The interwar section presents Raoul Castex as an effort to combine Mahan, Jeune École, and other ideas into a doctrine suited to French interests. Yet France did not fully use the Washington Naval Treaty's freedom to build vessels below 10,000 tons. British alliance support and treaty parity with Italy weakened the political incentive for greater naval spending. One counterfactual considers whether completion of Italy's Francesco Caracciolo class might have encouraged long-range French torpedo craft for Mediterranean operations, although convoy escort would misuse their offensive strengths.
Chapter · 36:20-38:24
Interwar France mixes doctrine but underuses treaty freedom
Raoul Castex sought a French synthesis of Mahan and Jeune École, while policy failed to exploit treaty freedom for ships under 10,000 tons.