SMS Fürst Bismarck was Germany's first armored cruiser, built for the Kaiserliche Marine before the turn of the 20th century. The ship was named for the German statesman Otto von Bismarck. The design for Fürst Bismarck was an improvement over the previous Victoria Louise-class protected cruisers—Fürst Bismarck was significantly larger and better armed than her predecessors.
A 1902 lithograph of Fürst Bismarck
Fritz Stoltenberg painting of Fürst Bismarck shortly after her commissioning
Fürst Bismarck at her launching ceremony
Fürst Bismarck in port at some point during her career
The armored cruiser was a type of warship of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was designed like other types of cruisers to operate as a long-range, independent warship, capable of defeating any ship apart from a battleship and fast enough to outrun any battleship it encountered.
The Russian armored cruiser Rurik is an example of an armored cruiser.
Russian armored cruiser General-Admiral.
French armored cruiser Dupuy de Lôme
HMS Orlando