République was laid down at the Arsenal de Brest in December 1901, launched on 4 September 1902, and completed in December 1906,[REF] at the same time as the revolutionary British battleship , which rendered the pre-dreadnoughts like République outdated [REF].
Républiques main battery consisted of four Canon de 305 mm Modèle 1893/96 guns mounted in two twin gun turrets, one forward and one aft.