What would the naval war look like if the Second World War began in 1930?
Short answerThe Royal Navy would begin with overwhelming European superiority in carriers and capital ships while its main rivals remained much less prepared.
NotesThe timing radically changes the naval balance. Britain has more operational carriers and has already completed important upgrades, Nelson and Rodney sit at the top of the battleship hierarchy, Italy lacks carriers, Japan and the United States have far fewer, and Germany has barely begun rebuilding a navy. The result is a war in which the Royal Navy can control European waters with much less immediate opposition.