Bismarck's preliminary design work took place while the Washington treaty system still shaped other navies and while the London treaties continued much of that framework. Germany's direct relationship to the system came through the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, so describing Bismarck as a Washington treaty battleship is misleading. The ship was designed in a treaty-shaped strategic environment rather than bound by Washington limits. Protection against the Royal Navy's 15-inch gun shows how expectations about likely opponents could influence a design even without formal treaty compliance.
Notable Point · 1:14:57-1:16:24
Bismarck and the naval treaty system
Bismarck emerged in a world still shaped by Washington and London treaty assumptions, although Germany did not design the ship to comply with the Washington treaty itself.