The armoured-cruiser tradition was separate from the later treaty heavy cruiser. Minotaur's 9.2-inch main armament, 7.5-inch secondary guns, and roughly 14,800-ton displacement distinguish it from the treaty type. Duke of Edinburgh and Warrior are given as roughly 12,800 tons, showing that these earlier cruisers were already substantial ships. The light-cruiser lineage moved toward the treaty heavy cruiser through increases such as 6-inch to 7.5-inch guns. A calibre that served as a secondary weapon in an armoured cruiser could therefore represent an increase in the main armament of a lighter cruiser.
Notable Point · 2:41-3:30
Why armoured cruisers did not become heavy cruisers
After the First World War, armoured cruisers were no longer being built; treaty heavy cruisers developed from the light-cruiser line.