Why France and Italy favour fast battleships

For Italy, a battlecruiser cannot retain enough freedom of movement in the confined Mediterranean if rival ships can match its speed; armour therefore matters more. Speed still matters because it permits rapid redeployment between the basin's strategic points, but it must be combined with battle-line protection. The Francesco Caracciolo design consequently fits Italian needs better than a lightly protected cruiser-killer. France has a wider imperial rationale for battlecruisers, yet spending on them would weaken its position against Italy in the Mediterranean. The scenario accordingly pushes both navies toward fast battleships, while the French may have to abandon incomplete designs and start again.