Q&A ยท 1:49:41-1:50:11

A German victory would prevent the interwar naval treaty pause

A German victory counterfactual replaces the Washington-style settlement with continued British, American, and Japanese construction.

Question

How would naval treaties change in a world where Germany won the First World War?

Short answer

They likely would not emerge at all; German building would keep Britain rearming while the United States and Japan continued their programmes.

Notes

The naval treaties would not take their familiar form if Germany won and continued building at maximum effort. Britain would respond by rearming and modernizing as quickly as possible. The United States and Japan would continue their own programmes behind the leading contest. The prewar arms-race dynamic would continue instead of giving way to a negotiated interwar pause.