The delusion of easy victory from the air may have seduced the US into another war
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The article examines the potential influence of airpower theories on current US military strategy towards Iran. It traces the concept of achieving victory through aerial bombardment back to Italian General Giulio Douhet's 1921 book, "The Command of the Air," which advocated targeting civilian infrastructure to demoralize the enemy. The article suggests that this theory, which influenced figures like Curtis LeMay during World War II, may be reflected in the rhetoric and strategy of Trump administration officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth regarding a potential air war against Iran. The author argues that despite claims of innovation, this approach echoes past US military campaigns, such as Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom, where airpower was believed to be a decisive factor. The article questions whether the US is repeating a historical pattern of overestimating the effectiveness of airpower.
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Key Claims (5)
AI-ExtractedDouhet emphasized “blows to the morale of civilian populations”.
Hegseth said, “Quantity has a quality all its own,” regarding the volume of strikes.
In 1921, Giulio Douhet published The Command of the Air, proposing a revolution in warfare based on aerial bombardment.
Douhet's theories inspired Hitler's deployment of airpower and attracted American air strategists like Gen Curtis LeMay.
Hegseth's promise of “the most lethal and precise air power campaign in history” appears to be a recycled version of the same old thing.
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