If treaty navies normalize 60,000-ton battleships and much larger cruisers, Germany still begins under Versailles restrictions. Britain had pressed particularly hard to dismantle German maritime and naval capacity at Versailles, so those starting limits would remain. Germany's historical progression from Deutschland through Scharnhorst to Bismarck becomes even less competitive against a younger British fleet armed with 16.5- and 18-inch guns. Even the rationale for building the Deutschland class weakens if foreign cruiser standards have already moved far beyond it.
Notable Point · 18:28-21:47
A super-battleship treaty makes German rearmament harder
Higher capital-ship and cruiser limits would widen the industrial and operational gap Germany had to cross during rearmament.