Part 3/10:
To understand the Yamato's significance, we must rewind to 1918, at the conclusion of World War I. Japan emerged from the war with a reputation as a formidable power, having allied with Western forces against Germany. Ambitiously, Japan sought to expand its influence in the Pacific and eyed China as a potential protectorate. Faced with the constraints of the 1922 Washington Naval Treaty, which limited its naval power to 60% of that of Britain and the U.S., Japanese naval planners began envisioning a powerful fleet capable of challenging its Western rivals.