If battleship escalation began in the 1890s

What if battleship size and armament escalated sooner, beginning in the 1890s?

Earlier escalation would favor industrial powers and might make the German naval race too expensive, with major effects on pre-war diplomacy.

Infrastructure is the dividing line: nations that could build larger ships, guns, and yards sooner would gain a compounding advantage. Britain might use a much earlier all-big-gun programme to make the German naval challenge politically and financially unattractive. Reducing the German naval threat would in turn change Britain's need to align closely with France and Russia.