France was still progressing through Bretagne, Normandie and Lyon while the industrial legacy of the Jeune École and the demands of the army constrained capital-ship construction. Russia's Borodino or Izmail projects suggested another possible advance, but the revolution halted them. Britain and Germany largely stopped the annual cycle of new battleship construction during World War I, although Hood remained an exception. American 21-knot battleships therefore became the most visible contemporary baseline, making Francesco Caracciolo's speed seem unusually radical. Had prewar development toward ships such as the 25-knot Queen Elizabeths continued, the Caracciolos might instead have looked like Italy keeping pace. Their apparent lead depended partly on the rival developments interrupted by war.
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Why Francesco Caracciolo looked revolutionary
Italy's fast Francesco Caracciolo class appeared unusually advanced because World War I froze many rival design cycles around slower ships.