Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 6:53:08-6:54:45

A Dutch G3 battlecruiser before the Washington conference

A Dutch G3 ordered before the treaty could give Britain an argument for retaining permission to build ships of comparable power.

Capital ShipsG3 Class BattlecruisersNaval DiplomacyRoyal Netherlands NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

What changes if the Netherlands builds a G3-style battlecruiser before the Washington Naval Conference?

Short answer

The reply thinks a pre-treaty Dutch order could avoid entry into the system and give Britain grounds to demand G3-sized limits.

Notes

The timing of the Dutch order is the first condition: ordering alongside Britain before the treaty is signed is considered a plausible way to remain outside its limits. A participant asks whether that would change Britain's willingness to sign. The reply imagines licensed construction in the Netherlands, beyond a simple British decision to stop its own yards. Britain could then argue that the proposed treaty left a non-signatory with a ship more powerful than those permitted to the signatories. That becomes a reason to demand limits allowing G3-equivalent ships.