Britain could win the Anglo-German race by making German battleship competition collide with the German Army's higher funding priority. A large qualitative jump forced Germany to spend more merely to remain in the contest, while the Army retained the stronger political claim on money. The British design still had to remain attainable enough that Germany tried to compete and failed instead of abandoning battleships immediately for submarines and cruisers. Britain also wanted to preserve a quieter Anglo-American rivalry that justified research and construction without becoming hostile. Warship design was therefore bound up with diplomacy, industrial policy, and budget politics.
Notable Point · 1:09:48-1:17:31
Using quality to break the German race
A strategic explanation shows how the Queen Elizabeth class could pressure German naval funding without wrecking Britain's quieter rivalry with the United States.