Why the Dunkerques resist simple classification

The design lineage changed as France reconsidered its likely opponents, first Italy, then Germany, and then Italy again. Elegance did not mean outright fighting superiority: the ships were graceful and strategically useful, but were never intended to stand against every contemporary battleship. Their value lay in matching the threats and missions France could realistically plan for rather than defeating any capital ship afloat. That tension explains why the battlecruiser label remains tempting even though the classification argument ultimately rejects it.