The duel raises the international consequences of commissioning such a ship before the First World War. Britain might describe the vessel as a one-off fleet flagship, but other powers would still have to plan around an eight-gun, 18-inch battery. That perceived capability could affect budgets, infrastructure, gun development, and counter-designs before the ship ever built a combat record. Naval arms races respond to the threat posed by individual designs as well as to the number of hulls actually built.
Notable Point · 2:13:46-2:14:16
How an 18-inch prewar flagship could reshape the naval race
Even a single Royal Navy ship with eight 18-inch guns before the First World War would force other navies to reconsider their own capital-ship plans.