SMS ''Kaiser Franz Joseph I'' (sometimes called the ''Kaiser Franz Josef I'') was a
protected cruiser
Protected cruisers, a type of naval cruiser of the late-19th century, gained their description because an armoured deck offered protection for vital machine-spaces from fragments caused by shells exploding above them. Protected cruisers re ...
built for the
Austro-Hungarian Navy. Named for the Austrian emperor and Hungarian king
Franz Joseph I
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
, ''Kaiser Franz Joseph I'' was the
lead ship
The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels.
Large ships are very complex and may ...
of her
namesake class. Constructed by
Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...
, she was
laid down
Laying the keel or laying down is the formal recognition of the start of a ship's construction. It is often marked with a ceremony attended by dignitaries from the shipbuilding company and the ultimate owners of the ship.
Keel laying is one o ...
in January 1888 and
launched in May 1889. ''Kaiser Franz Joseph I'' was
commissioned into the Navy in June 1890. As the first protected cruiser constructed by the Austro-Hungarian Navy, she was intended to serve as Austria-Hungary's response to the Italian cruisers and . Her design was heavily influenced by the ''
Jeune École
The ''Jeune École'' ("Young School") was a strategic naval concept developed during the 19th century. It advocated the use of small, heavily armed vessels to combat larger battleships, and the use of commerce raiders to cripple the trade of the ...
'' (Young School), a
naval strategy
Naval strategy is the planning and conduct of war at sea, the naval equivalent of military strategy on land.
Naval strategy, and the related concept of maritime strategy, concerns the overall strategy for achieving victory at sea, including the ...
which had gained prominence in the 1880s as a means to combat a larger and more heavily armored navy of
battleships through the use of torpedo flotillas.
Changes in technology and strategic thinking through the adoption of
Alfred Thayer Mahan
Alfred Thayer Mahan (; September 27, 1840 – December 1, 1914) was a United States naval officer and historian, whom John Keegan called "the most important American strategist of the nineteenth century." His book '' The Influence of Sea Powe ...
's "decisive battle" doctrine which stressed the construction of powerful battleships as the primary
capital ship
The capital ships of a navy are its most important warships; they are generally the larger ships when compared to other warships in their respective fleet. A capital ship is generally a leading or a primary ship in a naval fleet.
Strategic im ...
of navies around the world rendered the design of the ''Kaiser Franz Joseph I'' obsolete shortly after her commissioning. Nevertheless, she and her sister ship remained an important component of Austro-Hungarian naval policy, which continued to emphasize coastal defense and overseas missions to