Suss, ‘ The War of the Future’ (Morgan M)
In this chapter, Suss focuses on aerial warfare during the First World War and then during the inter-war period until 1939. He first discusses how during the First World War; aerial warfare was not yet advanced, and it was primarily the use of Zeppelins used in order to attack the enemy on their home soil. Suss describes the attacks on London as significant as it was highlighted for the first time that the British population could not be safeguarded despite being far from the fighting on the front line. These German air raids were described by the British people as barbaric and inhuman; many innocent civilians were killed, and this led to it being interpreted as an attack on the British people as opposed to an attack on the military. Despite this, the idea of bombing German civilians with the intent to murder the innocent population was rejected by the British government. Instead, the bombing of factories in order to damage the industries was seen to be the preferred strategy.
Suss also brings attention to the contrasting stereotypes of airmen and soldiers on the ground. The war in the air was seen to be more prestigious compared to the bloody battles taking place below. Airmen were idealised as war heroes compared to the murderous soldiers.
Suss then discusses the inter-war years in both Britain and Germany. He refers to the theories discussed by Douhet which put forward the idea that air supremacy was essential in wars in order to defeat the war on the home front, not just the front line. In order to succeed in war, the victor must have a superior air force, military, economy and civilian resources, in order to obliterate the enemy on all fronts, this is significant as it highlights the importance of an established air force. Suss suggests that Douhet’s writings had been largely ignored until the 1930’s, when both Britain and Germany began to prepare for an aerial war as both nations began to anticipate the future of air defence.
During the inter-war years, Britain was the only nation to establish an air force in its own right. Suss puts this down to the fear of an apocalyptic-like scene that could be brought upon Britain, particularly after seeing the destruction caused on the Iberian peninsula during the Spanish Civil war. An attempt for morality to be put aside was made by referring to the enemy as insects, in order to justify aerial bombings.
Suss also discusses that in Germany during the inter-war years, a similar desire for air defence was increasing. The oppression that the Treaty of Versailles had imposed on the German population and military meant that they were eager to restore their military preparedness. In Germany, more dramatic measures were taken, for example, by 1935 any man or woman could be called to serve in the Air Defence Service.
Suss closes by highlighting that even following the declaration of war, neither nation was willing to make the first airstrike as both were cautious not to escalate the war. This highlights that despite both nations having spent the majority of the 1930’s preparing for an aerial war, they were both still fearful of the devastation and destruction it could bring.
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Are we there yet? World War 2 and the theory of total war
Roger Chickering, Stig Foster
The beginning of this chapter highlights Total war and to what war in which can be constituted as a total war, it can be seen that a total war is one build up of the mobilization of the populaces in support of the war. This can be made up on the basis of the distinctions between civilians and soldiers and that even though the differences are apparent a successful war cannot be waged on the hierarchy of soldiers in comparison to civilians.
In regard to modern mobilization the first attempts began in the era of the French revolution, this was seen as the era in which the war was described as the people’s war, industrialisation was liberated having provided materials to the new field armies and modern economies, allowing a durable loyalty. Overall, it can be seen that the marriage of industrialization and recruited armies provided the basis of total war in the 20th century.
Further in this chapter civilians are deemed a critical part of the war, providing essentials, and providing for allied soldiers, Civilians were seen as critical to the supply of weapons, munitions, and the other essential materials of combat However, this was seen as a weakness for the civilians as they were considered a crucial part of the war which often allowed principal means of disrupting civilian activity seen as a strategy which was known as the blockade, this continuous strategy destroyed economies within the central powers, following this was the strategic airpower that seen around 740 German’s majority civilians perished in bombing attacks over the period of war.
Chickering and foster also show how the early history of total war suggests that each war was born in one twentieth century European war in anticipation of another in that WW2 represents the fulfilment of trends layout by the First word war. In conclusion it can be seen that this chapter summaries the theory of total war and the war aims, as well as the vulnerability of those on the Homefront.