Still the British public and even leadership would have been far less supportive of continental deployment without the Kriegsmarine tread.
... Kriegsmarine threat?
Still the British public and even leadership would have been far less supportive of continental deployment without the Kriegsmarine tread.
Britain didn't declare war on Germany because of fears over the size of Germany's navy, they did it because they were worried that Germany was going to dominate Europe and become too powerful for Britain to resist. A couple of battleships either way is neither here nor there.I took the OP's question to ask IF by not building large Naval units would it prevent England from guaranteeing Poland, hence starting the war. I think that would have been a real possibility. If Germany only had the pocket battleships, some cruisers and a few U-boats I don't think GB would have been as worried. But with Germany having laid down keels for the 2 Bismarks, the Graf Zepplin, along with rapidly expanded U-boat construction they got GB's attention and concern. Had those ships never been started and the U-boat fleet kept at 20 (with heavy R&D and constantly producing prototypes) I think England would have been much less concerned. If England doesn't declare war because of Poland, the Norway campaign never happens so the Naval requirements of that campaign are moot.
If I was Germany (at that point) I would have spent the money (some of it) I saved on the capital ship production and created naval patrol planes. You could protect Germany's coast using air power at that point if needed.
WI no large scale investment in Kriegsmarine during German re-armament?