Why one giant dreadnought could matter in South America

Brazil's order for the Minas Geraes class attracted rumours that it concealed a purchase for a great power. The assumption was that established powers would never allow Brazil to possess the world's most powerful battleships. By delivery, the ships were plainly Brazilian, and several more powerful vessels were already under construction elsewhere. The publicity may have encouraged Brazil to pursue an even more imposing successor. In a regional race with very small fleets, one unusually powerful ship could change the balance substantially. That advantage still depended on rivals accepting the new position rather than ordering additional ships of their own.