State of French Navy 1896
12 Battleships.
15 Coast-Defense Ships.
4 Armored Cruisers.
8 Armored Gunboats.
Under Construction
9 Battleships.
3 Armored Cruisers.
1st German Naval Law – 1898
19 Battleships
8 Coast Defense
12 Large Cruiser
All to be in service or started by 1903
French 1900 Program
28 battleships
24 Armored Cruisers
By 1907
German 1900 Program
38 Battleships
14 large Cruiser
By 1917
French 1906 Program
34 Battleships
15 1st Class Armored Cruisers
12 2nd Class Armored Cruisers
By 1919
German 1906 Program
38 Battleships
17 Large Cruiser
By 1917
French 1907 Program
38 Battleships
20 Class Armored Cruisers
By 1920
Its not clear if the 1907 program was just proposed or passed into law.
German 1908 Program
38 Battleships
17 Large Cruiser
By 1917 but replacement age of BBs reduced from 25 years to 20 years.
In 1908 and 1909 there is no clear mention of the 1907 program for the French. Which makes me suspect it wasn’t passed into law or funding was refused for the ships. Note no French capital ships laid down at all in 1909. Mention of debates on size of French battlefleet, 22 or 28 or 38 battleships by 1919 or 1920.
1910 French Program
28 Battleships
10 ‘Scouts’
By 1919
1912 German Program
41 Battleships
20 Large Cruisers
By 1917
From 1910 onward lots of mention that French fleet is overtly building vs Italian and Austro-Hungarian fleets. That the Germans lead in ships is just too much to overcome.
Below is list of ships started by France and Germany 1870s on.
What I am wondering for now is why if the Germans didn't do the 1900 navy law with that huge jump from 19 BBs + 8 CDs = 27 ships they had done a much smaller expansion? Say in 1901 or so with 28 Battleships, the Coast Defense ships to be declared over age and available for early replacement. All the rhetoric out of Berlin is the German building program is targeted on the French Fleet.
After the French do their 1906 program the Germans match it with goal of 34 BBs themselves.
With no real additional French program materializing be 1910 the German program stays as is.
By itself what if any change might this different naval program of the Germans have on events? With their fleet size overtly targeted on the French?