Turning Point: A History of German Petroleum in World War II and its Lessons for the Role of Oil in Modern Air Warfare
Abstract
No war for oil! is a protest frequently heard whenever the United States responds with military power to a crisis in the Middle East. There are some who believe the 1990s Gulf War, and current U.S. conflicts in Iraq and Libya, were inappropriate responses driven purely by U.S. petroleum interests. Others would argue those claims are more rhetoric than reality, and that America has a larger strategic goal in the region. However, it does beg the question--Is oil really worth going to war over? And perhaps more importantly for both politicians and war planners--Is protecting oil a valid strategic military objective? When one examines history, the answer is a resounding yes. Since the birth of the industrial age, crude oil has not only been the life-blood of an increasingly global economy, but also a determining factor in success or failure on the battlefield. This is particularly true when one considers the application of air power. In a matter of a few short decades, powered flight drastically changed the face of warfare. And while nearly a century of evolution has transformed air power from a small, supporting actor on the battlefield into a dominant force that provides modern nations with rapid and decisive military response, one truth has remained constant. No air force can survive for long without adequate and unrestricted access to oil.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- AD1020261
Entities
People
- Shawn P. Keller
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College