Naval limitation offered governments an escape from capital costs

Why did countries accept the postwar naval truce and limitation system?

It let politicians save money, while war-weakened France and Italy had especially strong reasons to welcome a pause.

Capital-ship competition placed large and recurring demands on national budgets. Politicians could use a multilateral naval agreement to reduce that burden without appearing to disarm alone. France and Italy had been badly strained by the war, making a pause particularly attractive to both. The panel's brief answer emphasizes fiscal relief rather than a sudden disappearance of naval rivalry.