Crusade in Europe: A Critique of Eisenhower's Operational Art
Abstract
It is ironic that the general who led the 4 million men under arms responsible for defeating the forces of Nazi Germany on the Western front during World War II is not generally remembered for the quality of his generalship. Despite the significance of his victories, he is rarely mentioned as being in the company of history's great captains. Those same military historians who denigrate Eisenhower's generalship, and give him low remarks as a "strategist" and "tactician" also usually praise his skills as a planner, staff officer, logistician, and politician/diplomat. He is often described as a man who could integrate large and diverse military forces as well as able to meld very divergent personalities into a coherent fighting team. These traits have a familiar ring to therm; they describe what in today's military are essential characteristics for senior level military operators. It would appear, on reflection, that these military historians have missed the forest for the trees in their assessment of Eisenhower. Eisenhower was, perhaps, the first American master of operational art for "machine age armies." This paper presents a critique of Eisenhower's operational art. The author reviews certain aspects of the Normandy and Ardennes campaigns as well as the decisions surrounding the broad front strategy and the objectives of the final drive into Germany. This effort is undertaken in the hope that a brief study of Eisenhower's campaigns in Europe will reveal something about the military tradition from which the United States' present armed forces and operational thinking springs. Perhaps they also can teach the military a few valuable lessons about those aspects of campaigning that are constant in time and required for successful warfighting. But before turning to those campaigns, the author reviews the intellectual forces that shaped Eisenhower's military thinking.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 13, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA437157
Entities
People
- William B. Huntington
Organizations
- National War College