The Interwar Period: Lessons from the Past
Abstract
After the end of the Cold War, the United states Army is facing the prospect of a new interwar period in which the lack of a threat and economic and political concerns may cause a major reduction of resources for the Army. The interwar period of the 1920's and the 1930's can provide the Army some useful lessons in the event the period replicates itself in the 21st Century. Those lessons derive not from the well-established fact that the nation failed to provide the Army the necessary resources to remain a robust, modernized force; rather those lessons derive from the fact that the Army failed to balance its scarce resources. The Army at that time made choices which caused it to become undermanned and overstructured, unready, unsustainable, and unmodernized. This paper challenges the reader to explore the lessons learned from this period and apply them to the Army of the 21st Century as it confronts a new interwar era.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 15, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA251293
Entities
People
- Lonnie B. Adams Iii
Organizations
- United States Army War College