What if Britain had ordered a 20 percent increase in Royal Navy strength in 1911?
Short answerGermany would face an even stronger opponent when Britain was already outbuilding it without sacrificing cruiser construction.
NotesA British order for a 20 percent increase in naval strength would worsen Germany's position in the prewar building race. Germany was already sacrificing cruiser construction to obtain dreadnoughts and torpedo boats. Britain could expand those parts of its fleet together. The difference concerned the breadth of construction as well as the number of battleships.