Alexander de Seversky
A one-legged World War I ace who became America's most persuasive evangelist for the decisive power of the bomber.
1894–1974 (age 80)·Russian-American aviation pioneer·Birthday: June 7·The Lost Generation
Biography
Alexander de Seversky's life was a story of defiant triumph. A Russian naval aviator in World War I, he lost his right leg in combat but taught himself to fly again with a prosthetic, returning to become a fighter ace. Emigrating to the United States, he channeled his experience into invention, founding Seversky Aircraft Corporation and designing advanced planes. His true impact, however, came from his pen and his voice. In his seminal 1942 book 'Victory Through Air Power,' he argued with fiery conviction that long-range strategic bombing could win wars independently of armies and navies. The book became a national sensation and directly influenced U.S. air strategy and the creation of a separate Air Force. More than just a designer, de Seversky was a visionary strategist who shaped how a nation thought about the sky, transforming it from a secondary theater into a decisive battlefield.
The Lost Generation
1883–1900
Came of age during World War I. Disillusioned by the carnage, they rejected the certainties of the Victorian era and built modernism from the wreckage — in art, literature, and politics.
Alexander was born in 1894, placing them squarely in The Lost Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Alexander Was Born
The biggest hits of 1894
Alexander's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1894Born
President: Grover Cleveland
1899Started school
President: William McKinley
1907Became a teenager
Financial panic grips Wall Street
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1910Could drive
Halley's Comet makes its closest approach
President: William Howard Taft
1912Could vote
Titanic sinks on its maiden voyage
President: William Howard Taft
1915Turned 21
The Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Turned 30
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1934Turned 40
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Stars Fell on Alabama" — Jack TeagardenBest Picture: It Happened One Night
1944Turned 50
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1954Turned 60
Brown v. Board of Education desegregates US schools
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $8,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Little Things Mean a Lot" — Kitty KallenBest Picture: On the Waterfront
1964Turned 70
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1974Turned 80
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
Key Achievements
- Authored the hugely influential 1942 book 'Victory Through Air Power,' which shaped American military strategy.
- Founded the Seversky Aircraft Company, which later became Republic Aviation.
- Was awarded the Harmon Trophy for his contributions to aviation technology and design.
- Designed the SEV-3 amphibian aircraft and the P-35 fighter, an early precursor to the famed P-47 Thunderbolt.
Did You Know?
He lost his right leg after being wounded by anti-aircraft fire in 1915 but continued his flying career.
Walt Disney produced an animated feature film based on his book 'Victory Through Air Power' in 1943.
He became a naturalized United States citizen in 1927.
He held numerous patents for aviation innovations, including an in-flight refueling system.
“The bomber will always get through.”
