The Léon Gambetta class was a class of armoured cruiser of the French Navy

French Navy

The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...

 which were commissioned in 1903. They were named after notable French Republican statesmen. The Ministry of the Navy, from 1902 to 1905,Camille Pelletan, by giving these names to the French armoured cruisers, wished to honor Republican statesmen, philosophers or historians, as Waldeck-Rousseau, Jules Michelet

Jules Michelet

Jules Michelet was a French historian. He was born in Paris to a family with Huguenot traditions.-Early life:His father was a master printer, not very prosperous, and Jules assisted him in the actual work of the press...

, Ernest Renan

Ernest Renan

Ernest Renan was a French expert of Middle East ancient languages and civilizations, philosopher and writer, devoted to his native province of Brittany...

, or Edgar Quinet

Edgar Quinet

Edgar Quinet was a French historian and intellectual.-Early years:Born at Bourg-en-Bresse, in the département of Ain. His father, Jérôme Quinet, had been a commissary in the army, but being a strong republican and disgusted with Napoleon's 18 Brumaire coup, he gave up his post and devoted himself...

, as the officers of the French Navy (so called La Royale) were reputed to have rather Royalist sympathies. Under his authority, and for the same reason, six battleships were given names as République

French battleship République (1902)

The République was a pre-dreadnought République class battleship of the French Navy. She served from 1906 to 1921. She was moored near the Liberté when the latter exploded accidentally in 1911, and was damaged by flying debris...

, Patrie

French battleship Patrie (1903)

The Patrie was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy. She was commissioned in December 1906 and served in the French Navy during the First World War, afterwards being converted to use as a torpedo school ship until being scrapped in 1928....

, Démocratie

French battleship Démocratie (1904)

The Démocratie was a Liberté class pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy. She served in the Mediterranean Sea during World War I, and was scrapped in 1922.-Design:...

, Justice

French battleship Justice (1904)

The Justice was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy of the Liberté class.During her career, she nearly exploded like her sistership, Liberte did, but survived after the captain ordered the magazines to be flooded...

, Liberté

French battleship Liberté (1905)

The Liberté was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. Commanded by capitaine de vaisseau Louis Jaurès, She sailed to the United States after her commissioning...

, or Vérité

French battleship Vérité (1907)

The Vérité was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the French Navy.After her trails in June 1908, Vérité departed in 18 August, ferrying President Armand Fallières bound for officials visits to Denmark, Sweden, Russia and Norway....

.

Description and History

was torpedoed and sunk in 1915.

• Jules Ferry
  French armoured cruiser Jules Ferry (1903)
  The Jules Ferry was a French Navy armoured cruiser of 12,400 tons of the Léon Gambetta class. She was launched in 1903 at Lorient.After her commissioning, she was appointed to the 2nd light cruiser division in the Mediterranean....
  
   served until 1927.
• Victor Hugo until 1928.

See also