Why is the court-martial of Billy Mitchell famous?
The court-martial (military trial) of William “Billy” Mitchell (1879–1936) in 1925 made headlines because of Mitchell’s controversial criticism of the U.S. military. After serving as a U.S. Army general in World War I (1914–18), Mitchell became convinced that the future military strength of the United States depended on air power. During the war he had commanded American air units in Europe. Mitchell proposed to General John Pershing (1860–1948), the commander of U.S. forces, that troops be dropped by parachute behind German lines, but Pershing dismissed the idea. In 1921 Mitchell declared that “the first battles of any future war will be air battles.” When the navy and war departments failed to develop an air service, Mitchell accused the military of being incompetent and criminally negligent. He also claimed the administration was treasonous (betraying…
