The Washington Naval Agreement, 1922

What was the Washington Naval Agreement?

The Washington Naval Agreement was also known as the Five Power Naval Limitation Treaty. In it, the participants agreed limits on the size of their naval forces.

Why was the Washington Naval Agreement decided?

The Washington Naval Agreement was reached in order to reduce tension in the Asia-Pacific region.

When was the Washington Naval Agreement signed?

Negotiations for the Washington Naval Agreement began in 1921. It was finally signed on 6th February, 1922.

Where was the Washington Naval Agreement decided?

The Washington Naval Agreement was signed at the Washington Naval Conference. This is sometimes referred to as the International Conference of Naval Limitation.

Who was involved in the Washington Naval Agreement?

The conference where the agreement was decided upon was organised and hosted by the USA and attended by Britain, France, Italy and Japan. An additional agreement also involved Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and China.

What were the terms agreed under the Washington Naval Agreement?

The agreement set out terms stating Britain and America could have equivalent navies. For every 5 tonnes their battleships weighed, Japan would be allowed 3 tonnes.

What was significant about the Washington Naval Agreement?

The agreement showed the League was not taken seriously for the following reasons:

• ❖ The League was committed to encouraging disarmament as one of its aims but was not involved in the first conference aimed at addressing this.
• ❖ Britain, France and Japan were 3 of the League's most powerful members, yet they attended the conference as individual countries rather than sending delegates through the League.
• ❖ The conference actually encouraged a new arms race in the building of lighter warships and submarines, and was the catalyst for a new naval building programme in the USA and Japan.