Forensic engineering begins with what was actually constructed and works backward toward purpose and strategy. Material evidence is especially useful in treaty periods, when states manipulated rules or obscured intentions. British evasions are characterized as working through the wording of laws and rules, while American claims are described as more opaque. Ships, machinery, and infrastructure can therefore test official statements rather than merely illustrate them.
Chapter · 34:14-35:52
Reading strategy through forensic engineering
Built infrastructure and machinery can reveal strategic priorities that official statements and treaty-era declarations conceal.