A cruiser-heavy German navy as a diplomatic compromise

Was there a German naval force large enough to deter France and Russia without provoking Britain?

A cruiser-heavy German navy with only a few necessary capital ships might have looked like a useful partner to Britain, while the historic capital-ship program looked like a direct challenge.

A cruiser-heavy fleet offers an alternative to the historic Anglo-German naval race. Germany could retain enough capital ships for Baltic and French contingencies while building cruisers that Britain might view as useful against shared rivals. That arrangement fits an older pattern in which British trade and sea power supported Prussian land power. German cruisers could help protect trade and threaten France's colonial links, while a battle fleet concentrated in the North Sea looked directly aimed at Britain. Naval laws focused on capital ships therefore made cooperation far harder.