Interwar: Air Power Theory

For more than a century, mankind has occupied all three domains of this earth; subsequently, the realm of warfare has expanded into the three dimensions progressively with the conquering of land, sea, and ultimately the air. With the advent of functional airplanes at the beginning of the last century, powered, sustained, and controlled flight was achieved during the inaugural flight of Orville and Wilbur Wright in 1903, fulfilling a dream that had occupied the minds of man for more than millennia. As with all technological advancements, mankind is quick to integrate it into the art of war; accordingly, the inception of the airplane would serve both civilian and military applications. While the implications of the airplane on warfare were not immediate, it forced military theorists to define and discuss airpower theory and the new role of three-dimensional warfare; most notably, the Italian Giulio Douhet, the American William Mitchell, the instructors at the U.S. Air Corps Tactical School, and the British Hugh Trenchard and Jack Slessor. The study of airpower theory was proportionate to the evolution of the airplane, especially through the first two decades of its existence in which airplanes were insufficient in quality and quantity and airpower was in its infancy. The study of airpower and its influence on military strategy essentially presented effectively during the inter-war period as military theorist managed to evaluate airpower relative to its use during the First World War, where it was used in a limited role in support of land and naval operations. During this period, various airpower theories emerged as air theorists attempted to respond to the demands for a more rational form of warfare as an alternative to the car...

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