Luftwaffe At War Volume 1: Gathering Storm 1933-1939: Emergence, The Spanish Civil War, The Luftwaffe Strikes - Poland: v.1

In early 1933, after a decade of striving, Adolf Hitler became German Chancellor. At the time of his appointment, the German military, largely as a result of the restrictions placed upon the country following the Treaty of Versailles, was weak. Yet within six years, German forces were capable of unleashing a virtually unstoppable war machine across Europe. German success in the early years ofthe war was based upon the development of a strategy which anticipated that any future conflict would be much more mobile than World War 1. This also called for a massive remilitarisation programme which employed the full measure of the country's industrial strength.All three elements of the armed forces; the Army, Navy and Air Force, had their part to play in the evolution of German strategy, but in terms of the Blitzkrieg it was the Luftwaffe that had perhaps the most important role. Its function was to in obtain air superiority over the theatre of operations and cause as much disruption as possible to the enemy's ground forces and other assets before thearmy swept forward. An understanding of the growth and development of the Luftwaffe in the years before 1939 is therefore essential to being able to comprehend fully the role that it adopted after September 1939. This first title in a new series from Classic examines the growth and development of the Luftwaffe between Hitler's accession to power and the first dramatic use of Blitzkrieg against Poland in September 1939. Starting by exploring the limited air force inherited by the Nazis in 1933, the author records in detail how the Luftwaffe rapidly expanded thereafter, gaining useful combat experience during the Spanish Civil War, before becoming the potent force that was unleashed in the autumn of 1939. Incorporating a wide range of illustrations, both mono and colour, the book is comprehensive account of these crucial years. Over the years, the Classic imprint has acquired a reputation that is second to none for the quality of its books dealing with all aspects of the Luftwaffe's history between 1933 and 1945. The launch of this new series will further reinforce the imprint as Britain's premier publisher of books dealing with this subject. Luftwaffe at War 1: Emergence 1933-1945 will be required reading for all aviation historians interested in the World War 2 era as well as those who model the aircraft of the period.