 The acceleration of the German naval building programme in 1907 – 08 forced the Government to yield to public pressure and authorize more ships for the 1909 – 10 Construction Programme . Only a single battleship and a battlecruiser had been authorized in the 1908 – 09 Construction Programme , but three battleships and a battlecruiser were authorized in the 1909 – 10 Programme with another three battleships and a battlecruiser planned as " contingency " ships to placate the public and the Admiralty . Continuing pressure forced the Government to announce in July 1909 that the " contingency " ships would also be built . This pressure also allowed the Admiralty to gain approval to improve the size and power of its new ships so as to maintain qualitative superiority over the new German dreadnoughts then under construction . 
