Money alone could not restore a fleet quickly. Industrial plant had decayed during the 1920s and the Depression, skilled labour had dispersed, and firms had closed. Labour opposition to the March 1935 defence white paper added delay after Germany reintroduced conscription. Against the combined prospect of war with Japan, Italy, and Germany, slow industrial recovery made the worst-case threat especially hard to meet.
Notable Point · 9:44-10:29
Rearmament needed yards, workers, and time
British rearmament required functioning plant, skilled workers, open firms, and money after years of interwar decline.