The Education of Matthew Ridgway in Generalship
Abstract
Our generals and admirals with battlefield experience in World War II and the Korea War have passed from the contemporary military stage. Today, battalion and brigade commanders and ships' captains, the future generals of armies and admirals of fleets, are being appointed who have had no combat experience in high command. Should war come, they will learn their trade as generals and admirals -- encompassing complex tasks unavoidably both joint and combined -- even as they practice it. All the while, the country's fate and the lives of millions will hang in the balance. The Nation can not tolerate the routine expenditure of lives and other precious resources on a grand scale in the education of its senior military leaders. Hence, war must be taught and practiced in peacetime, as both a science and an art, so that the minds of our senior leaders are prepared for the range of political/diplomatic, psycho- sociological, economic, technological, and military tasks they may one day undertake. This paper examines by historical analysis the factors of genius, experience, training, and personal habits which qualified officers for successful army or theater command in battle. General Matthew B. Ridgway serves as the model. His battlefield education and professional growth as General are analyzed in three battles of World War II -- Sicily, Normandy, and the Ardennes -- and during his service in the Korean War from December 1950 through April 1952.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 10, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA208659
Entities
People
- Julian H. Burns Jr.
Organizations
- United States Army War College