Dutch interwar politics sought certainty before committing money to the fleet. Every ship was expected to be a perfect fit for its task at the lowest possible price. Under that standard, even one extra gun could be treated as an unaffordable excess instead of useful reserve capability. Prolonged debate over perfect solutions left the actual force weaker. The demand for certainty became a reason to postpone practical procurement.
Notable Point · 17:18-18:42
Perfect solutions at the minimum price
Dutch defence politics demanded a perfectly fitted force at the bare minimum price, a standard that made useful procurement harder to approve.