Neither the Washington naval treaty system nor the historical Treaty of Versailles is likely to emerge from this short conflict. France might seek a punitive settlement and the return of Alsace-Lorraine, but Britain could claim that its fleet performed the decisive fighting. That leverage favors a more restrained, Gladstonian peace associated with Asquith after a war that has not accumulated four years of bitterness. Britain also lacks the desire and army strength to occupy Germany, limiting how radically the victorious powers could remake the German state.
Notable Point · 2:04:33-2:08:34
A short naval war produces a different peace
A war decided quickly by the Royal Navy gives Britain the diplomatic leverage to resist both a Versailles-style settlement and the historical Washington treaty system.