Italy faced two overlapping dreadnought competitions. France created the quantitative problem because Italy had to consider the size of the French fleet, while Austria-Hungary drove the qualitative contest. The planned 21-knot Ersatz Monarchs, each with ten 14-inch guns, were a substantial advance over the Tegetthoffs. Their appearance helps explain why the Francesco Caracciolo class emphasized speed and the ability to cover several Mediterranean approaches. The pre-war naval race extended well beyond the familiar Anglo-German contest.
Chapter · 0:01-1:38
Italy's two-sided dreadnought race
Italy faced French numerical strength and Austro-Hungarian design quality at the same time, making the Ersatz Monarchs a distinct pressure on its battleship policy.