Between hubris and lack of planning

Even before the start of the Second World War, Germany began building aircraft carriers. However, the design was oversized and the operational concept was not fully developed.

France recently announced initial data on the configuration of its new aircraft carrier. Politicians and the military are fully convinced that billions should be invested in such an armaments project. "All the major naval powers are renewing or acquiring this capability," says the Ministry of Defence in Paris. It refers to forecasts that the global number of aircraft carriers will increase from 28 today to 36 in the 2040s. France has built four aircraft carriers to date. As enthusiastic as the French are about this complex weapon system, Germany is unhappy about it. Germany has only tried its hand at building an aircraft carrier once. The history of the Graf Zeppelin in Nazi Germany is a prime example of failed armament.