Q&A: Should Russia have favored submarines and destroyers?

Would Russia have been better off building more submarines and destroyers instead of battleships and battlecruisers?

Yes; Russia could build capable smaller warships, while its infrastructure struggled to complete capital ships efficiently.

Russia would have been better served by building more submarines and destroyers instead of dispersing effort across battlecruisers and battleships. Russian yards had demonstrated that they could produce strong smaller combatants. Capital ships placed far greater demands on slips, machinery, armor, fitting-out capacity, and time. The recommendation follows industrial capability while recognizing that heavy ships still had operational value.