Aircraft arrangements and guns would be the same as the Colbert. She was ordered on 1 March 1927 then laid down as Project Number C2 with her hull designation of 100 on 21 June 1927 after the launch of her sister ship Colbert.
In the 1927 tranche there was a provision for a 10,000 ton Treaty Cruiser, the vessel would become the third unit of the . The hull construction would be the same as the previous two but the level of protection would be changed.