1906: The Dreadnought Revolution

What if Brittany had still been independent when America was discovered?

Here is that story!
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Map 120
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Dynasties and rulers
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In 1906 the English launched the Dreadnought battleship. This powerful ship had a unified, high-caliber armament that allowed it to fire from very far away. Its steam turbine engine made it fast and less vulnerable to torpedo boats. Its range was 10,000 km.

The Dreadnought made all the old ships obsolete and Brazil, like the others, was forced to renew its entire fleet.

Outside the Germanic camp, USA + Germany + UK + Argentina largely outclasses the Brazilian camp (Brazil + France + Russia) in industrial and naval production. The ratio is 2.6 to 1 for steel production. Impossible to compete with the Germanic fleet of which the USA alone represents 44% of this camp.

Reconciliation between Brazil and Argentina is a necessity. If Argentina remains neutral the ratio becomes 2 to 1. If it joins Brazil the ratio is 1.33 to 1 which becomes feasible.

King Jean X also recognized that the state-controlled economic model of Brazil established after 1875 was failing. It allowed for better control of the population but generated corruption, waste and inefficiency. The Brazilian productive apparatus suffered from increasing backwardness. A reform was necessary but the system had been so well locked down by the Regent François Martin Rohan (1815-1899), that a reform was delicate.