Coastal-defense battleships as a deterrent fleet

What was distinctive about Swedish naval designs in the first half of the twentieth century?

Their coastal-defense ships packed armor and heavy guns into short-range vessels that deterred close blockade and attacks near Swedish waters.

Swedish coastal-defence ships make sense when judged by their intended operating area. Heavy guns and armour are concentrated in vessels suited to fighting near home waters. They form part of a larger defensive system with torpedo craft, mines, and submarines. Judging them only against ocean-going battleships misses the coastal role that shapes their design.