America's Greatest 20th Century Presidents by Charles River Charles River Editors Page A
Authors: Charles River Charles River Editors
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helped Eisenhower view the nation’s military engagements in a global perspective.
Later, just years before the Great Depression, Eisenhower moved on to the Army War College, from which he graduated in 1928. From there, Eisenhower's military career began to pick up. He spent a year stationed in France, where he was able to see the great battlefields of World War I for the first time in his life. It would not, however, be his last.
Amid the Great Depression, Eisenhower received a promotion, so the effects of the economic downturn were limited in his personal life. After doing a stint for a year in France, he became a secretary for the Assistant Secretary of War, bringing him into national policymaking for the first time and offering him a chance to engage in future military planning, albeit on a constrained budget caused by the Great Depression. Later, he was promoted to be a chief military advisor to the Army Chief of Staff, one of the highest ranking leaders in the U.S. Army. The Chief of Staff at the time happened to be none other than former classmate Douglas MacArthur.
General MacArthur
With this experience in hand, Eisenhower joined General MacArthur in the Philippines in 1935. Having been a thorn in America’s side earlier in the 20 th century, Eisenhower was there to assist MacArthur in helping the Philippine government develop its own army from scratch, after it had been devastated during World War I. However, the Phillipines proved to be a trying place for Eisenhower. Mamie contracted an illness that nearly killed her there, while the cool Eisenhower clashed with the notoriously feisty MacArthur. Although Eisenhower claimed the falling out between the two was not as bad as has been suggested, his biographers have looked upon this time as a helpful experience that prepared Eisenhower to deal with the equally feisty British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his initially disdainful commander Bernard Montgomery, who would at first openly question Eisenhower’s abilities given his lack of combat service in World War I.
Finally, the interwar period led Eisenhower to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1936, for the first time on a permanent basis. In 1939, Eisenhower was relocated back to the United States, where he continued to toil as a staffer in various assignments across the country, but he did have the good fortune of leaving the Phillipines before the start of the Japanese campaign that ousted MacArthur and the Americans from the islands in early 1942.
Thus, as World War II approached, Eisenhower still had never served in active combat even as the nation was preparing for war. Entering the 1940s, Dwight D. Eisenhower was not on many people’s lists of potential American commanders.
Chapter 3: World War II, 1941-1945
Assistant Chief of Staff
At the onset of World War II, Eisenhower was working alongside General George Marshall as a Assistant Chief of Staff, with Marshall as Chief of Staff, an ironic position given that Marshall would be his main competition for the position of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe a few years later. Eisenhower's promotion to this position came as a result of his earlier commanding of the Louisiana Maneuvers, a set of acts that finally allowed him to enter the radar of leaders in the U.S. Army. The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held in Louisiana that were geared towards preparing the Army for war. Eisenhower led the maneuvers, which were eventually recognized as an exceptionally competent way of training and testing soldiers before sending them into the field.
George Marshall
Now that he had caught the notice of his Chief of Staff, Eisenhower was better positioned to rise rapidly through the ranks of the U.S. Army.
Pearl Harbor
It was literally Eisenhower’s job to plan for war in the event that the United States entered World War II, and there is no doubt that he
Later, just years before the Great Depression, Eisenhower moved on to the Army War College, from which he graduated in 1928. From there, Eisenhower's military career began to pick up. He spent a year stationed in France, where he was able to see the great battlefields of World War I for the first time in his life. It would not, however, be his last.
Amid the Great Depression, Eisenhower received a promotion, so the effects of the economic downturn were limited in his personal life. After doing a stint for a year in France, he became a secretary for the Assistant Secretary of War, bringing him into national policymaking for the first time and offering him a chance to engage in future military planning, albeit on a constrained budget caused by the Great Depression. Later, he was promoted to be a chief military advisor to the Army Chief of Staff, one of the highest ranking leaders in the U.S. Army. The Chief of Staff at the time happened to be none other than former classmate Douglas MacArthur.
General MacArthur
With this experience in hand, Eisenhower joined General MacArthur in the Philippines in 1935. Having been a thorn in America’s side earlier in the 20 th century, Eisenhower was there to assist MacArthur in helping the Philippine government develop its own army from scratch, after it had been devastated during World War I. However, the Phillipines proved to be a trying place for Eisenhower. Mamie contracted an illness that nearly killed her there, while the cool Eisenhower clashed with the notoriously feisty MacArthur. Although Eisenhower claimed the falling out between the two was not as bad as has been suggested, his biographers have looked upon this time as a helpful experience that prepared Eisenhower to deal with the equally feisty British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and his initially disdainful commander Bernard Montgomery, who would at first openly question Eisenhower’s abilities given his lack of combat service in World War I.
Finally, the interwar period led Eisenhower to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in 1936, for the first time on a permanent basis. In 1939, Eisenhower was relocated back to the United States, where he continued to toil as a staffer in various assignments across the country, but he did have the good fortune of leaving the Phillipines before the start of the Japanese campaign that ousted MacArthur and the Americans from the islands in early 1942.
Thus, as World War II approached, Eisenhower still had never served in active combat even as the nation was preparing for war. Entering the 1940s, Dwight D. Eisenhower was not on many people’s lists of potential American commanders.
Chapter 3: World War II, 1941-1945
Assistant Chief of Staff
At the onset of World War II, Eisenhower was working alongside General George Marshall as a Assistant Chief of Staff, with Marshall as Chief of Staff, an ironic position given that Marshall would be his main competition for the position of Supreme Allied Commander in Europe a few years later. Eisenhower's promotion to this position came as a result of his earlier commanding of the Louisiana Maneuvers, a set of acts that finally allowed him to enter the radar of leaders in the U.S. Army. The Louisiana Maneuvers were a series of military exercises held in Louisiana that were geared towards preparing the Army for war. Eisenhower led the maneuvers, which were eventually recognized as an exceptionally competent way of training and testing soldiers before sending them into the field.
George Marshall
Now that he had caught the notice of his Chief of Staff, Eisenhower was better positioned to rise rapidly through the ranks of the U.S. Army.
Pearl Harbor
It was literally Eisenhower’s job to plan for war in the event that the United States entered World War II, and there is no doubt that he
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