A narrow Anglo-German reading misses the wider dreadnought race. American, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, German, and British choices all formed part of the competition. Germany was building large numbers of dreadnoughts, while American and Italian projects helped push gun calibres upward. Keeping a common 12-inch fleet would have simplified construction, ammunition supply, and sustainment, so changing calibre imposed costs beyond the new guns themselves. The Royal Navy nevertheless moved to 13.5-inch and then 15-inch weapons as foreign programmes advanced. Gun calibre reflected several rivals, industrial expectations, logistics, and political prestige rather than one bilateral contest.
Notable Point · 29:54-34:40
The dreadnought race was wider than Britain and Germany
The pre-1914 capital-ship competition involved American, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian, German, and British choices, including the drive toward larger guns.