Nicholas II, who reigned from 1894 to 1917, took a strong personal interest in naval power. His enthusiasm is compared with Kaiser Wilhelm's and then qualified through an analogy with Charles I. The comparison separates a monarch's desire for a navy from the ability to create an effective one. It introduces the leadership problem behind later rearmament plans whose ambition exceeded Russian capacity.
Notable Point · 12:12-13:01
Nicholas II's enthusiasm without effective naval leadership
Nicholas II took a strong personal interest in naval power, yet enthusiasm at the top did not ensure effective direction or a capable fleet.