The Rise of German empire

"Your Royal Highness, you are welcome to come to Krupp Company!" Gustav Krupp and Beta Krupp had been waiting at the entrance of Krupp Company for a long time, and they greeted Oscar immediately after he got out of the car. Their faces were full of smiles.

"Hello, Mr. Krupp!" Oscar stretched out his hand and shook hands with Gustav Krupp. For the man who joined the Krupp family and took control of the largest military empire in Germany, Oscar did not dare to underestimate him. It was in Gustav's hands that Krupp rapidly developed into an arms giant in Germany and the world.

"Miss Krupp, hello, we meet again!" Oscar said with a smile on his face.

Oscar was relatively familiar with Beta Krupp. It was thanks to his request and her courage that Krupp had invested heavily in the research of new large-caliber naval guns, which enabled Germany's capital ships to avoid delays in their service due to a lack of main guns. This effort was a significant part of Krupp's profit as well, given the considerable costs and long-term service needed for naval artillery.

"You're welcome, Your Royal Highness," Miss Beta Krupp smiled. Though she had married Gustav, she still held the majority of Krupp shares, which meant she could always take back control of the company if needed.

After exchanging pleasantries, Oscar was invited to Gustav Krupp's office. The Krupps' expressions grew serious, as they knew that Oscar's visit was far from casual.

"Mr. Krupp, the navy is very satisfied with the new naval gun developed by Krupp. The 305mm naval gun with 50 times the caliber has extremely powerful armor-piercing capability. I believe it has far surpassed the British Navy's caliber naval guns, even those of larger size. The British Navy's larger-caliber guns can't compare in power." Oscar expressed his appreciation.

"Your Royal Highness, it is our duty to produce a main gun with qualified performance for the Imperial Navy. Of course, this is also inseparable from Your Royal Highness's support. Without Your Highness's insistence, we might not have developed such a gun," Gustav Krupp replied.

Oscar nodded, acknowledging Krupp's support for both the navy and himself.

"I come to Krupp this time, and I have a few matters to discuss with you and your wife," Oscar said.

The Krupps' faces turned serious, knowing that the real business was about to begin.

"The first matter is that the navy is increasing the construction of first-class battleships and battlecruisers, and will begin construction soon. A total of eight ships are planned, requiring 24 triple-mounted 343mm main guns. Additionally, there are still 15 more 343mm main guns to be produced for other ships. The Navy hopes Krupp can accelerate the production of the 343mm 50-caliber guns, completing them before the 'Helgoland-class' battleships are launched, or else this will delay the capital ships' service time." Oscar outlined.

"Your Royal Highness, there is no problem. We've made a breakthrough in developing the 343mm 50-caliber guns, and most of the work is already completed. We expect to finish before the end of 1908. It should be no problem," Gustav Krupp assured him.

Oscar was satisfied. With the "Helgoland-class" battleships launching by the end of 1908, Krupp's guns would be ready just in time. As for the future "Kaiser-class" and "Moltke-class" ships, those projects were still further off.

"Additionally, the Navy requests that Krupp begin researching larger-caliber main guns for future capital ships," Oscar continued.

"Larger-caliber main guns?" Gustav Krupp and Beta Krupp both gasped. Despite the recent hard work, the request for even larger guns came as a shock. The research and development of naval guns was a massive task, and increasing the caliber was a complex challenge.

"Mr. Krupp, there's no issue. Our next-level capital ship will no longer use 343mm guns, but instead 380mm guns. It's not to make things difficult for you, but because the current geopolitical situation is tense, and we must keep up. Our old rivals, the British, have already started developing a 381mm main gun. In this respect, we can't afford to fall behind. If we let them surpass us in naval artillery, our navy will be at a disadvantage in future battles," Oscar said seriously.

While the German Navy's new capital ships had already caught up with the British, and in some areas even surpassed them, Oscar knew they couldn't rest on their laurels. The British Navy was moving at an alarming pace, and the moment they stopped innovating, the British might quickly catch up or even surpass them. Oscar wasn't willing to let the British 'Queen Elizabeth-class' battleships dominate the seas with their 381mm main guns, while the German Navy remained stuck with smaller-caliber guns.

"Of course, the 50-caliber 343mm main gun on our ships is still a formidable weapon, but a larger-caliber main gun would certainly increase our chances of victory," Oscar added.

Gustav Krupp and Beta Krupp exchanged looks. They knew that they had a challenge ahead of them, but they also knew that Krupp's position as a leading arms supplier for the German Empire gave them both the opportunity and the responsibility to meet these challenges head-on.