Without the Scapa Flow scuttle, naval arms control becomes harder

How would naval history change if Germany did not scuttle its fleet at Scapa Flow?

The distributed ships and technical knowledge would unsettle the balance of power and could prevent the Washington naval treaty system from forming.

The fate of each individual ship matters less here than the spread of German hardware and design knowledge. Japan, Italy, the United States, and perhaps other powers would enter the postwar balance with more ships and new technical ideas. Britain would face a less predictable distribution of naval power. Under those conditions, London might reject the assumptions behind the Washington treaties.