Airships in International Affairs 1890 - 1940

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xix

   PDF

2. Introduction: Technology and the Human Psyche

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 1-18

3. Imperial German Precedents, 1890–1918

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 19-50

4. Zeppelins in International Politics, 1919–21

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 51-80

5. Zeppelin Reborn in America, 1922–24

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 81-103

6. Airships in International Political Competition, 1924–28

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 104-140

7. International Airship Hubris and Adversity, 1928–30

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 141-176

8. A Buffeting for German and American Airships, 1931–35

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 177-209

9. Airship Wonder Captured by Nazi Ideology, 1935–40

   • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

   Pages 210-225

10. Conclusion

    • John Duggan, Henry Cord Meyer

    Pages 226-240

11. Back Matter

    Pages 241-275

    PDF

This book analyses the unique psychological appeal of the airship worldwide and shows how this appeal was exploited for ulterior political purposes. They were used by Count Zeppelin to advance German militarism, American Admiral Moffett to fight US Army aviation ambitions, British Lord Thomson to foster Socialism and strengthen Empire ties, Mussolini to promote Italian Fascism, Stalin to foster world Communism, and Hitler to promote Nazi ideology. As airships roamed worldwide, so they carried these political influences with them.

• Adolf Hitler
• army
• communism
• fascism
• German
• ideology
• politics
• psyche
• psychology
• socialism
• technology

'This well-written and very informative study illuminates the political and emotional legacy of giant airships.' - R.E. Bilstein, Choice

• Management Consultant specializing in Oil Industry Economics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA

  John Duggan

• University of California Irvine, Irvine, USA

  Henry Cord Meyer

JOHN DUGGAN is currently editor of Zeppelin, the quarterly journal of the Zeppelin Study Group. He is co-author (with Manfred Bauer) of LZ 130Graf Zeppelin and the end of Commercial Airship Travel, (with Jim Graue) Commercial Zeppelin Flights to South America and (with Gisela Woodward) Graf Zeppelin Polar Post.

HENRY CORD MEYER, a naval officer during the war and subsequently Professor at Pomona College, Stanford University and the University of California received the prestigious G.L. Beer prize in European History (American Historical Association) in 1956. His publications include Airshipmen, Businessmen and Politics, 1890-1940 and Count Zeppelin: A Psychological Portrait.

Policies and ethics