In this interpretation, Germany struggled to match the qualitative naval competition because its navy was already losing a budget contest with the army. Improvements to warships increased the cost of keeping up. Naval spending then threatened the artillery funding the army considered necessary. Britain's route to winning the competition was therefore partly financial: make naval expansion expensive enough that Germany's more politically influential service resisted further funding.
Notable Point · 32:30-33:28
Rising warship costs brought the German Army into the naval race
The Anglo-German comparison explains how expensive warships could bring naval expansion into conflict with the army's stronger claim on funding.