Air Power in the Age of Total War (Warfare and History) - Softcover

Buckley, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1857285891 ISBN 13: 9781857285895

Publisher: Routledge, 1998

Synopsis

Warfare in the first half of the 20th century was fundamentally and irrovocably altered by the birth and subsequent development of air power. This work assesses the role of air power in changing the face of battle on land and sea. Utilizing late-1990s research, the author demonstrates that the phenomenon of air power was both a cause and a crucial accelerating factor contributing to the theory and practice of total war. For instance, the expansion of warfare to the homefront was a direct result of bombing and indirectly due to the extent of national economic mobilization required to support first rate air power status. In addition, the move away from the principle of total war with the onset of the Cold War and the replacement of air power by ICBMs is thoroughly examined. This work should provide students of international history, war studies, defence and strategic studies with an insight into 20th-century warfare.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

Military History

The airplane has revolutionized warfare in the modern era more than any other warfare technology. In Air Power in the Age of Total War, John Buckley analyzes the impact of aircraft on battle on land and at sea as well as the strategic aspects of air war. Air power has developed as a key determining factor in the outcome of war. The central theme of the book is that air power was both a cause and a measure of ""total war"" in a period when mass economic and technological mobilization became the cornerstone of victory. Air power was a cause of total war, as it brought conflict home to civilian populations for the first time by widening the battle zone and, more importantly, through the strategic bombing offensives, which directly targeted civilian populations. Demanding so much of a state's economic, resource, and technological base, it was also a measure of total war, in that only a few nations were able to meet this most demanding challenge issued by modern war.

Since 1945 the nature of conflict has changed in many ways, and with the passing of the age of total war, air power has also had to adapt. The rise of nuclear weapons and the spiraling costs of aircraft and their munitions has brought to an end the age of mass air power mobilization and caused a reassessment of the role of air power in modern war. Throughout the book, many myths and false perceptions regarding air power are exploded, notably those concerning the age of aerial chivalry in the Great War, the Luftwaffe's supposed fixation with tactical air power, and the continuing legacy of city bombing in World War II.

Air Power in the Age of Total War will prove essential reading for students ofinternational history, war studies, defense, and strategic studies, providing an invaluable insight into twentieth-century warfare.

About the Author:

John Buckley is Lecturer in History at the University of Wolverhampton.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 1857285891
• ISBN 13: 9781857285895
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 270