Post hoc ergo propter hoc is a trap in naval history: battles can validate or advertise ideas already under discussion rather than originate them. Tsushima illustrates the problem, since all-big-gun thinking and the development of armoured cruisers predated the battle. Famous actions nevertheless make persuasive reference points when advocates want to sell an existing programme. This distinction matters when judging whether a navy was responding to combat experience or to longer-running technical and strategic pressures.
Chapter · 0:18-3:06
Why battles rarely create ship-design ideas
A famous battle can be mistaken for the single cause of a new warship design.