Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 3:02:36-3:05:40

French naval strength in 1870 before the Jeune École

In 1870, French naval architects were producing powerful ironclads; the better course is to sustain coal, reserves, and blockade capacity rather than punish the designers.

Franco Prussian WarFrench NavyIroncladsJeune EcoleNaval Logistics
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Question

Which French naval architects should be blamed in 1870?

Short answer

None as a first step: French architects were then producing leading ironclads, while later strategic choices and insufficient reserves were the larger danger.

Notes

The damaging Jeune École turn came after 1870 and did not describe the fleet at the war's opening. French central-battery ironclads were then comparable to or ahead of British contemporaries. France could retain a leading naval rank by maintaining construction and preparing the coal and manpower needed to blockade Prussia. Logistics and continuity matter as much here as individual ship designs.