Britain entered the Versailles settlement determined to cripple Germany's maritime and naval industrial base. The result limited hull displacement as well as the gun-making plant, yard capacity, skilled labor, and institutional memory needed to design better ships. Deutschland represented close to the best combination Germany could select and build while yards were inspected and France retained the ability to enforce the settlement. Scharnhorst still received 11-inch guns because larger weapons were not yet available in the required numbers, and the later Bismarck program arrived before a much broader fleet plan could mature. Hitler's decision to gamble on war in 1939 compounded the treaty damage because army and air-force demands consumed resources while Plan Z required many more years. German design compromises followed from industrial policy and time as much as naval architecture.
Notable Point · 4:31:54-4:37:50
Versailles targeted the industrial foundations of German sea power
The Deutschland and Scharnhorst limits followed from destroyed yards, gun-making capacity, lost experience, inspection, and a rearmament timetable dominated by the army and air force.