Tillman’s chairmanship coincided with a major period of U.S. naval construction, giving his preferences unusual weight. The video does not reduce his motivation to one cause, but stresses that he became a powerful advocate for the biggest and most capable fleet possible. His interventions could be awkward for naval officials, particularly when he challenged the assumption that existing dock capacity should set the limit of ambition. His death in 1918 is consequently presented as the loss of an influential, if difficult, political ally for naval expansion.
Chapter · 9:24-13:19
Tillman’s leverage on the Senate Naval Affairs Committee
As committee chairman from 1913 to 1918, Tillman could press the Navy for larger and faster capital ships while questioning its construction choices.