Alexander P. de Seversky (1894–1974) was a Russian-born American aviation pioneer, inventor, and author known for his contributions to air power theory and technology. After serving as a military aviator in World War I, he immigrated to the United States. Seversky founded the Seversky Aircraft Corporation, later known as Republic Aviation Corporation, and played a key role in developing advanced fighter aircraft like the P-47 Thunderbolt during World War II. His book “Victory Through Air Power” (1942) advocated for the strategic importance of air power in warfare, influencing military strategy. Seversky’s engineering achievements and advocacy for air power have left a lasting impact on aviation history, shaping both military aviation and the understanding of air warfare.

Alexander P. de Seversky Quotes

01. “Only air power can defeat air power. The actual elimination or even stalemating of an attacking air force can be achieved only by a superior air force.”
― Alexander P. de Seversky

02. “Air power speaks a strategic language so new that translation into the hackneyed idiom of the past is impossible.”
― Alexander P. de Seversky

03. “I discovered early that the hardest thing to overcome is not a physical disability but the mental condition which it induces. The world, I found, has a way of taking a man pretty much at his own rating. If he permits his loss to make him embarrassed and apologetic, he will draw embarrassment from others. But if he gains his own respect, the respect of those around him comes easily.”
― Alexander P. de Seversky