Allied specialisation looked safe when every partner expected to fight together in a single major war. A nation could omit a capability because another member possessed it and the alliance appeared certain to fight as one. The period also saw competition for usable capability give way to competition for technology, accompanied by claims that synergies would let everyone do more with less. This simpler and more saleable account of defence often displaced the harder work of strategy and geostrategy.
Notable Point · 18:35-21:18
Alliances and technology as strategic shortcuts
Stable alliances allowed members to omit capabilities, while technological competition and claims of efficiency displaced harder questions about capability and strategy.