Surface losses could accelerate unrestricted submarine war

The counterfactual's effects could extend beyond capital-ship design. If Jutland leaves the German surface fleet more clearly unable to alter the war, Chief of the Admiralty Staff Henning von Holtzendorff gains a stronger argument for unrestricted submarine warfare. He historically presented the submarine campaign as the option Germany had to adopt when other naval means could not force a decision. An earlier campaign might bring the United States into the war sooner and could shorten the conflict, although both outcomes remain uncertain. Those changed dates would then feed back into the political setting for any postwar naval treaty.