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(Note: since this primarily effects the Naval laws of 1900+ I put it in the after 1900 forum)

Looking for way that Germany could build a much cheaper but still useful Navy, but still keep Kaiser Wilhelm and German industry happy. The money saved would be used for such things as enough extra army corps (or baring that more artillery for the reserve corps etc...), things that would allow Germany to win a WW1 type conflict on land.

Here is my shot:

"Tirpitz wanting to realize the Kaiser's dream of a big Navy (and to further his own career) needs to come up with a rationale to convince the Reichstag to spend money on warships.

In 1897 OTL Tirpitz was summoned home from China to replace Hollmann and offered the post of Secretary of the Imperial Navy office.
He went home part of the way by crossing the USA on rail.
In this time line Tirpitz when crossing the USA spends some time thinking, looking out his rail car window he sees the potential of the USA,
any colonial ambitions in the western hemisphere at least are going to be opposed by the United States where his new Navy could never project enough power to dominate.

Sailing across the North Atlantic he looks out over the water: He knows he can't build a fleet big enough to beat the British not out here in the North Atlantic, maybe he could build a fleet that could do ok in a North sea fight, maybe build one to build one that will scare Britain a bit, which in the best case, Britain is scared enough to let Germany steal colonies from Spain, Portugal and China etc.

But would the possibility of getting colonies such as Angola, Ferando Po etc...really worth spending huge treasures on a fleet and antagonizing a great power in the process. Germany already had large colonies in such poor and in-hospitable places.

So Tirpitz does what most military leaders have always done, use the last war to justify your future military spending.
OTL Germany won the 1871 war with France. But the war dragged on too long. During the siege of Paris the French were able to buy and import arms from abroad and raise new armies. By the time the French were willing to talk peace, the diplomatic picture had changed and initial world
sympathy to the Germans had turned to the French and the Germans would have restrictions on what kind of peace they could impose.
Also in the initial stages before their sailors were drafted into the army, the French were able to impose a close blockade of German ports, caputuring a number of merchant ships, more emabarassing than really harmful, but a 20th century Germany had a larger mechant fleet and was more dependent on outside trade. Tirpitz therefore thinks he should try to sell to the Reichstag a fleet just big enough that they could prevent the French (or Russians or any seconds rate naval power from a close blockade of Germany's coast).

Obviously the French with their many colonies and geographic position could raid German commerce but a strong fleet could at least allow Germany to bring the vast majority of her merchant ships safely into port and in a pinch arrange protected convoys of critical supplies, either stuff needed by German industry or support for German colonies or
to supply German armies by sea if an when they might need. In the case of a victorious German army this fleet could blockade a French army that has shut itself in Brittany or some such place or reinforce a colonial war at that point.

Germany would also want a fleet that would still be useful in browbeating third rate colonial powers like Spain and Portugal into giving up their colonies if the political situation everallowed it.

Commerce raiding or protection against Confederate syle commerce rading would be out of the question and not considered. Germany had too few bases to raid or protect trade against countries like France or Russia (at peacetime levels of trade).

So Germany will sort of like OTL build Battleships (but more like Britains with greater range and less protection, like the Canopus class that could operate world wide in a pinch) To keeps costs reasonable and to avoid antagonizing Britain, German will build one a year, 2 if an old one needs to be replaced (assume 20 year life), gradually increasing over a very long period of time to 40 battleships, more than enough to handle France or Russia and not too expensive that the Reichstag won't approve. Note: OTL Germany often built 3 or even 4 battleships or battle cruisers per year.

The Kaiser would have at least one shiny new toy every year and the fleet would be always increasing for many years, providing employment for many and contracts for industry.

Destroyers would be bigger than OTL and have more range, more like Britains, these would be the workhorses in European waters, protecting trade and acting as scouts. Need 6 built per year.

Overseas interests would be protected by cheap reliable gunboats (like the Panther class but improving them over time), not much more speed than a merchant ship, could be used to convoy merchant ships overseas, they have shallow drafts so could be used for shore gunfire support or could flee up rivers like Rufiji. Would build 1 or 2 a year.

No big Moltke style Battlecruisers or Emden style scout cruisers would be built.

A Destroyer few tender type ships would be built to project power overseas if necessary"
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