Henri-Joseph Paixhans's advocacy of explosive shells supplied an early technological foundation for the school. Mounting powerful shell guns on small steam vessels promised a cheap way to destroy wooden battleships. The same ingredients also encouraged armored steam warships such as the French Gloire and Britain's Warrior, because designers could enlarge and combine the new technologies. Armor, steam propulsion, and explosive artillery therefore reset the competition instead of permanently escaping it.
Chapter · 2:55-5:34
Explosive shells reset rather than end the naval race
Early Jeune Ecole thinking proposed small steamships with explosive-shell guns, but the same technology encouraged larger armored steam warships.