Joffre was the planned lead ship of her class of aircraft carriers for the French Navy.

They were to be 18,000 tons (Washington) with a protection limited to the hull and comparable to that of a light cruiser.

The ships were to operate an air group of around 40 planes, including 15 Dewoitine D.790 fighters (a navalised version of the Dewoitine D.520) and 25 Breguet 810 twin-engine attack planes (a navalised version of the Breguet 693) for level bombing, torpedo missions and scouting.

Joffre was laid down on 26 November 1938 at the shipyards of Ateliers et Chantiers de Saint-Nazaire Penhoët, but work was slowed by the start of World War II.

In World War II there was an attempt by Francoist Spain to buy the ship under construction and use it in the Spanish Navy, but it did not succeed.