Polish capital-ship ambitions after World War I

Could Poland have used German capital ships after World War I if they had not been scuttled?

Potentially, but obtaining and completing a major warship would be difficult and would not remove Poland's vulnerability on land.

Surviving German capital ships could potentially have entered Polish service after World War I. Polish interest in an unfinished Mackensen-class battlecruiser illustrates that possibility, although plans to complete the vessel had not matured before it was scrapped. Other acquisition proposals included two Gangut-class battleships under a 1921 arrangement, followed by older American pre-dreadnoughts: six Connecticuts, five Virginias and two Maines. Negotiations over Almirante Latorre from Chile failed, while a Spanish battleship offered in 1931 was considered and declined. These ambitions did not produce the intended fleet. In the counterfactual, a 28-knot German battlecruiser could receive more armour and become a useful fast battleship in the Baltic. Even with such a ship, Poland would still face attack on land from both sides while modernising its armed forces.