Fulminant was the second of the two ships of the Tonnerre-class, coastal defense breastwork monitors built for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) in the 1870s.

On 10 November 1871, the Minister of the Navy (Ministère de la Marine) Louis Pierre Alexis Pothuau issued a specification for a new coastal defense ship.

Of the three alternatives submitted on 9 August 1872, the French Navy accepted that developed by Louis de Bussy, which was signed on 29 July.

With superficial similarity to the Royal Navy monitor Glatton but with a shorter breastwork, the design was agreed and built as class of two vessels.

[1] A breastwork monitor that had hull of steel, Fulminant had a single turret forward and a narrow superstructure 1.8 m (6 ft) wide aft.

[7] Defence from torpedo boats was provided by four 100 mm (3.9 in) guns mounted at the corners of the flying deck, raised above the hull.

On 26 February 1887, the ship was travelling back to Toulon when she struck a rock in the Chenal du Four off the coast near Brest.

[9] On 22 June, the ironclad joined the coastal defense ship Tempête, three cruisers and nine torpedo boats in a training exercise over 22 days.

[9] French naval doctrine was changing and the focus on coastal defense was being replaced by one of larger sea-going warships.

In July 1902, Fulminant took part in a trial for the Aigrette-class submarines, where the ship acted as the target for them to demonstrate their stealthy characteristics.

[12] The ship was struck on 14 August 1908 and reallocated, on 21 June 1909, to act as a target at Brest for the Mediterranean Squadron (Esadre du Meditérranée).