Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:26:59-3:27:19

County-class cruisers and the treaty's spirit

The County class can be called treaty-busting without claiming a formal violation, because its design pressed against the agreement's purpose while staying within its rules.

ArmourCounty Class CruisersNaval TreatiesTreaty CruisersWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Should the County-class cruisers count as treaty-breaking ships?

Short answer

Not as a formal breach of the treaty's rules, but they can be treated as treaty-busting because they worked against its spirit.

Notes

The County class belongs on a list of treaty-busting ships without being a formal treaty violation. The cruisers remained within the agreement's law and written rules. Their design still worked against the treaty's spirit. Treaty-era warships could therefore be technically compliant while undermining the restraint their limits were meant to produce.