American participation still moderates the settlement, but Russia joins France in demanding harsher political and territorial terms. Britain can trade flexibility elsewhere for stringent limits on German shipyards, infrastructure, and naval recovery. Those restrictions leave German maritime technology and construction capacity too far behind to rebuild quickly even after investment becomes possible. The argument connects that structural damage to Germany's later inability to field more than a few modern capital ships or execute Plan Z on a useful timetable.
Chapter · 31:17-34:36
Five-power diplomacy and German maritime disarmament
Russia makes the peace conference a five-power contest while Britain concentrates on destroying Germany's capacity to rebuild a competitive navy.