|
 The
United States has a long history of naval arms control. In fact,
the 1817 Rush-Bagot Agreement with Great Britain that demilitarized
the Great Lakes is the longest-standing arms control agreement to
which the United States is a party. Between 1921 and 1939, a set
of agreements collectively known as the Washington Naval Limitation
System specified detailed restrictions on the size, number, and
armament of warships belonging to the world's leading naval powers.
Near the end of the 1930s as the world lurched once again toward
war, the fabric of arms control began to unravel, and the era of
naval arms control came to an end.
The capital ships seen here represent the major navies of the world
in this period. For more information, see the following pages. |
