Sachdev Wings#4

1. Why did some world leaders and theologians feel that flying would be the end of mankind?

Prime Minister Baldwin believed that the introduction of aviation has led to the impending doom of mankind because with aviation, bombers would be unstoppable (p. 356). The only way to win a war would be with offense i.e. by taking more innocent lives, on both ends, until the attacks stop. If aviation was never invented, there would be no such issue. This view was similar to many theologians and scholars in ancient history who believed that flight would cause more harm than good, exposing mankind to cannons and fire and other destructive forces. Religious leaders of the world believed that flight was not granted to man by God for a reason, and that reason should not be challenged. They truly believed that men would turn flight into a weapon of war for their own selfish needs, and did not trust that society would use flight as a virtuous resource. They considered aviation as an invasion of the sky, the lack of flight as a masterful consideration by the hands of God, and believed that by turning to flight, man would head towards something God did not intend to, and that seeking flight would almost be unholy and saw it as turning your back on God’s wishes, and thus on God himself.

2. What factors influenced the development of the aircraft carrier and what role did it play in WWII?

The aircraft carrier played a key role in aerial warfare. Only a limited number of early airplanes had the technological advancement to travel large distances because of limited supply of fuel. They also did not have the capabilities to be refilled mid-air as we do today and other similar technology that progressed later in aviation. In aerial warfare, this meant that depending on where you were, you had to respond to different threats with different sorts of airplanes. Keeping a warfare perspective in mind, airplanes could do much more damage over a larger area in a short amount of time compared to infantry. This led to the development of aircraft carriers which could carry, maintain, service and deploy aircrafts close to the enemy base, and also provide defense and recon services. It was like having a home base closer to the enemy’s base in an era where targets were always changing. In areas where there were simply no ally bases or the enemy areas that were previously unreachable, were now accessible and fair game in war. Among other historic events, Pearl Harbor is arguably the most impactful event which speaks to the strategic warfare advantage that aircraft carriers bring.
Personally I would think for countries like Britain, who rely on a Navy for defense around their borders as opposed to physical borders and checkposts, aircraft carriers are a key part of their strategy since they can not only defend their borders effectively, but also establish considerable recon off the coast to identify any threats and foil any offenses.

7. What is meant by the phrase “abandonment of all restraint” as it relates to WWII and the military tactics used by both sides?

WWII was a long and brutal war with many casualties on both sides. While some may argue the destruction was geared towards ending the war, the underlying truth remains that hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed and many injured during the war. Uncountable soldiers died. As we all know, even more people died before the start of the war in concentration camps. WWII was a glimpse at perhaps the darkest time in human history, when violence was used to curb violence. “Abandonment of all restraint” speaks exactly to this mindset. WWII was flat out destruction, with complete disregard for human life. We have all heard of stories where soldiers were shot by their own sides if they turned their backs on their fellow soldiers. Fear was seen as Cowardice and brutality rewarded as courage. While we can look back in hindsight and judge the actions, we cannot truly live the experience and the fear. Some argue that this lack of restraint was driven by rational thinking, while others take the stance that it was Darwin’s evolutionary theories of kill or be killed. Either way, WWII was a time of fear and darkness, where killing was the only way to survive, and it did not matter how. Poland, Pearl Harbor, Normandy, Hiroshima, Nagasaki and many more places stand testimony of a time where survival took precedence over care and consideration for human life.