The New Pirates 1930
Following the Great depression, the world emerged as a very different place.
Central authority was weakened in some places and in other strengthened.
Some countries were divided in a myriad of small political entities and other countries were agglomerated in true empires.
The breakdown of authority made many places unsafe for land trade and transportation; the result was an increase of air activity.
Air vehicles of all kinds (from balloons, to dirigibles and airplanes) started to take on many of the tasks and roles performed early by land vehicles.
With the breakdown of law in many places and the disregard of international treaties and obligations (even by the major political entities), the stage was set for the advent of all type of forms of “gaining” commodities and money.
With the “move up” of transportation and with the breakdown of law, one of the consequences of these changes was the recrudescence of piracy, namely air piracy
One new aspect of these new pirates, compared to their 16th to 18th century counterparts was logically the use of new “tools”, foremost the airplane and all kind of modern vehicles and weapons.
Air Piracy was both a private and a “state” (whatever the size and legitimacy of these “states”) sponsored and practiced activity.
Although the new pirates used new technologies, their overall presentation and tactics remained much the same as their forerunners of earlier centuries.
To be continued...
