The treaty system may have saved Japan from confronting the limits of its naval economy. Without treaty limits, British and American construction could have forced Japanese leaders to admit that they could not keep pace and needed better infrastructure instead. The treaties postponed that reckoning and allowed the illusion that parity remained attainable. Even after war began in Europe and Japanese leaders knew their own conflict was approaching, Fushimi did not drive a crash escort or support-ship programme. Political victory over the treaty faction therefore left the navy unprepared for the sustained war its fleet would face.
Notable Point · 1:07:43-1:10:35
Naval treaties postponed Japan's infrastructure reckoning
Treaty limits protected Japan from an unaffordable building race but also delayed recognition that its industry, escorts, and support systems could not sustain the war its leaders expected.