The Soviet Union wanted an entire modern fleet but had lost much industrial knowledge and capacity during the revolution and civil war. Italian designs, especially the Raimondo Montecuccoli and Duca d'Aosta classes, offered a practical starting point. Soviet planners considered 152 mm and 203 mm weapons before selecting a 180 mm gun. That seven-inch calibre fell between the light- and heavy-cruiser categories created by the Washington and London naval treaties, although the Soviet Union was not treaty-bound. The design choice shows why stable industry, sound metallurgy, research time, and foreign technical help all mattered to rebuilding Soviet naval construction.
Chapter · 2:08-6:11
Italian design aid meets Soviet industrial recovery
Civil-war damage pushed the Soviet Union toward Italian cruiser expertise while it rebuilt naval design, machinery, and metallurgy capacity.