Spain turned to the España class after its defeat in the Spanish-American War. The country lacked the money to rebuild a fleet capable of contesting command of the sea, yet it wanted to protect what remained and avoid another cheap humiliation. An España could move heavy firepower to a threatened area and overmatch cruisers sent for an economical attack. An opponent would have to risk or divert a battle fleet to secure the same objective. This was a risk fleet, designed to deter coercion by raising its likely cost even without offering a realistic path to fleet victory.
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España as a risk fleet after 1898
After the Spanish-American War, the España class offered Spain a mobile coastal-defence force that could make a stronger attacker commit battleships instead of relying on cruisers.