 The impetus for the construction of the "Powerful" class began with the laying down the Russian armoured cruiser in 1890 that was intended to be used as a commerce raider, although the Admiralty was fully occupied with the extensive naval construction mandated by the Naval Defence Act 1889 and could do nothing in response at that time.Some preliminary discussions occurred in November 1891, but it was not until the following year that William White, the Director of Naval Construction, was told to prepare sketch designs for a ship more heavily armed, at least as well armoured, faster and with greater endurance than "Rurik" and her successors.Russian attempts to seize fast ocean liners in 1885 and convert them into armed merchant cruisers also dictated that the new ships needed to be fast enough to catch them.