Chapter 370: William's Decision

"Alfred!" William II flashed a radiant smile, spread his arms and stepped forward, "Look! Look at this!"

He picked up a newspaper from the table beside him; the front page bore a huge bold headline: "North Sea Grand Victory! Royal Navy Defeated!" Below was a detailed report accompanied by a blurry photograph—perhaps a damaged Yingguo warship, perhaps Deguo sailors cheering; the print quality made them look alike.

"Every newspaper is reporting it! Every Deguo household is talking about it! Our navy in the North Sea has directly defeated the overbearing Yingguo Empire's Royal Navy!" The emperor's voice rose with excitement, "Three battlecruisers! Three armored cruisers! Eight destroyers! The English now know what power is!"

Tirpitz took the newspaper, scanned it quickly. His expression changed little, only a slight nod: "Yes, Your Majesty. This is a tactical success; the sailors performed bravely."

"Tactically?" William II raised an eyebrow, his tone still fervent, "Alfred, you are too cautious! This is a strategic victory! It proves the German Navy can challenge Yingguo's maritime hegemony!"

Tirpitz was silent for a few seconds, then took a thick dossier from his briefcase: "Your Majesty, please allow me to submit the Navy Department's detailed battle report and strategic assessment."

William II took the document, flipped through a few pages casually, his eyes scanning the dense numbers and charts. His smile narrowed slightly.

"Losses... one battlecruiser, one pre-dreadnought, four light cruisers, five destroyers," he read the figures, brow furrowed, "but the English lost more! Three battlecruisers! The tonnage exchange ratio clearly favors us!"

"By tonnage and ship count, that is indeed so," Tirpitz nodded, but then shifted tone, "However, from a strategic perspective, Your Majesty, we must face a fact."

He stepped forward, his voice clearer and steadier: "The Yingguo Grand Fleet still intact controls the North Sea. Jielike's twenty‑four dreadnoughts are essentially undamaged, still firmly holding sea control. Our fleet inflicted heavy blows but failed to break the blockade—no passage to the Atlantic was opened, no merchant ship can move freely in or out."

The words fell like a bucket of cold water on the emperor's enthusiasm.

William II stared at Tirpitz, the excitement in his eyes gradually giving way to displeasure: "Marshal, are you denigrating the victory our sailors won with blood?"

"No, Your Majesty," Tirpitz bowed slightly, his tone firm, "I am fulfilling my duty as Navy Commander‑in‑Chief—to present you with the complete, unvarnished facts. We achieved a tactical victory, that is a fact; but we failed to achieve the strategic objective, that is also a fact."

The hall was quiet for a few seconds. Sunlight drifted slowly across the floor, dust dancing in the shafts of light.

"Strategic objective..." William II repeated the phrase, his voice dropping, "Then tell me, Alfred, what exactly we must do to achieve your so‑called 'strategic objective'?"

Tirpitz inhaled deeply: "Your Majesty, to break Yingguo's maritime blockade we must accomplish at least one of the following: First, utterly defeat the Yingguo Grand Fleet in a fleet‑scale battle, stripping it of sea control; second, force the English to disperse their fleet worldwide, preventing concentration of superior forces in the North Sea; third, use submarine warfare and raider ships to raise English shipping costs beyond endurance."

He paused, his voice growing heavier: "And in this sea battle we achieved none of them. The Yingguo Grand Fleet remains strong, remains concentrated, still controls every passage into the North Sea."

William II turned, his back to Tirpitz, and looked out the window. In the Wuyou Palace garden, roses were in full bloom, the fountain glittering like a rainbow in the sun. In the distance, Berlin's streets rang with tram bells, pedestrians bustling—a peaceful, ordinary summer scene.

But beyond that scene, on the North Sea's surface, the wreckage of steel warships sank slowly, thousands of young bodies floating in the icy water.

"So what is your suggestion?" the emperor asked without turning, his voice wavering, "Let the fleet stay hidden in the harbor? Wait for the English to err? Wait for a miracle?"

Tirpitz moved to the emperor's side, keeping an arm's distance: "Your Majesty, my suggestion is to use the breathing room afforded by this tactical victory to accelerate submarine construction and deployment. At the same time, let the main fleet rest, repair, and consolidate experience. We can erode Yingguo's sea superiority through a war of attrition rather than a decisive battle."

"Attrition war..." William II sneered, turning back, "An attrition war needs time, Alfred. And time is what we lack. The Eastern Front victory gave us a chance, but the Russians will not stay defeated forever. The Western Front at Verdun still devours our finest youth. We need the navy to act—not in months, not in years, but now!"

His voice rose ever higher: "We need a decisive victory! One that forces the English to sit down and negotiate! One that proves to the world—Germany can win not only land wars but also sea wars!"

Tirpitz watched the flame burning in the emperor's eyes and felt a deep helplessness. He understood that emotion—the yearning for a 'decisive victory,' the anxiety over 'historical standing.' Yet he knew the harsh reality of war even better.

"Your Majesty," his voice grew more earnest, "please understand, the open‑sea fleet's strength still lags behind the Yingguo Grand Fleet. The tactical edge we gained this battle stemmed from Jielike's mistake—he let Beidi's fleet be overly reckless while he himself was too cautious. But Jielike is no fool; he will not repeat the same error twice."

"Then force him to make a new mistake!" William II interrupted, walking to the chart table, his finger stabbing the North Sea spot, "Since we can achieve such results from a disadvantage, why, after full preparation, can't we secure a greater victory?"

Tirpitz's complexion darkened. He opened his mouth to speak, but the emperor gave him no chance.

William II noticed the marshal's change of expression. He turned, the sternness on his face melting away, replaced by an encouraging smile.

"Alfred," his voice softened, "I know you worry. I know you have devoted your life to this fleet. But look at what this sea battle tells us—"

He picked up the detailed battle report, turning to the technical analysis section: "Here, see for yourself. 'This battle also proved deficiencies in Yingguo warships' protection (especially magazine safety) and Shell fuzes, while highlighting the German warships' excellent survivability.'"

The emperor lifted his head, eyes glittering: "The Saidelitz was hit by nineteen large‑caliber Shells, took on over five thousand tons of water, yet still managed to limp back to Weilian Port! And Yingguo's battlecruisers—one or two hits cause their magazines to explode! Isn't that our opportunity?"

Tirpitz felt his throat tighten: "Your Majesty, these technical advantages do exist, but they cannot offset the numerical gap. Moreover, the English will surely learn the lesson and improve their warships..."

"Then act while they have not yet improved!" William II stepped before Tirpitz, both hands gripping the old marshal's shoulders, "Alfred, hear me. I know you are cautious, I know you always consider the worst case. But sometimes, in war, we need a bit of courage, a dash of daring."

His eyes locked on Tirpitz, his voice resonant: "Imagine: if we could mount another sortie, deliver another heavy blow to the English, even sink a few of their dreadnoughts... then would the English public still back this war? Would the English government dare continue the blockade? Would the neutral nations—America, the Netherlands, the Scandinavian states—still deem Yingguo unbeatable?"