What displacement, layout, and speed might Germany choose if the Kaiser forced battleship and battlecruiser development into one line?
Short answerIt would probably target about 25 to 26 knots and comparable armament, with machinery and cost determining how closely the design could meet that ideal.
NotesThe expected speed is around 25 to 26 knots, enough to be fast relative to the battle line. German designers preferred equivalent firepower in battleships and battlecruisers. Historical differences in armament often arose because engines, systems, schedules, and cost made that ideal unaffordable. A merged line would therefore pursue common combat power, but its final form would still be a compromise imposed by industrial and financial limits.