Delayed mining leads into a deeper mismatch inside the Anglo-French coalition. Mers-el-Kébir is the immediate reference point for the argument that a French admiral underestimated how aggressively Britain could still act at sea once vital interests were threatened. Interwar naval treaties encouraged a belief in regulated competition, especially among smaller powers that welcomed protection from another spending race. Rules that moderate peacetime procurement can also shape mistaken assumptions about an ally's conduct in an existential conflict.
Notable Point · 23:20-24:57
Treaty restraint meets maritime ruthlessness
Interwar expectations of civilized restraint left some French commanders unprepared for how ruthlessly Britain might use sea power.