A treaty following the longer-war scenario would have to accommodate an established 20,000-ton cruiser category. Leaving those ships unrestricted would undermine a 35,000-ton capital-ship ceiling, since a navy could concentrate its resources on overwhelming cruiser numbers. One proposed settlement leaves ships up to 10,000 tons with 6- or possibly 7-inch guns unrestricted, then limits larger cruisers to 20,000 tons and 10-inch guns. Separate ceilings of about 30,000 tons for carriers and 40,000 tons for capital ships would regulate the larger categories. These are possible negotiating terms in the counterfactual branch where the war continues long enough to produce an arms-limitation conference.
Notable Point · 2:04:17-2:06:40
A 20,000-ton cruiser changes every treaty category
Unrestricted Tiger Cub-sized cruisers would weaken a battleship limit, creating pressure for separate cruiser, carrier, and capital-ship ceilings.