ABSTRACT
In the years 1936-1940, the Soviets involved themselves in a succession of small wars in Spain, Mongolia, China, and Finland. These small wars provided both a laboratory, in which the Soviets could look for validation of their theories, and a proving ground in which the ability of the Soviet Air Force to put these theories into practice was tested. Some theories quickly fell by the wayside, such as the fantasies concerning a bomber’s ability to ward off fighter attacks with ease. Other matters continued to be hotly debated, such as the effectiveness of airbase strikes.
