In a sense, the internal turmoil in France had delayed the explosion of the Austrian navy's expansion.
Pre-dreadnoughts were just a transitional product with a very short economic lifespan; the glory of pre-dreadnoughts in the original timeline lasted only about a decade.
They became obsolete before they could be decommissioned; from an economic standpoint, it was a very poor investment.
Knowing that this type of warship was not cost-effective, Franz still decided to build them, and to do so on a large scale.
Before the birth of dreadnoughts, pre-dreadnought battleships were still formidable, at least surpassing all other warships currently at sea.
As long as Austria built them on a large scale, the United Kingdom and France would have to follow suit; due to their concern for naval dominance, they would have to build even more warships.
Losing money meant losing money; as long as his competitors lost more, Franz didn't mind letting this losing game go on.
