Když peníze vládly vlnám

As a world power, the Habsburg monarchy needed a navy capable of protecting its nationals and defending the honor of its flag even outside its home waters. However, battlecruisers and other vessels representing Austria-Hungary overseas were unable to command the respect they needed without having earned the renown of a mighty military maritime fleet. Defending the indented Dalmatian coastline also seemed significantly easier with multiple divisions of modern battleships at hand. However, ships do not just emerge from foamy waves. Building an adequate navy required substantial amounts of time, money, and efforts, and the outcome was far from guaranteed. Technology was advancing steadily, negotiations with governments were anything but easy, and the Habsburg monarchy also had to protect its long borders. Thus, some of the plans of the Austro-Hungarian admirals remained on paper only, while many other plans whose implementation was the outcome of a difficult journey brought only partial success.