The "Olympic" class had its origins in the intense competition between the United Kingdom and Germany in the construction of the liners. The Norddeutscher Lloyd and HAPAG, the two largest German companies, were indeed involved in the race for speed and size in the late 19th century. The first in service for the Norddeutscher Lloyd was , which won the Blue Riband in 1897 before being beaten by of HAPAG in 1900. Then followed the three sister vessels of the "Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse": , and all of whom were part of a "". In response to this, the Cunard Line of the UK ordered two vessels whose speed earned them the nickname "greyhounds of the seas:" and . "Mauretania" kept the Blue Riband for more than twenty years, from 1909