Chapter 1, The Forceful Seizure

In a sense, the internal turmoil in France had delayed the explosion of the Austrian navy's expansion.

Pre-dreadnoughts were just a transitional product with a very short economic lifespan; the glory of pre-dreadnoughts in the original timeline lasted only about a decade.

They became obsolete before they could be decommissioned; from an economic standpoint, it was a very poor investment.

Knowing that this type of warship was not cost-effective, Franz still decided to build them, and to do so on a large scale.

Before the birth of dreadnoughts, pre-dreadnought battleships were still formidable, at least surpassing all other warships currently at sea.

As long as Austria built them on a large scale, the United Kingdom and France would have to follow suit; due to their concern for naval dominance, they would have to build even more warships.

Losing money meant losing money; as long as his competitors lost more, Franz didn't mind letting this losing game go on.