Air Power Influence

Air power influenced each member of the Allies and Axis powers uniquely through the context in which they viewed the effects of air power in World War I (WWI), the development of theories and technology in the interwar years, and the geopolitical situation facing the nations at the outset of World War II (WWII). These situations and experiences created a perception of the capabilities of air power that drove the creation and employment of the nations’ air arm. In turn, each belligerents’ perspective of air power shaped the strategic choices made in preparation for and execution of the war. While each nation’s understanding and usage of air power differed, they all had to contend with projecting power across large distances while balancing the demands of competing theaters of operations. Additionally, each of the major belligerents was forced to consider their social and economic resources. The influence of air power on the strategic choices of the Allies and Axis powers can best be seen through the experiences of four belligerents: Britain, the United States, Germany, and Japan. At the end of the Great War …show more content…
However, there is not a prescriptive formula that one could follow in an attempt to influence future strategic choices. The impacts of air power are contextual, and in the case of WWII were influenced heavily by the understanding of airpower in WWI, the development of airpower in the interwar years, and the geopolitical situation that nations found themselves in at the outset of the war. The belligerents’ belief in their own capabilities to employ air power, as well as their perceptions of the adversaries’ capabilities drove many strategic choices throughout the war. While the aforementioned examples are far from exhaustive they demonstrate numerous situations in which the employment or threat of air power shaped the course of the