Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:10:00-1:10:47

What an early naval-treaty escalator clause changes

Making later escalator limits available from the outset would produce larger treaty battleships and reduce the advantage gained by states that secretly exceeded the rules.

Battleship DesignCapital ShipsEscalator ClauseKing George V Class Battleships (1939)Naval Arms ControlWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

What if the naval treaty system had used its later escalator-clause limits from the beginning?

Short answer

Treaty navies would build larger, better-protected battleships, narrowing the advantage of countries that broke the original limits.

Notes

The counterfactual makes larger individual-ship limits available from the start and increases total tonnage to compensate. It allows the Royal Navy to consider a much heavier King George V variant. Illustrative batteries include twelve 16-inch guns or sixteen 14-inch guns, depending on the design. Larger displacement also offers room for better survivability. In this interpretation, allowing compliant navies those margins reduces the advantage available through treaty violations.