Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 27:59-28:32

A no-treaty Japanese battlefleet would keep expanding

A proposed fixed Japanese battle line after the Great Kanto earthquake is rejected because a no-treaty arms race would not stop at that roster.

BattleshipsImperial Japanese NavyNaval Arms RaceWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Would a no-treaty Japanese fleet after the Great Kanto earthquake settle at a fixed mix of Tosa, Nagato, Owari, Fuso, Amagi, and Kongo classes?

Short answer

No; continued construction and strategic reactions would prevent the fleet from remaining fixed at that lineup.

Notes

A realistic counterfactual cannot freeze Japanese construction at two Tosa, two Nagato, two Owari, two Fuso, four Amagi, and four Kongo-class ships. Without treaty restraint, Japanese planners and rival navies would continue reacting to one another, changing the fleet beyond that snapshot.