Britain might initially remain neutral in a war between France and Italy, but could not accept the French fleet being destroyed. British plans for deterring Germany and Italy while sending strength toward Japan depended in part on French warships reinforcing the European balance. Benevolent neutrality was therefore the minimum plausible British posture while the contest remained limited. In this assessment, a severe French defeat would invite British mediation, a patrol-backed demand to stop fighting, or intervention even without a formal commitment at the war's outset.
Notable Point · 1:19:13-1:20:28
Why Britain could not ignore a French naval defeat
British neutrality in a Franco-Italian war had limits because wider Royal Navy plans counted French ships as part of the force available against Japan and Germany.