How would naval arms-control treaties change if Brazil completed Riachuelo and two Design 670 super-dreadnoughts?
Short answerBrazil might have required its own place in the treaty hierarchy, but sustaining such a fleet would magnify the economic pressures that halted the historical program.
NotesThe counterfactual begins with an economic constraint: Brazil abandoned its building program because its finances weakened. If it nevertheless acquired Riachuelo and two large Design 670 ships, its capital-ship force would be too significant for the major naval powers to ignore. Brazil could enter the treaty system as an additional ranked power, changing tonnage calculations and regional reactions while placing a heavy continuing burden on Brazilian finances and manpower.