On U.S. Air Force And The U.S. Global Strategy (1947-1969)

During only more than half of the century, U.S. Air Force becomes the strongest air powerin the world. In recent years, U.S. Air Force is playing a more and more important role thatcan decide the win or lost in the war, just like the war in the Persian Gulf, Kosovo,Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, the status quo of U.S. Air Force today is the result that everyadministration of U.S. attachs importance to the development of U.S. Air Force. In retrospectthe history of U.S. Air Force, we can have the conclusion that the development of U.S. AirForce have a very closely relation with the global strategy of the United States. In present, theresearch of contemporary U.S. Air Force is very abundance in China academe, but there isn'tnearly research in the relation between U.S. Air Force and the global strategy of the UnitedStates from the historical perspective. This doctoral dissertation will focus on the history ofU.S. Air Force based in the consistency between military and diplomacy. From thebackground of the four Presidents from Truman to Johnson's global strategy, the author willresearch the relation between the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. global strategy from 1947 to1969. From the research, the author will make clear the character of U.S. Air Force and thethe U.S. global strategy, analyzing the reason that the development of U.S. Air Force waschanged with the changing of the U.S. global strategy, in the end find the essence that U.S.Air Force is the important tool of the U.S. global strategy.The dissertation falls into five parts:Introduction.It summarizes the significance, value, and approach of the selected theme, and introducesthe research both at home and abroad at present.Chapter I, Truman Administration's Containment Strategy and the mission and role of U.S.Air Force in the beginning of Cold War.Chapter I discusses the shape of Truman Administration's Containment Strategy to Sovietis affecting the independence of U.S. Air Force. The author tracks the history of U.S. AirForce' independence and introduce it is the part of the nation security establishment. From theindependence, U.S. Air Force had the strategy mission on containing Soviet.Chapter II, Eisenhower Administration "New Look" and "Massive Retaliation" strategyand the esstablishment of the core strategy status of U.S. Air Force.Chapter II discusses Eisenhower Administration "New Look" and "Massive Retaliation"strategy established the core strategy status of U.S. Air Force in the national security strategy.The author analyzed the character of the "Massive Retaliation" strategy is nuclearcontainment. Because there are the bomber and ICBM, U.S. Air Force is the major power ofnuclear containment. At the same time, U.S. Air Force played the important role in theContinental defense, Collective defense and outerspace.Chapter III, Kennedy and Johnson Administration's "Flexible Response" strategy andthe development of U.S. Air Force.Chapter III discusses Kennedy and Johnson Administration's "New Frontier" and"Flexible Response" strategy affected the constructing and development of U.S. Air Force.The author analyzed that Kennedy and Johnson Administration not only thought thedevelopment of nuclear power, but also developed the conventional power. In order to adaptthe new military strategy, U.S. Air Force began to attach important to the tactical air force andmilitary airborne. In outerspace, U.S. Air Force became the major service in charge of themission of the outerspace. Moreover, U.S. Air Force took part in the Cuban Missile Crisis andthe Vietnam war with adapting to diplomacy.ConclusionThe conclusion is a brief summary the development and status quo of U.S. Air Forceconsistented with the changing of the U.S. global strategy, at the same time it analyzed therelation between U.S. Air Force and the U.S. global strategy and the some significance forChina Air Force of PLA.