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The '''''Dupleix''-class cruisers''' were a group of three [[armoured cruiser]]s built for the [[French Navy]] ({{lang|fr|Marine Navale}}) at the beginning of the 20th century. Designed for overseas service and armed with four {{convert|164|mm|in|adj=on|1|sp=us}} guns, the three [[sister ship]]s were smaller and less powerfully armed than their predecessors.
''Dupleix'' was initially assigned to the Atlantic Division ({{lang|fr|Division de l'Atlantique}}) as its [[flagship]]. Her sisters were initially assigned to the [[Mediterranean Squadron (France)|Mediterranean Squadron]] ({{lang|fr|Escadre de la Méditerranée}}), although ''Desaix'' relieved ''Dupleix'' as flagship of the Atlantic Division in 1905. ''Dupleix'' was reduced to [[Reserve fleet|reserve]] from 1906 to 1909 before she was sent to the [[Far East]] in 1910 as the flagship of the ships there. ''Desaix'' and ''Kléber'' exchanged assignments in 1907 later, although the former ship returned to the Atlantic in 1908 before being placed in reserve from 1909 to 1914. ''Kléber'' was also placed in reserve in 1909, but she was reactivated two years later to join ''Dupleix'' in the Far East before returning home in 1913 to be placed in reserve again.
As tensions rose shortly before the beginning of [[World War I]] in August 1914, both ''Desaix'' and ''Kléber'' were reactivated. When the war began they were assigned to defend [[Allies of World War I|Allied]] shipping in the [[English Channel]] and intercept German ships attempting to pass through.
==Background==
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