Drawing from the experience gained in World War I, the concept of a large surface raider emerged in Germany in the late 1920s. The projects considered the intention of Great Britain to impose restrictions on battleship armament to a maximum caliber of 305 mm during upcoming naval conferences. Under the proposed designs, the standard displacement varied between 17,500 and 25,000 tons, while the armament consisted of four turrets housing eight 305 mm guns, accompanied by a strong secondary battery of 150 mm guns. The armor was rather light for the ship to be classified as a battleship, as was her anti-torpedo protection.