Q&A · 4:28:27-4:29:39

Larger treaty allowances and national building constraints

Higher numerical ceilings would leave different obstacles to using the allowance.

Question

What if the Washington treaty allowed battleship fleets of 30, 30, 21, 12, and 12, with carrier fleets of 20, 20, 14, 8, and 8?

Short answer

The larger allowances would permit further construction, but each country's political and industrial constraints would remain.

Notes

In this hypothetical, Britain and the United States could each retain thirty battleships, Japan twenty-one, and France and Italy twelve apiece. The corresponding carrier figures would be twenty, twenty, fourteen, eight, and eight. The anticipated British response is to use the allowance for imperial commitments. American political approval and Japanese construction capacity remain distinct constraints in the scenario. Equal French and Italian allowances preserve their relative numerical position.