Global Assessment of Strategic Air Power in WWII

1186 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: the role of airpower in world war 2

Air Power is the ability to conduct military actions through the air. Depending of the objectives sought and on the effects produced, air power is either strategic or tactical. Air power played a central role in the outcome of World War II. In this mechanized warfare environment, thousands of aircraft were built and fought until the very last day, producing decisive effects for the first time in history. When the war ended, budget constraints forced the US to massively reduce its military apparatus and to make drastic choices in terms of capabilities. Major struggles about air power rose in this context and are still resonating today. Defenders of strategic air power finally bested the defenders of tactical air power. Benefitting from the campaign in Japan and the tremendous impact of nuclear bombings, they asserted that strategic air power played a more important role than tactical air power in the outcome of WWII. This assertion is essentially relevant, not because Allied strategic campaigns in Japan and in Europe were either more or less decisive than the tactical campaigns, but because the Axis never had proper strategic air power. In other words, even if the Axis’ tactical air power could compete with that of the Allies, its strategic air power never compared to the Allies’ equivalent. Three main arguments motive this thesis. First, given its lack of strategic air power, the Axis had to pursue its strategic goals with tactical assets. Second, despite incredibly efficient forces this approach did not always work. Third, it contributed, alongside with the allies’ obstinate bombings, to exhausting the Axis formidable tactical tool, which set the stage for the final defeat. Axis leaders were great strategists, but they did no... ... middle of paper ... ..., Op. Cit., the entire book and more specifically, p. 5 “Still, many air commanders continued to believe that the destruction of vital centers—despite the accompanying death and desolation—not only hastened the war’s end, but also ultimately saved lives on both sides.” Ibid. Thomas A. Hughes, Over Lord: General Pete Quesada and the Triumph of Tactical Air Power in World War II, New York, NY: The Free Press, 1995, chapter Eleven “There Was Great Arrogance in Victory.” Pp. 304-314. In it, the author criticized the progressive view of strategic bombing defenders, which is well explained in Clodfelter’s book, Op. Cit. Often attributed to Sun Tzu in The Art of War, this quote is not present in the translation available in English and is likely a false attribution. Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1971.

Show More
Related

  • The History and Uses of the P-51 Mustang

    1299 Words  | 3 Pages

    For as long as most of the world can remember aviation has played a major factor in how wars are fought. Starting in World War I the worlds fighting forces began using aircraft to conduct surveillance missions over enemy territory. While these aircraft were not the masters of stealth that todays aircraft are there was no technology to take down these planes at the time. Air-to-air combat was an event that rarely happened and was almost never effective.

    Read More

  • Tsuyoshi Hasegawa’s Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan

    904 Words  | 2 Pages

    Tsuyoshi Hasegawa’s Racing the Enemy: Stalin, Truman, and the Surrender of Japan sheds new light on the decision by the United States, at the end of the Second World War, to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan. Hasegawa argues that the decision to drop the atomic bombs was made in order to keep the Soviet Union from making large gains in the Pacific Theater, thus it was the first of many Cold War chess matches.

    Read More

  • JAPANESE STRATEGIC FAILURES IN THE SPRING OF 1942

    1748 Words  | 4 Pages

    After a quick examination of the recurring theme of Japanese military arrogance, I will argue that the three most compelling strategies that the Japanese could have pursued in the spring of 1942 were, one – to consolidate the most important resource gains that were already made; two – commence immediate planning for a strong anti-submarine warfare campaign; and three – coordinate significant operations with Japan’s Axis partners, particularly in the Indian Ocean and Southwest Asia theaters of conflict.

    Read More

  • George Washington Classical Sun Tzu Strategist and Master in the Art of War

    1772 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sun Tzu. The Art of War. Translated by Samuel B. Griffith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1963.

    Read More

  • Operation Linebacker

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    1. What do you think of when you drive by that big B-52 at the museum? Being the history buff that I am, I think about Vietnam, where that old “Buff” was used the most. “Why should I care about Vietnam?” you ask yourself. Well, last time I checked there’s a history section in the PFE guide, so there might be a test later! The intent of this paper is to inform you about Operation Linebacker II. I’ll explain the events leading up to the operation, discuss the strategy, and finally I’ll sum up the results of a bombing campaign Sir Michael Knight characterized In the book Strategic Offensive Air Operation as “...may have played a role not unlike two B-29s over Japan 27 years earlier”. (Knight: 77) I’ll start by explaining why President Richard Nixon gave the order to begin this new bombing campaign.

    Read More

  • the battle of britain

    799 Words  | 2 Pages

    The British were outnumbered 900 fighters to 640 fighters plus the Germans had an additional 1,300 bombers. With these statistics, the Luftwaffe thought that they would have a very easy time defeating the Royal Air Force. Even though the British were outnumbered, they had a few advantages that the Luftwaffe was unaware of. First, they develope...

    Read More

  • Atomic Bomb Dbq

    1981 Words  | 4 Pages

    The United States of America’s use of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has spurred much debate concerning the necessity, effectiveness, and morality of the decision since August 1945. After assessing a range of arguments about the importance of the atomic bomb in the termination of the Second World War, it can be concluded that the use of the atomic bomb served as the predominant factor in the end of the Second World War, as its use lowered the morale, industrial resources, and military strength of Japan. The Allied decision to use the atomic bomb not only caused irreparable physical damage to two major Japanese cities, but its use also minimized the Japanese will to continue fighting. These two factors along with the Japanese neglect of the Soviet Invasion of Manchuria, proved that the Allied use of the atomic bomb was the definitive factor in the Japanese decision to surrender.

    Read More

  • Pro: Drop Bomb on Japan

    941 Words  | 2 Pages

    The bombings of 1945 by the United States of America on Japan were very controversial events. Many historians believe these acts were aggressive and unnecessary. In addition, analysts argue that the U.S. should have used alternative methods instead of the bomb, but most do not realize the repercussions of these different tactics. On the contrary, the bomb was needed to ease tension quickly and effectively. Ultimately, the bomb proved more effective than any other method, and also proved to be a technique that is sufficient for America’s needs. The effort made by the U.S. to bomb Japan after their disapproval of the Potsdam Declaration was needed to end conflicts in the Pacific because of Japanese resistance, to save American lives, and to portray the U.S. as a nation of power and dominance.

    Read More

  • How The Allies Won World War II

    2098 Words  | 5 Pages

    During World War II, Germany’s military was superior to anyone else in the world, with far more advanced technology, tactics, and weaponry. They had a fearless leader who would stop at nothing to make his country great again. Their closest rival, the Soviet Union, was almost out of the picture with a death toll of over 26 million. On top of that, Germany had nothing to lose, and would not conceivably stop. So how then, with all odds against them, did the Allies win the war? A combination of factors affected Germany’s downfall, such as lack of morale, unwieldy weapons, and failure to work with its so-called allies.

    Read More

  • Auschwitz: Should It Have Been Bombed?

    1589 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Allied forces did not have the resources to carry out a strike. The Allies, especially the Air Force, were heavily engaged in actions elsewhere; any non-military mission could have possibly cost the Allies the winning of the war, and would have, at th...

    Read More

  • The World War II: Air War

    1189 Words  | 3 Pages

    World War II was one of the deadliest military conflicts in history. There were many different battles that took place within this war; some more important than others. World War II began once Germany’s new dictator, Adolf Hitler, decided that he wanted to gain power for Germany and for himself. One of Hitler’s first moves in power was invading Poland on September 1, 1939. Many other countries became involved in this war because of the alliance system. The two sides during this war were the Allies and Axis powers. German, Italy and Japan were on the Axis powers; France, Britain, and the United States were on the Allies. Germany first began with the Blitzkrieg tactic meaning “lightning war”. This tactic is based on speed, surprise and was the most popular tactic. It is set up with military forces based around tanks which are supported by planes and infantry. The Blitzkrieg tactic lead to air wars with airplanes between countries. All of the countries were allowed to participate in the air wars but the four main countries were United States, Japan, Britain, and Germany. During the 1920’s and 1930’s airplanes grew in size and structure giving them more power, and making planes more effective. Planes made it easier to drop bombs, or plan attacks. All of these countries fought over air superiority. Air superiority is the position in which the air force has control over all of the air warfare and air power of the opposing forces. Germany began with air superiority but they lost it when Britain defeated them at the Battle of Britain. Gaining control over the air is a very big advantage because it is easier to plan an attack on an opposing country. All of the countries relied on their aircrafts during this war. The issue about the use of...

    Read More

  • The Battle of Okinawa Analysis

    1878 Words  | 4 Pages

    "The Internet Classics Archive | The Art of War by Sun Tzu." The Internet Classics Archive | The Art of War by Sun Tzu. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Ronald Takakis Hiroshima

    2111 Words  | 5 Pages

    Although WW II ended over 50 years ago there is still much discussion as to the events which ended the War in the Pacific. The primary event which historians attribute to this end are the use of atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Although the bombing of these cities did force the Japanese to surrender, many people today ask “Was the use of the atomic bomb necessary to end the war?” and more importantly “Why was the decision to use the bomb made?” Ronald Takaki examines these questions in his book Hiroshima.

    Read More

  • The Few By Alex Kershaw Book Report

    1080 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the summer of 1940, World War II had been in progress for nearly a year. Adolf Hitler was victorious and planning an invasion of England to seal Europe’s fate. Everyone in the United States of America knew it. The Germans were too powerful. Hitler's Luftwaffe had too many planes, too many pilots and too many bombs and since Hitler was Europe's problem, the United States claimed to be a neutral country (Neutrality Act of 1939). Seven Americans, however, did not remain neutral and that’s what this book is about. They joined Britain's Royal Air Force to help save Britain in its darkest hour to fight off the skilled pilots of Germany's Luftwaffe in the blue skies over England, the English Channel, and North Europe. By October 1940, they had helped England succeed in one of the greatest air battles in the history of aviation, the Battle of Britain. This book helps to show the impact of the few Americans who joined the Battle of Britain to fight off an evil that the United States didn’t acknowledge at the time. The name of Kershaw’s book was inspired from the quote, “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to sow few,” which was said by British Officer and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.

    Read More

  • Air Force Special Operations

    1222 Words  | 3 Pages

    The United States of America is a powerful and well known force throughout the world. It has become a superpower of nations in just about three hundred years, being one of the newest nations in existence today. Its military reaches out into several countries in the globe and holds a presence as a peacekeeper and wielder of democracy. Of the US military’s five branches, the Air Force is the ruler of the skies, keeping control of the earth’s aerospace. Without the Air Force Special Operations, the military could not complete operations as effectively or efficiently as it potentially could. The United States Air Force is a key part of America’s mission to spread and assist democracy throughout the world.

    Read More

More about Global Assessment of Strategic Air Power in WWII

Open Document