With the ratification of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, France could not ignore the ramifications of the cruiser article.

The cruiser design authorized under the 1924 build program would sacrifice protection for speed while maintaining the 10,000-ton displacement restriction while mounting 8 inch guns.

[5] The design was an enlargement of the Duguay-Trouin-class light cruiser with standard displacement raised to 10,000 tons.

The walls of the transverse bulkheads at each end of the machinery spaces was increased to 20 mm (0.79 in) to limit flooding to three compartments for mine or torpedo hits.

AC Bretagne came up with an eight boiler four shaft solution producing 155,000 CV for 34 knots (63 km/h; 39 mph) at normal displacement.

Four identical single reduction gear Rateau-Bretagne stem turbines would produce the 120,000 CV (chevaux - horses)* to achieve the required speed.

Two cruising turbines were fitted to the inboard shafts to achieve the 5,000 nautical miles (9,300 km; 5,800 mi) at 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) requirement.

[12] A new gun was designed with a simplistic constructed of a thick autofretted A tube, with a shrunk jacket and breech ring.

At maximum elevation an APC 1927 shell with a two half charges totaling 53 kilograms (117 lb) had a range of 31,400 meters (34,300 yd) with a muzzle velocity of 850 m/s (2,800 ft/s).

The APC M1936 shell with two half charges totaling 47 kg (104 lb) had a range of 30,000 m (33,000 yd) with a muzzle velocity of 820 m/s (2,700 ft/s).

[13][14] The Staff Requirement for the secondary armament was for four 100 mm high angle guns with 500 rounds.

The used fixed ammunition with a sliding breech and were capable of eight to fifteen rounds per minute.

With an elevation only to plus 85 degrees they had a slow rate of fire, 15 to 21 rounds per minute therefore were not effective against modern aircraft when installed.

However, it was recognized that these weapons were ineffective against aircraft of the period so they were replaced by twelve 13,2 mm (0.5 inch) Model 1929 machine guns.

The catapult was finally installed in 1929 – 1930 and the obsolete aircraft replaced by the Gordou-Lesseurre float plane.

During the war Duquesne was on blockade duty in the mid-Atlantic whereas Tourville was in the Mediterranean Sea.

Both became part of Force X at Alexandria prior to Italy's entry into the war where they were interned for three years after the French Armistice with Germany.

[30] Again assigned to blockade duty in the Mid Atlantic at Dakar; but their anti-aircraft protection was still considered inadequate to provide gunfire support for the invasion of Normandy.