The conclusion connects carrier rules to the larger political purpose of treaty design. Peace cannot rest on freezing construction so tightly that states feel exposed while technology changes around them. The treaty era is compared with the years after HMS Dreadnought, when powers could absorb new technology through normal construction and better judge their relative positions. A durable settlement needs enough preparedness to make aggression too costly while avoiding an imbalance that encourages pre-emption through fear or opportunism through perceived weakness. Treaty compliance lasts when each state believes its security and future advantage are better served by keeping the agreement than by abandoning it.
Chapter · 1:24:29-1:28:55
Treaty limits, security, and deterrence
The closing argument is that an arms-control system endures only when it provides security and an incentive for every power to keep it.