A larger British battlecruiser program would put pressure on Germany's procurement without, in this assessment, straining Britain's shipbuilding infrastructure. France and Italy would probably change little, while Japan and the United States would have to take account of more imperial capital ships in the Pacific. A Canadian ship on the Pacific coast, alongside ships operating from India and Australia, would make that presence especially visible. The argument distinguishes the German construction figures used to justify British battleship numbers from the worldwide commerce used to justify battlecruisers. Lloyd George could support the latter as protection for trade while asking the Dominions to carry more of the cost.
Notable Point · 52:59-55:28
Global reactions to an imperial battlecruiser network
An expanded British and Dominion battlecruiser force pressures Germany and draws Japanese and American attention to a heavier imperial presence in the Pacific.