The comparison pairs Sankt Georg with the much larger Radetzky-class pre-dreadnought, which was only about a knot and a half slower. The ships were close enough in length that a yard able to construct the cruiser could plausibly build a heavier local combatant. An Austro-Hungarian commerce raider would first have to escape the Adriatic past Italy and then cross the Mediterranean before reaching the Atlantic. A ship defending its own coast had no corresponding need to run and benefited more from armour and gunpower. On those strategic grounds, a pre-dreadnought or coastal-defence battleship made more sense than an armoured cruiser.
Notable Point · 45:55-48:32
The Radetzky alternative for Adriatic defence
A yard capable of building Sankt Georg could build a Radetzky-class pre-dreadnought better suited to the firepower and protection needed in the Adriatic.