Rohden, Hans-Detlef Herhudt

From OnAirpower.org

von Rohden, Hans-Detlef Herhudt

Name: von Rohden, Hans-Detlef Herhudt Years: 1899-1951 Rank: Maj. Gen. Nationality: German Remarks: Luftwaffe general staff officer, airpower theorist, and supporter of the use of strategic bombing

Von Rohden is regarded as "the most prolific and eloquent of Germany's strategic air war theorists". His thinking was influenced by the geopolitical theories of Karl Haushofer, which noted that Germany was surrounded on several sides by hostile nations. From this, von Rohden argued that Germany was vulnerable to air attack from enemies on all sides and thus the Luftwaffe was Germany's first line of defense. Further, he argued that strategic air attack was the only way that Germany would be able to strike quickly in order to put its larger enemies at a disadvantage. He put together a comprehensive theory of airpower centered on strategic bombing, for which he coined the term "operational air war" (operative Luftkrieg). His theories were published in articles in the journal Militärwissenschaftliche Rundschau in 1937, as well as in a book titled On Air War (Vom Luftkriege) in 1938^[1].

Contents 1 Timeline 2 Publications 3 Sources 4 References

[edit] Timeline

• September 23, 1899 Luftwaffe General Hans-Detlef von Rohden is born^[2].

[edit] Publications

• Vom Luftkriege: Gedanken über Führung und Einsatz moderner Luftwaffen, 1938, published by E. S. Mittler und Sohn (Berlin)
• Betrachtungen über den Luftkrieg, in Militärwissenschaftliche Rundschau, No. 2 (1937)

[edit] Sources

• Generalmajor Hans-Detlef Herhudt von Rohden  at Axis Biographical Research

[edit] References

1. ↑ Luftwaffe: Creating the Operational Air War, 1918-1940, pgs. 238-9
2. ↑ http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/WEHRMACHT/LUFTWAFFE/Generalmajor/HERHUDT_HANS.html