The neutrality counterfactual also shows why a clash with Britain and Japan would be especially dangerous for France. The French fleet of 1905 was in very poor condition after decades of underinvestment. Repeated pursuit of unconventional ideas had failed to produce a consistently effective force. The cumulative result was a navy badly prepared for a confrontation with the Royal Navy.
Notable Point · 2:21:08-2:21:46
Why the French Navy was vulnerable in 1905
Chronic underinvestment and erratic design choices left France poorly placed to risk a naval war in 1905.