A design based on the preceding Bélier-class ram but with similarities to the Royal Navy breastwork monitor Glatton, the class comprised Tonnerre and Fulminant.

Their main battery of two 274.4 mm (11 in) was mounted in a single turret powered by a hydraulic machinery, an early use of the technology, that was situated forward of a narrow superstructure and was.

Changes in naval doctrine, alongside the introduction of more capable battleships and new technologies like submarines meant that the ships were obsolete.

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.

Having a 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] Breastwork monitors that had hull of steel, the ships of the Tonnerre class had a single turret forward and a narrow superstructure, 1.8 m (6 ft) wide, aft.

Fulminant joined the coastal defense ship Tempête, three cruisers and nine torpedo boats in a training exercise over 22 days from 22 June.

Although nominally defending Cherbourg, the ship made a successful attack against a more powerful force on 3 August using dummy torpedoes.

[13] 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.