Q&A · 1:07:06-1:08:28

What could still change in the Royal Navy by 1914?

A counterfactual asks what a reformer could still change after taking control of the Royal Navy in 1914.

Question

If you took charge of the Royal Navy in 1914, what could you still plausibly change to strengthen it?

Short answer

Meaningful changes required an earlier intervention; the alternative discussed is a counterfactual pair of 28-knot Tiger-type battlecruisers with 15-inch/42 guns.

Notes

The initial battlecruiser answer is followed by a timing qualification: by 1914, much of the Royal Navy's fleet was already determined. A reformer would need to intervene earlier to change those building decisions substantially. The alternative mentioned is a pair of Tiger-type battlecruisers with 15-inch/42 guns and a speed of 28 knots. That pair belongs to an earlier design counterfactual, rather than a demonstrated construction option available to someone first taking charge in 1914.