Air superiority

Author: (Italian) Giulio Douhet
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-01-01
Features: In his main work The Command of the Air, the author systematically discusses the theory of air warfare. His main arguments are as follows:
1. The emergence of aircraft on the battlefield has completely transformed the nature of war. Future wars will feature an air battlefield alongside land and naval theaters. The outcome of air warfare will determine the war's conclusion, and the role of the air force will surpass that of the navy and army, making it necessary to establish an independent air force.
2. In future wars, gaining air superiority is a prerequisite for winning victory, and losing air superiority means defeat. Achieving air superiority can only be done by the air force, which should also regard it as its primary combat mission.
3. In future wars, the air force must be used as an offensive force, concentrating a large number of aircraft to carry out strategic bombing against the enemy's military targets, rear cities, and civilian centers, destroying their resistance both materially and psychologically to force them to surrender.
4. The air force should be unified in command and centralized in use, rather than having its strength scattered. To strengthen air force development during peacetime, the commercial aviation industry should be developed as a reserve for the air force. A strong and advanced aviation industry should be established to ensure that the nation's aviation technology remains at the forefront.
During Douhet's lifetime, the development of air forces worldwide was still in its early stages, and many of his theories were predictive. Later, this foundational work on air superiority theory gained worldwide popularity, drawing attention to air force development in various countries. Mitchell, a U.S. aviation officer ten years younger than Douhet, echoed his ideas by publishing a series of articles in newspapers and magazines introducing strategic bombing theory and advocating for the establishment of an independent U.S. air force. These articles were compiled into a book titled The Theory of Air War. By the time of World War II, the air force had developed into an independent branch of military power, playing a decisive role in the war.