Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 1:36:34-1:37:17

Could France have negotiated more tonnage than Italy?

A bargain over Caracciolo or a case for an overseas squadron offered possible alternatives to simple Franco-Italian parity.

French NavyItalian NavyWashington Naval Treaty
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Question

Could France have negotiated more naval tonnage than Italy?

Short answer

Possible bargains included permitting Caracciolo in exchange for more French tonnage or arguing for a separate distant-water squadron.

Notes

Italy's demand for parity did not exhaust France's negotiating options. France might have accepted completion of Caracciolo in exchange for a larger allowance of its own. Its distant empire also offered an argument for a separate overseas squadron. Even without that bargain, Washington left France room to build many more cruisers if the government funded them.