Hitler and Goering use the Spanish Civil War as a testing ground for technology and theory before the Second World War.

A truly interesting read. The history behind the involvement of Germany, Italy, France, and Russia in the Spanish civil war is fascinating. The behind the scenes politics is a great story. The story is informative and a great history read. A must read for the historians!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have now completed my reading and contemplation of Norman Ridley's "Hitler's Air War in Spain: The Rise of the Luftwaffe." My ARC of this text was graciously provided to me by the good people at Pen and Sword, and I am, indeed, grateful. The first thing I feel obliged to point out is that I believe the book's title seriously understates the scope of the information it presents. My initial response was predicated on the notion that this text would focus almost exclusively on the Luftwaffe and its engagement through the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War. I am delighted to say that I learned at least as much about the Soviet support for the Republic as I did about the Germans and their formidable investment in Franco's success. The book is far from comprehensive but instead offers a solid understanding of the fundamental German,, Italian, and Soviet commitment to providing air support to their respective client states in this struggle. Just as important, it provides significant support for the widely acknowledged role of the struggle as a testbed for aeronautical technology and the strategic and tactical implications inherent in the emerging technology of aerial warfare. Significantly, a read of this text suggests strongly that little was actually learned about broad strategic and tactical applications and their limitations because so many of the institutions involved were already committed to misguided notions like "the bomber will always get through." It is not that careful study of events like the bombing of Guernica might not have revealed flaws in understanding the long term effects of indiscriminate area attacks on local populations, but rather that the competing narratives/mythologies of the war winning consequences of these kind of attacks seems to have already thoroughly permeated the thinking of leadership at all levels, and they remained as determinedly committed to them at the conclusion of their engagement in Spain as they were at the beginning. Another example is the vital role of close air support to both sides, well understood at the time but obviously dismissed by the respective air forces involved (not to speak of their future opponents in the United Kingdom and United States) as they prepared for global war. One can see the origins of weapons and strategies that paid off handsomely as well as those that were shamefully neglected despite their transparent utility on the battlefield.
There is a great deal of food for thought here.