A war-studies counterfactual differs from an exercise in inventing a preferred past. Asking what Britain received instead of seaplane tenders helps reconstruct the tradeoffs planners believed they were making. The comparison can expose assumptions missing from the written record. It can also point researchers toward the documents most likely to explain why one capability lost to another.
Notable Point · 5:47-7:09
Using counterfactuals to recover hidden planning assumptions
Counterfactual comparisons can identify planning tradeoffs and suggest where to look for documentary evidence.