31. General Giulio Douhet and Strategic Bombing

Welcome to series three of the Air Power and International Security Podcast! Today we have a fantastic episode dedicated to General Giulio Douhet, one of the most important figures in the conceptual development of air power, and his ideas regarding the employment of strategic bombing. General Douhet is known for his advocacy of bombing civilians, so we're asking how these ideas were formed, and how this extreme approach was justified by Douhet.

Professor Thomas Hippler (University of Caen) joins us on the show today. Professor Hippler is a renowned scholar who has published widely on the use of strategic bombing. He has also written the most authoritative book on Douhet to date. Thomas' extensive research examining Douhet's early work means that he is ideally placed to discuss Douhet's thinking about warfare during the 20th century and the role of air power within it.