What would Churchill winning the 1945 election mean for the armed forces and Royal Navy?
Short answerMost policy might remain similar, but carrier spending could shift toward large new ships instead of extensive reconstruction of wartime hulls.
NotesThe broad postwar settlement would probably change little because both major parties had accepted much of it. Carrier procurement offers a more plausible naval divergence. Churchill's preference for large new-build carriers could lead the government to retire damaged or wartime-built ships rather than spend heavily modernising them. The counterfactual changes how capability is acquired more than the basic demand for a postwar fleet.