f war, and the development of air war doctrine for the Second World War are addressed in this chapter.
The Principles of War and Air War Doctrine
The essential principles of war are surprise, concentration of effort, cooperation of all arms, control, simplicity, speed of action, and maintaining the initiative. A protagonist in war is most effective when able to dictate the course of the battle, and is much less effective when forced to react to the actions of an opponent. Surprise and initiative, thus, are essential in the conduct of war. "Strategic surprise may often be difficult, if not impossible, to obtain; but tactical surprise is always possible and must be given an essential place in planning." "The initiative, once gained, must never be lost . . . . If you lose the initiative against a good enemy you will very soon be made to his thrusts . . . .
A principal of strategic war is to strike at an enemy's base. Prior to the development of long range air power the applica
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