Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:29:10-2:30:13

Why German and Italian naval designers did not cooperate

German-Italian hostility over Austria left little political basis for sharing battleship design work during Bismarck's development.

BattleshipsBismarck Class BattleshipsInterwar PeriodKriegsmarineRegia MarinaShip Design
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Question

Why did German naval architects not work with Italy as German tank designers worked in the Soviet Union?

Short answer

Germany and Italy distrusted one another and competed over Austria during Bismarck's design period, leaving little basis for shared naval development.

Notes

The later Axis partnership should not be projected backward into the years when Bismarck was designed. Germany and Italy distrusted one another and competed over Austria. Hitler could not assume Italian support for expansion there, and neither state had the working relationship needed for shared naval design. Technical exchange depended on political alignment that did not yet exist.