Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:53:38-2:55:19

Would Dominion capital ships survive into World War II?

A shorter war and several invested Dominion navies make the historical Washington settlement less likely, though older ships may still be replaced before World War II.

British EmpireCapital ShipsDominion NaviesFast BattleshipsNaval Arms ControlNaval ConstructionNaval InfrastructureUnited StatesWashington Naval TreatyWorld War II
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Question

How likely is it that the Dominion battlecruisers last into World War II?

Short answer

The specific old ships may be replaced, but Dominion capital-ship fleets are more likely to persist because the historical Washington treaty is harder to impose.

Notes

The old battlecruisers need not remain in service unchanged until World War II because Britain or the Dominions could continue building and pass newer second-line ships outward. More importantly, multiple governments with bases, crews, and capital ships would resist simply abandoning that investment. Australia historically surrendered a single battlecruiser, but securing equivalent concessions from several invested Dominion governments would be more difficult. If the United States has less influence because it entered the war late or not at all, the historical Washington Naval Treaty may never take its familiar form.