One-Mile-in-Five

Landing fighters on highways is making a comeback in Switzerland [1], Poland [2], and Finland.[3] The countries close to Russia are preparing for trouble.

[1] https://gulfnews.com/world/europe/video-fighter-jets-take-of...

[2] https://defence24.com/armed-forces/air-force/first-highway-s...

[3] https://www.norwaynews.com/norwegian-f-35-land-on-a-finnish-...

It’s incredible how much those old Autobahns, built in the 30s, look like many modern Interstates. Eisenhower knew a good design when he saw one that’s for sure.

While the text mentions the autobahn having been of little strategic importance, there is a paper[1] which states that it “was effective in boosting popular support, helping to entrench the Nazi dictatorship”.

From the abstract: ”[…] Nazi propaganda used the Autobahn as a powerful symbol of successful economic policy, putting an effective end to austerity – so that many Germans credited the Nazi regime for the economic recovery. In line with this interpretation, we show that support for the Nazis increased even more where highway construction coincided with greater radio availability – a major source of propaganda. The effect of highways was also significantly stronger in politically unstable states of the Weimar Republic. Our results suggest that infrastructure spending can raise support for autocracy when voters are led to associate it with visible economic progress and an end to political instability.“

[1]: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w20150/w201...

Page title is "WWII, the autobahn, Ike, the Interstates, and one-mile-in-five"