary soldier before arriving in this era. Had he been a better student, he would not have entered the military and would never have come to this time.

In other words, Feng Chengqian knew of many technologies from the future, but understood none of them in depth.

Moreover, relying on one man, it would be impossible to transplant technologies that took generations of scientists to develop into the early industrial age.

Lacking technical expertise, Feng Chengqian could only seek other avenues.

Fortunately, as a soldier from the future, he possessed knowledge and abilities unknown and unavailable to people of this era.

These insights and skills would surely prove useful.

For two days, the "Brandenburg," accompanied by the "Irene," sailed steadily across the North Sea, arriving at Portsmouth on the afternoon of April 11.

Passing through the English Channel, Feng Chengqian finally strolled the deck.

Geographically, this channel, just over thirty kilometers at its narrowest, had made Britain and crowned it the first world hegemon of the industrial age.

In the coming decades, many stirring stories would unfold on both shores.

Yet Feng Chengqian most wished to see, with his own eyes, what the world’s strongest navy of this era truly looked like.