1916: The Air War - Dr. John Curatola

This lecture was delivered at the National World War I Museum and Memorial's Symposium -- 1916 | Total War -- which was held in Kansas City, Mo. November 4-5, 2016. For more information about the National WWI Museum and Memorial visit http://theworldwar.org Starting with the 'Fokker Scourge' in late 1915, the air battles over Verdun and the Somme as well as the Zeppelin raids over England in 1916 led to a technological and doctrinal race for air superiority. These events had both a physical and psychological toll and lead to the development of the modern concept of 'total war.' John Curatola is an associate professor of History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Prior to this position he was an active duty Marine Corps officer and retired in 2009 as a Lieutenant Colonel after 22 years of service.He received his doctorate from the University of Kansas in 2008. His work has been published in number of books and national periodicals.