Selkiö Naval Treaty
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| Ten-Power Treaty | |
|---|---|
 Signing of the treaty | |
| Type | Arms control |
| Context | WSS |
| Signed | March 12, 1923 |
| Location | Selkiö, Rajamaa |
| Effective | September 27, 1923 |
| Expiration | 1936 |
| Negotiators |
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| Signatories |
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| Parties | |
The 1923 Selkiö Naval Treaty, also known as the Ten-Power Treaty, was a treaty signed by all major parties involved in the War of Serenoran Succession, as well as a few neutral states, which agreed to prevent an arms race by limiting naval construction. It was negotiated at the Selkiö Naval Conference, held in Selkiö, Rajamaa, from December 15, 1922 to March 12, 1923. The treaty was signed by the governments of Fȳrēþel, Menghe, Sieuxerr, Dayashina, Tír Glas, Rajamaa, New Tyran, Akeniran, Serenoro, and Ostland. It predominantly limited the construction of battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers by the signatories. Other categories of warships, including cruisers, destroyers, and submarines, were not limited in quantity by the treaty, although a qualitative limit of 12,000 tons displacement was in place for the latter vessel types.
The treaty was concluded on March 12, 1923, with ratifications being exchanged in Selkiö on September 27, 1923.
Later conferences sought additional limitations of warship building, specifically for cruisers. The push for limiting cruiser proliferation was primarily brought about by escalating tensions at the end of the 1920s, and the terms for the Selkiö Naval Treaty were modified by the Avallone Amendment of 1930. However, by the mid-1930s, Dayashina and Serenoro had openly renounced the treaties, which in turn spurred other signatories to hurriedly abandon the treaty restrictions; This effectively left any further naval arms limitation impossible post 1936.
Background
In the aftermath of the War of Serenoran Succession, Dayashina possessed the worlds most powerful navy, having been largely unmolested, and in the midst of an arms race which would see Casaterran naval dominance shaken, while vying for dominance over the Helian ocean with Tír Glas.
Negotiations
Terms
| Country | Capital ships | Aircraft carriers |
|---|---|---|
| Dayashina | 453,000 tons | 160,000 tons |
| Tír Glas | 453,000 tons | 160,000 tons |
| Rajamaa | 394,000 tons | 160,000 tons |
| New Tyran | 383,000 tons | 160,000 tons |
| Ostland | 324,000 tons | 120,000 tons |
| Fȳrēþel | 324,000 tons | 120,000 tons |
| Serenoro | 324,000 tons | 120,000 tons |
| Menghe | 289,000 tons | 80,000 tons |
| Sieuxerr | 232,000 tons | 80,000 tons |
| Akeniran | 105,000 tons | 0 tons |
The treaty set stringent controls on the total tonnage and construction of capital ships and aircraft carriers, as well as restrictions on the size of vessels. The tonnage limits defined by the articles of the treaty, those stipulating total tonnage, gave a strength ratio of approximately 6:6:5.5:5.5:4.5:4.5:4.5:4:3:1 for the nations; Dayashina, Tír Glas, Rajamaa, New Tyran, Ostland, Fȳrēþel, Serenoro, Menghe, Sieuxerr, and Akeniran, respectively.
The qualitative limits outlined for each vessel type are as follows:
- Capital ships, battleships and battlecruisers, were limited to 35,000 tons standard displacement and guns of no larger than 14-inch calibre; Except those vessels prescribed on a quantitative per nation basis, which may displace upto 46,000 tons and possess guns of no larger than 16.5-inches in calibre.
- Aircraft carriers were limited to 40,000 tons displacement and heavy guns of no larger than 8-inch calibre, of which not more than 10 may be carried. Each signatory may also not commission any vessel of the type until 1925.
- Cruisers were limited to 12,000 tons displacement and guns of no larger than 8-inch calibre.
- Coastal defence ships were limited to 8,000 tons displacement and capability to make no more than 18 knots speed.
- Monitors were limited to 8,000 tons displacement and capability to make no more than 10 knots speed, and possessing not more than 2 guns greater than 5-inches in calibre.
The treaty also detailed by article # the individual ships to be retained by each navy, including the allowance for Tír Glas to retain the Nemain which exceeded the treaty restrictions via 18-inch main armament; The ship was given special consideration, and resulted in an exception made for its use.
Article # detailed what was required to render a ship legally ineffective for military operation. In addition to sinking or scrapping, each signatory nation was permitted to retain; One vessel completely stripped of all armament, but retaining its armour, propulsion, and steering, for the purposes of target evaluation; Along with one other vessel disarmed by diminution of the main armament to 6 barrels or less for all armament over 8-inch in calibre, for the purposes of training.
Article # specified the vessels of each nation to be scrapped to comply with the treaty, and when the remaining ships could be replaced.
Definitions
The treaty outlined in detail the binding definitions for each vessel type, including those not strictly limited by the treaty. The definitions allowed for the quantitatively free construction of cruisers, monitors, and coastal defence ships, while keeping qualitative limits on such types of vessel.
The definitions outlined in the treaty are as follows:
- Capital ship; A capital ship, in the case of ships built hereafter, is defined as a vessel of war, not an aircaft carrier, whose displacement exceeds 12,000 tons standard displacement, or which carries any armament exceeding 8-inch in calibre.
- Aircraft carrier; An aircraft carrier is defined as a vessel of war with a displacement in excess of 12,000 tons standard displacement designed for the specific and exclusive purpose of carrying aircraft. It must be so constructed that aircraft can be launched therefrom and landed thereon, and not designed or constructed for carrying a more powerful armament than that allowed to it under Article # or Article # as the case may be.
- Cruiser; A cruiser, in the case of ships built hereafter, is defined as a vessel of war, neither coastal defence ship, nor monitor, with a displacement in excess of 2,000 tons but does not exceed 12,000 tons standard displacement, and which carries no armament exceeding 8-inch in calibre.
- Coastal defence ship; A coastal defence ship, in the case of ships built hereafter, is defined as a vessel of war, not a cruiser, with a displacement in excess of 2,000 tons but does not exceed 8,000 tons standard displacement, and which possesses the capability to make not more than 18 knots, and carries any armament exceeding 6-inch in calibre.
- Monitor; A monitor, in the case of ships built hereafter, is defined as a vessel of war, neither cruiser, nor coastal defence ship, whose displacement does not exceed 8,000 tons standard displacement, and which possesses the capability to make not more than 10 knots, and which carries not more than 2 guns of any armament exceeding 5-inch in calibre.
- Standard displacement; The standard displacement of a ship is the displacement of the ship complete, fully manned, engined, and equipped ready for sea, including all armament and ammunition, equipment, outfit provisions and fresh water for crew, miscellaneous stores and implements of every description that are intended to be carried in war, but without fuel or reserve feed water on board.
The word "ton" in the present Treaty, except in the expression "metric tons", shall be understood to mean the ton of 2,240 pounds (1,016 kilos).
Vessels now completed shall retain their present ratings of displacement tonnage in accordance with their national system of measurement. However, a Power expressing displacement in metric tons shall be considered for the application of the present Treaty as owning only the equivalent displacement in tons of 2,240 pounds.
A vessel completed hereafter shall be rated at its displacement tonnage when in the standard condition defined herein.