German carriers require a rebuilt maritime industrial base

What would Germany need in order to afford and build aircraft carriers early?

A radically different Versailles settlement preserving both the German economy and its maritime industrial base, followed by much greater priority for naval infrastructure.

In this interpretation, an early German carrier program would require a radically different Versailles settlement. Economic relief alone would leave the damage to maritime infrastructure and design capacity unresolved. That loss of capability helps explain later German ships whose complexity and weight exceeded the performance they delivered. Rearmament also gave the army and air force priority over the navy. Carrier construction would therefore require both a stronger maritime industrial base and a decision to give it much greater investment.