World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseIn Dec 1935, Britain once again hosted a naval disarmament conference as the agreement resulting from the first conference neared expiration. Although only United States, Britain, and Japan signed the resulting treaty from the previous conference, France and Italy were again invited to this conference. The main objective continued to be limiting the capability for the world to start a naval war.

ww2dbaseHaving already withdrawn from the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 on 19 Dec 1934, The Japanese delegation had a precedence set before them to play political hardball. On 15 Jan 1936, the Japanese delegation withdrew from the conference. The reasons were similar to the reasons why Japan had withdrawn from the Washington Naval Treaty: a disagreement for Japan's lower battleship tonnage ratio, and a loss of national face.

ww2dbaseItaly's delegation had left the conference without agreement as well; the reason was largely due to the negative opinion toward Italy regarding the ongoing war in Abyssinia that Italy had instigated.

ww2dbaseMuch like the resulting agreement from the previous conference, warships were limited in quantity and size. However, without Japan's participation, the treaty was rather ineffectively. At the face of a rapidly-expanding Japanese Navy, even the signing nations of this treaty violated the agreements. The United States, for example, commissioned the St. Louis-class light cruiser that was 5,000 tons heavier than what the treaty allowed for such class of ships.

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