Aircraft and Warfare: From Hot Air Balloons to Modern Air Power

Introduction: Aviation's Transformative Role in Warfare

Few technologies have so dramatically transformed the nature of human warfare as aircraft. As early as the late eighteenth century, aviation technologies have been used with a high degree of success in military operations. Being airborne allows a significant strategic advantage over land-bound and sea-bound armed forces. The use of aviation technologies — such as balloons and, later, fixed-wing metal aircraft — served a wide range of strategic purposes, from reconnaissance to bombardment. In fact, the use of aircraft for bombardment and artillery combat did not become common until late in the Great War. Early aerial technologies were significantly limited in their scope: balloons could only carry a certain weight load and thus were rarely effective as bombardment platforms. Moreover, early military aircraft were relatively slow and lightweight.

However, balloons and early planes served strategic needs ranging from the distribution of supplies to the dissemination of propaganda from the air. Even tethered balloons were used for surveillance and observation purposes by the military. During the American Civil War, tethered balloons were used by both sides for observation purposes only. The American military lagged behind their European counterparts in the years immediately before and during the First World War. However, all industrialized nations soon recognized the immense potential and power inherent in military uses for aircraft. Whether for reconnaissance or bombardment, military aviation progressed at remarkable rates from its inception in the eighteenth century. The stealth bombers of today resemble little the hot air balloons used in pre-Napoleonic France; yet the concept of military aircraft remains one of the most significant developments in the history of warfare.

Early Military Ballooning: France and the Compagnie d'Aeronautiers

In 1783 in Lyon, France, the Montgolfier brothers designed the first hot air balloon. Not initially intended for warfare, the balloon nevertheless quickly made an impact on the French military and the ambitions of the government in demonstrating French military dominance, especially over their British rivals. Ten years after the Montgolfier brothers' invention, L'Entreprenant was launched — the first balloon used for military purposes. L'Entreprenant was initially used for observation only, but fascination with the new technology led to the eventual development of what was probably the world's first air force: the Compagnie d'Aérostiers (French Aerostatic Corps) in March of 1794. The balloon corps proved to be far more than just an attractive, futuristic novelty. French victory at the Battle of Fleurus set the stage for what would become an all-out competition for aerial supremacy more than a century later.

Before that, however, the Grand Armée of France used balloons to traverse the English Channel and intimidate their rivals, employing increasingly sophisticated military balloons named Céleste, Hercule, and Intrépide. Napoleon was, for reasons not entirely clear, unenthusiastic about aviation technology and elected to dismantle the budding French air force, which would remain dormant for decades (Martin).

Nineteenth-Century Developments and the Road to World War One

Military aviation in France or elsewhere did not develop significantly from the first balloons until the late nineteenth century. Primitive ballooning technology was used in the United States during the Civil War in the 1860s. A few balloons were employed by both the Confederate and Union armies for observation purposes; however, they were tethered and did not even serve needs for material distribution. In France, balloons regained popularity around 1871, and during the Siege of Paris, balloon craft were flown into the city to transport essential supplies, military equipment, food, and mail. Balloons were still not being used actively for bombardment. During the nineteenth century, aircraft were used mostly for military intelligence and logistical purposes (Martin).

Closer to the turn of the century, industrialized nations began exploring the use of aviation for bombardment and artillery direction. Germany and Britain led the world in military aviation technologies; the United States also intended to develop a strong air force, but its plans did not fully come to fruition until the Second World War. Despite advancements in aviation technology, the American armed forces were ill-equipped for air combat during World War One and did not have a competitive air fighter training program (Glines). Britain, France, and Germany, on the other hand, channeled significant energy and resources into the development and implementation of military aircraft and related technologies. The United States' late entry into the Great War may be partially responsible for its lagging air force development.