Naval treaties constrained replacement as well as individual ship size, leaving recently completed but inferior cruisers in service after French designers had learned how to do better. France could not simply discard its earlier treaty cruisers and rebuild them all to Algérie's mature standard. Algérie and the Dunkerque class showed how far French industrial and design capability had advanced in a short period. They also show why technical success could not be replicated across the fleet quickly.
Notable Point · 21:26-22:41
Treaty limits froze earlier ships while French design advanced
The treaty system prevented France from replacing every earlier cruiser with its best mature design, even as Algérie and Dunkerque demonstrated impressive national capability.