Abstract
This article sheds lights on the difficulty faced by the minor powers
when they were trying to build an effective air force during the
interwar period (1919–1939) and the Second World War, using the
experience of Chinese military aviation as an example. It argues that
the Chinese were heavily influenced by the ideas of decisive action and
strategic bombing, as well as similar ideas that were attributed
(sometimes incorrectly) to the Italian General and air proponent Giulio
Douhet. Only the harsh lessons of the war gradually persuaded the
Chinese to adopt a more realistic approach to using air power.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 118-142 |
Number of pages | 25 |
Journal | War in History |
Volume | 28 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 3 Jun 2019 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
Scopus Subject Areas
- Cultural Studies
- History
User-Defined Keywords
- air force
- China
- Giulio Douhet
- interwar period
- Japan
- strategic bombing