ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines some of the earliest air power theory and its influence over the creation of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC). It explores how senior figures within the RFC crafted policy and doctrine to support the British army and control the air over the battlefield, including early experimentation with aerial weaponry. The book focuses on the broader debates relating to politics and strategy, demonstrating how the RFC was able to prioritise control of the air over the Western Front. It also explores how pre-war theories and policy affected the RFC's approach to the control of the air during 1915 and 1916. The book demonstrates the significance of the period leading up to the Battle of the Somme and processes of both continuity and change at the heart of controlling the air.
