Jeune École claimed to be a new school of naval thought. Its enthusiasm for small ships and novel weapons echoed older cycles built around ram-armed galleys, cannon-carrying galleasses, frigates, and carronades. The attraction was political as well as technical: a government was told it could spend less while obtaining a stronger defence. That promise amounted to salesmanship rather than a strategy for achieving continuing wartime objectives.
Chapter · 2:13-4:17
Jeune École repackages an old promise
Jeune École presented small-ship weapons as a way to make naval defence both cheaper and more effective, repeating an old promise in new form.