• Continuing struggle in period over nature of army
– Civilian or professional
• Budget cutting of 1920’s strips army of forces
• Air Service and Chemical warfare given equal status

• Use of Army in a Civil Disturbance
• Chief of Staff Douglas McArthur
– Sends out tanks, cavalry and infantry
– Show military can go overboard
• Fear of revolution

• Chief advocate of air power—Billy Mitchell
– Expanded on lessons of World War I
– Pushed for air development
• Budget cut following war
– Takes case to the public
– Agitates for test to prove strength of airpower
• Says Battleships will be useless
• Upsets Navy leadership
• Navy gives into pressure

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• Attacks anchored German ships
– Mitchell had to develop large bombs and navigational techniques for the attack
– Sinks ships
– Navy rejects test-flaws in attack
• Continued public appeals about lack of air preparedness
– Court-marshaled
– Brought airpower into the public eye

• Doctrine emerges before technology appears
– Precision bombing of enemy industry
• US is long way from capable
– Air Mail contract in 1930’s
• Can’t do long-distance flying in day or night
• Development of two planes signal change
– B-10-all metal, two engine monoplane
– B-17-four engine bomber

• Washington Naval Conference of 1921
– Naval Disarmament
• Restrictions of Battleships and cruisers
• No restrictions on Aircraft Carriers
• Sets ratios-makes US vulnerable in the Pacific
• Cutbacks through the era in 1920’s
– Falls behind the Japanese and British in active ships

• Aviation is one area that does grow
– USS Langley-Converted Coaler
– USS Saratoga and Lexington
• Vision still of scouting and observation
• In 1930’s, Navy starts to rebuild
– Way of helping Depression
– Vinson-Trammell Act(1933)
– Helps in early stages of World War II

• Period of significant doctrinal shift
• Still continue old mission
– Police force in Latin America and Far East
• Commandant John LeJeune feels new role needed
– World War I use was not typical
– Pushes to develop amphibious capability
– Sees next war with Japan
– Earl Ellis--theorist
– Marines build prototype landing craft-Higgins Boat
• Landing Operations Manual-1934