Wartime decisions quickly create new and unpredictable choices, which limits how far each branch can be projected. Some alternate histories can be followed for years when each consequence strongly constrains the next. The opening months of a global war are more febrile, with political and operational decisions interacting across theatres. Beatty's temporary absence from the North Sea can therefore be assessed confidently for only a limited period.
Notable Point · 1:14:22-1:15:35
The right admiral for a narrow moment
The conclusion cautions that a fluid global war permits only short, defensible chains of counterfactual consequences.