186:, who now became the primary hypothetical threat to Japan's future security. In 1907, no clash of fundamental interests between Japan and the United States existed nor was there any indication that either the Japanese or the American government desired confrontation. The Imperial Defense Policy of 1907 promoted Japan's big-navy ideology in complete disregard of the realities of Japanese foreign policy. Far from providing a rationale for an eight-eight fleet by a detailed explanation of an American naval threat, the policy arbitrarily selected the United States as a likely opponent in order to justify the scale of naval strength it desired. More than Japan's most likely antagonist, the U.S. Navy became the Imperial Japanese navy's "budgetary enemy".
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who advocated that
Japanese security could only be guaranteed by a strong navy. Satō argued that to ensure security, Japan should be capable of defeating the power which represented the greatest hypothetical threat. In the 1907 Imperial National Defense Policy, Japan's military focus shifted away
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for a building program which would have reached the "Eight-Eight Fleet" ideal. To complicate matters further, while the "Eight-Eight Fleet" plan lasted over a decade, the ships required for it changed; by 1920 the ships which had been ordered in 1910 to start to fulfill the plan were becoming
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In 1915, the Navy proposed another four battleships, to reach an "Eight-Four Fleet". This was rejected by the Diet. However, in 1916 the Diet agreed to an additional battleship and two battlecruisers. In 1917, in response to the U.S. Navy's plan to build an additional ten battleships and six
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cut back this request for political reasons, to seven battleships and three armored cruisers. The
Cabinet eventually recommended one battleship and four battlecruisers, and the Diet authorized these ships in 1911. The battlecruisers became the
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of 20,000 tons each and eight modern armored cruisers of 18,000 tons each. These were to be complemented by the construction of several lesser warship types, including cruisers and destroyers. The plan was inspired by the
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which later achieved Japan's withdrawal from the treaty. Ironically, the treaty restricted
British and American ship building programs much more than Japanese due to the difference in industrial capability.
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was now regarded as Ship No.1 in the new project, and planners now began to write off the older battleships and battlecruisers. On this revised basis the Navy was back down to a "Four-Four Fleet".
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battlecruisers, the Diet authorized a further three battleships; and in 1918 the
Cabinet authorized another two battlecruisers. In total, the authorization existed for an "Eight-Eight Fleet".
393:, a reluctant Diet was persuaded to accept a plan to bring the "Four-Four" set of modern ships up to "Eight-Eight" strength by 1927. This would have involved augmenting the
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Although
Japanese Navy procurement still proceeded along the lines of initial "Eight-Eight Fleet" plans for several years, changes in naval strategy and the development of
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449:, which was nearing completion and which had a special place in many Japanese hearts, with many of the funds for her construction raised by public subscription.
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So great was the difference in capability between this generation of ships and those of five years previously that the "Eight-Eight Fleet" plan was restarted:
460:. For this reason, it was vociferously opposed by many Imperial Japanese Navy officers, including Admiral Satō Tetsutarō. This group formed the influential
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Various alternative plans were discussed, including a reduction in the plan to "Eight-Four Fleet" program, of later to an "Eight-Six Fleet" program.
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of 1922 put an end to these construction plans. Under the terms of the treaty all the ships still being built — which meant all ships started after
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classes, then the even higher goal of an "Eight-Eight-Eight Fleet" with not two but three eight-ship battle squadrons could be realized.
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The Eight-Eight Fleet policy was controversial because of the enormous cost of battleships, and only once was authorization given by the
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A further impetus to achieve the Eight-Eight Fleet ideal came from an additional expansion of the U.S. Navy under
American President
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proposed a building program of eight battleships and eight armored cruisers (by that time, they would inevitably become
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in the first quarter of the 20th century, which stipulated that the navy should include eight first-class
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The 1913 program saw a further three battleships authorized, making a total of "four-four". These ships,
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with the 1907 Imperial
Defense Policy between the Japanese government and the competing services of the
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367:(A former Japanese battlecruiser converted to an aircraft carrier) being relaunched in April 1925.
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Military
Intervention in Pre-War Japanese Politics: Admiral Kato Kanji and the Washington System'
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Battleships and Battle
Cruisers, 1905-1970: Historical Development of the Capital Ship
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Kaigun: Strategy, Tactics, and
Technology in the Imperial Japanese Navy, 1887-1941
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The first serious attempt to build an "Eight-Eight Fleet" came in 1910, when the
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Warships after Washington: The Development of Five Major Fleets 1922–1930
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battlecruisers: all modern, capable ships carrying 16-inch guns. Only the two
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The concept of the "Eight-Eight Fleet" originated in the aftermath of the
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164:. The policy called for the construction of a battle fleet of eight
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battlecruisers with an additional four fast battleships of the new
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243:-class dreadnought battleship, at anchor, shortly after completion.
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for the Japanese navy as 60% of the U.S. Navy and the British
386:(on top of the 16 already authorized in 1916). In 1920, under
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Lengerer, Hans (2020). "The Eight-Eight Fleet and the
209:presented the budget request for this fleet to the
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57:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
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651:The Imperial Japanese Navy in the Pacific War
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472:made the term an anachronism by the 1930s.
273:: all were technologically advanced ships.
569:Evans, David C.; Peattie, Mark R. (1997).
88:Learn how and when to remove this message
550:Breyer, Siegfried; Alfred Kurti (2002).
382:'s 1919 plan to build another set of 16
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634:. Oxford, UK: Osprey. pp. 28–47.
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128:formulated for the development of the
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342:were completed as aircraft carriers
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452:The treaty established a maximum
323:battleships, and a total of four
630:Trials". In Jordan, John (ed.).
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27:Japanese naval armament strategy
672:. Cambridge University Press.
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668:Weinberg, Gerhard L. (2005).
573:. US Naval Institute Press.
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354:Second "Eight-Eight Fleet"
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102:Eight-Eight Fleet Program
533:Evans & Peattie 1997
516:Evans & Peattie 1997
43:This article includes a
611:. Seaforth Publishing.
433:Washington Naval Treaty
427:Washington Naval Treaty
267:and the battleship was
189:Based on a theoretical
148:History and development
72:more precise citations.
703:Naval history of Japan
698:Imperial Japanese Navy
554:. Doubleday & Co.
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130:Imperial Japanese Navy
653:. Osprey Publishing.
649:Stille, Mark (2014).
607:Jordan, John (2011).
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316:battleships, the two
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592:. RoutledgeCurzon.
249:Naval General Staff
228:First "Eight-Eight"
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207:Yamamoto Gonnohyoe
191:United States Navy
166:modern battleships
154:Russo-Japanese War
45:list of references
660:978-1-47280-146-3
641:978-1-4728-4071-4
618:978-1-84832-117-5
588:Gow, Ian (2004).
441:aircraft carriers
138:armoured cruisers
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70:introducing
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458:Royal Navy
221:obsolete.
136:and eight
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476:See also
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