The 'Command of the Air' Theory - Aerial Warfare - the Royal Hungarian Air Force in the 1930s

 

Aviation, and military aviation in particular, is a very popular subject. However, few know the components of the dynamic development of air forces which were a modern type of service emerging in World War I. Likewise, hardly any people have ever heard of the rather extreme theory - 'the command of the air' - which served as a theoretical background for this development, and its creator, the extravagant Italian general, Giulio Douhet. His theory also influenced Hungarian military circles, which initially considered it an excellent tool in our revisionist efforts, later as a tool to improve our air defence. In the disputes taking place in the '30s military experts softened these views, and laid the foundation of the Royal Hungarian Air Force, which began to function as an independent service in 1939. The lecture explains the basic interrelations between the theory, aviation technology and the organisational development in the period in question. It also raises the question whether giving theoretical education high priority in today's Hungarian Army as well should be considered.

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