French treaty weakness went beyond the immediate churn of prime ministers. The French Navy still carried institutional and force-structure problems created by prewar choices, including the legacy of the Jeune École. Successive ministers also held sharply different ideas about what the navy and nation should become. The combination made consistent procurement and negotiating priorities especially difficult to sustain across governments.
Notable Point · 37:26-38:24
The Jeune École legacy compounds French policy instability
French ministers inherited long-running doctrinal and fleet problems just as revolving coalitions prevented a durable answer to them.