Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:10:42-1:10:59

Dominion autonomy under the Second London Naval Treaty

A Canada counterfactual shows why the Dominions had to sign naval treaties for themselves rather than being bound automatically by London.

British DominionsCanadaNaval DiplomacySecond London Naval Treaty (1936)Treaty Law
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Question

How much control would Britain retain if a Dominion such as Canada rejected the Second London Naval Treaty and built beyond its limits?

Short answer

It becomes a separate political and treaty question because a Dominion had to sign the agreement in its own right.

Notes

The prompt asks what control Britain would retain if a Dominion such as Canada rejected the Second London Naval Treaty and built beyond its limits. The scenario remains theoretical because London could not dictate an automatic answer. The Dominions had to sign the treaty for themselves. The exchange therefore points to the growing autonomy behind Commonwealth participation in interwar naval arms control.