Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:31:03-2:32:08

Comparative naval aviation became a Royal Navy thesis

A planned comparison of British, American, and Japanese interwar naval aviation was narrowed to the Royal Navy when the research exceeded the doctoral word limit.

Imperial Japanese NavyNaval AviationNaval HistoriographyRoyal NavyUS Navy
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Question

What was the focus of your doctoral research?

Short answer

Interwar naval aviation, originally across Britain, the United States, and Japan, but narrowed to Royal Navy development with the other navies used for comparison.

Notes

The research began as a comparison of naval aviation development in Britain, the United States, and Japan during the 1920s and 1930s. The project produced far more material than a doctoral thesis could contain. On supervisor Andrew Lambert's advice, Royal Navy development became the main study, with the American and Japanese research reduced to comparative points. The final form reflects a common research tradeoff between comparative breadth and a manageable central argument.