Forging the Instrument: George C. Marshall as a Strategic Leader, 1939- 1941
Abstract
General George C. Marshall assumed the duties of Chief of Staff, U.S. Army, in July 1939. During the subsequent two and a half years, he played a central leadership role in preparing the United States for the possibility of war. In fact, largely through his efforts, America entered the war with a running start. By that time, it had developed a large, well trained Army of over 1.4 million men. This was a far cry from the paltry forces which had existed in 1939. This paper focuses on Marshall's strategic leadership during the relatively unglamorous prewar years. During this period, Marshall went from a generally unknown Washington personage to become one of the more recognized and respected national figures. In the process, he laid the foundation for exercising enormous influence at the highest levels of government throughout the war. Major aspects of his strategic leadership analyzed include the following: his strategic vision, the step-by-step process of implementing that vision, his relations with Congress, his efforts to institutionalize selected values across the Army in consonance with his vision, his success in structuring and restructuring the Army in pursuit of his vision and institutional values, his own interpersonal skills, and his role in strategy formulation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 13, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA250325
Entities
People
- John T. Nelsen Ii
Organizations
- United States Army War College