After the German "Kaiserliche Marine" (Imperial Navy) ordered the four s in 1889, a combination of budgetary constraints, opposition in the "Reichstag" (Imperial Diet), and a lack of a coherent fleet plan delayed the acquisition of further battleships. The Secretary of the "Reichsmarineamt" (Imperial Navy Office), "Vizeadmiral" ("VAdm"—Vice Admiral) Friedrich von Hollmann struggled throughout the early and mid-1890s to secure parliamentary approval for the first three s. In June 1897, Hollmann was replaced by "Konteradmiral" ("KAdm"—Rear Admiral) Alfred von Tirpitz, who quickly proposed and secured approval for the first Naval Law in early 1898. The law authorized the last two ships of the class, as well as the five ships of the , the first class of battleship built under Tirpitz's tenure. The "Wittelsbach"s were broadly similar to the "Kaiser Friedrich"s, carrying the same armament but with a more comprehensive armor layout.