Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:30:47-2:35:59

Why a delayed Washington treaty could raise the stakes

If treaty negotiations arrived a few years later, G3 and N3 construction could make the existing capital-ship race much harder to cap.

BattleshipsG3 Class BattlecruisersN3 Class BattleshipsNaval Arms RaceWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

What if the Washington treaty were delayed by several years?

Short answer

Completed or advanced British 18-inch designs could drive a higher arms-race baseline and make limitation far harder.

Notes

Naval limitation was politically and materially feasible only during a narrow post-war window. A delay of only two years could put G3 battlecruisers into service and leave N3 battleships in advanced construction. Those ships would push negotiations toward roughly 50,000-ton hulls and 18-inch guns rather than the historical limits. American and Japanese demands for matching ships could then turn the talks into another round of escalation. Arms control becomes much harder after industry has already committed money, yards, and prestige to the next generation.