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The American Military - A Narrative History

Page 1

by Brad D. Lookingbill




  Table of Contents

  Title page

  Copyright page

  List of Illustrations

  Acknowledgments

  Prologue: Freedom Is Not Free

  1: An Uncommon Defense (1607–1775)

  Introduction

  The Militia

  Skulking

  Wars of Extirpation

  Imperial March

  The French and Indian War

  Martial Law

  Rebel Forces

  Conclusion

  2: War for Independence (1775–1787)

  Introduction

  American Crisis

  Year of the Hangman

  The Alliance

  Outside the Lines

  Southern Strategy

  Yorktown

  A Standing Miracle

  Conclusion

  3: Establishing the Military (1787–1812)

  Introduction

  National Forces

  Legion

  A Quasi-War

  The Shores of Tripoli

  West Point

  Army of Adventurers

  Peaceable Coercion

  Conclusion

  4: Mr. Madison's War (1812–1815)

  Introduction

  War Hawks

  On to Canada

  Naval Duels

  Tough as Hickory

  Border Battles

  The British Invasion

  New Orleans

  Conclusion

  5: The Martial Republic (1815–1846)

  Introduction

  Postwar Security

  Into the Borderlands

  Arc of Expansion

  Indian Removal

  Reforming the Militia

  The Old Navy

  Profession of Arms

  Conclusion

  6: The Forces of Manifest Destiny (1846–1860)

  Introduction

  American Blood

  On to Mexico

  Forward March

  War at Home

  The Halls of Montezuma

  Occupation

  Legacies of Conquest

  Conclusion

  7: The Blue and the Gray (1860–1865)

  Introduction

  Secession

  Battle Cries

  Union Strategy

  Lee Takes Command

  Military Necessity

  Advance and Retreat

  Gettysburg

  Winning the West

  The Surrender

  Conclusion

  8: Twilight of the Indian Wars (1865–1890)

  Introduction

  Road to Reunion

  Peace Policy

  Conquering the Sioux

  The Old Army

  Fight or Flight

  Apache Resistance

  Wounded Knee

  Conclusion

  9: A Rising Power (1890–1914)

  Introduction

  Race for Empire

  Remember the Maine

  Splendid Little War

  Philippine Rebellion

  The Boxers

  A Progressive Defense

  Gunboat Diplomacy

  Conclusion

  10: The War to End All Wars (1914–1918)

  Introduction

  Preparedness

  Mobilizing for War

  American Expeditionary Forces

  The Atlantic Lifeline

  No-Man's-Land

  Cult of the Offensive

  The Armistice

  Conclusion

  11: Out of the Trenches (1918–1941)

  Introduction

  Soft Power

  A Winged Defense

  From Ships to Shores

  Our Economic Army

  Neutrality

  Under the Rainbow

  Pearl Harbor

  Conclusion

  12: Fighting World War II (1941–1945)

  Introduction

  War Machine

  The GI Way

  Empire of the Sun

  A Second Front

  Great Crusade

  The Philippine Sea

  Victory in Europe

  Japanese Resistance

  Atomic Warfare

  Conclusion

  13: A Cold War Begins (1945–1964)

  Introduction

  Department of Defense

  Containment Strategy

  Police Action

  A New War

  Stalemate

  No More Koreas

  The Arms Race

  Conclusion

  14: The Tragedy of Vietnam (1964–1975)

  Introduction

  Into the Quagmire

  Gradual Escalation

  Search and Destroy

  Tet

  A Better War

  Ending the Draft

  The Fall of Saigon

  Conclusion

  15: A New Military (1975–2001)

  Introduction

  Revival

  A Strategic Defense

  Use of Force

  Line in the Sand

  Desert Storm

  Drawdown

  Pax Americana

  Conclusion

  16: Global War on Terror (2001–present)

  Introduction

  September Morn

  War in Afghanistan

  Iraqi Freedom

  Green Zone

  The Surge

  Turn the Page

  Killing bin Laden

  Conclusion

  Index

  This edition first published 2013

  © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data is available for this book.

  ISBN 9781444337358 (hb)

  ISBN 9781444337365 (pb)

  A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  Cover image: U.S. soldiers at vehicle checkpoint in Mosul, Iraq, 2003. Photo © Scott Nelson/Getty Images

  List of Illustrations

  1.1 Robert Rogers – commandeur der Americaner, 1778. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  1.2 Map of European claims in North America, 1754–1763

  1.3 View of the Attack on Bunker's Hill, 1783. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  2.1 Alexander H. Ritchie, Washington and His Generals, 1870. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  2.2 Map of the Northern Campaigns

  2.3 Jean-Michel Moreau, John Paul Jones, 1781. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  2.4 Map of the Southern Campaigns

  3.1 Action between U.S. frigate Constellation and French frigate L’Insurgente. John W. Schmidt. Photo KN-2882, U.S. Navy Historical Center, Department of the Navy

  3.2 Meriwether Lewis fires his rifle, 1810. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  4.1 Plan of Fort Detroit, January 26, 1812. Miscellaneous Collection, F 775, Box MU 2102, Archives of Ontario

  4.2 Map of the War of 1812

  4.3 General Andrew Jackson, after Thomas Sully (1783–1872). Private collection/Peter Newark American Pictures/The Bridgeman Art Library

  5.1 The American Soldier, 1827. Army Artwork, Prints and Poster Sets, U.S. Army Center of Military History

  5.2 W. G. Wall, West Point, 1821. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  6.1 Nathaniel Currier, Landing of the American Forces under General Scott, 1847. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  6.2 Map of the U.S.–Mexico War

  6.3 Nathaniel Currier, An Available Candidate, 1848. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  7.1 “To Colored Men!”, 1863. Record Group 94: Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1762–1984, National Archives

  7.2 Map of the U.S. Civil War

  7.3 General Robert E. Lee, 1864. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  7.4 General Ulysses S. Grant at his headquarters, 1864. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  8.1 Geronimo, 1886. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  8.2 Map of the Trans-Mississippi West, 1860–1890

  8.3 C Troop at supper, 1895. Indian War Widows Project Records Collection, U.S. National Park Service, Jefferson National Expansion Memorial

  9.1 The New York nurses, 1898. Photograph of Sternberg General Hospital, Camp Thomas, Chickamauga, Georgia, Army Nurse Corps in the War with Spain, U.S. Army Center of Military History

  9.2 Ship's company, U.S.S. Maine, 1896. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  9.3 Map of colonialism in Asia, 1914

  9.4 U.S. interventions in Latin America, 1900–1935

  10.1 Sergeant Alvin C. York, 1919. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  10.2 “That Liberty shall not Perish from the Earth,” 1918. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  10.3 Map of World War I on the Western Front

  11.1 Aeromarine 39-B airplane, 19 October 1922. Photo NH 93178, U.S. Navy Historical Center, Department of the Navy

  11.2 Pearl Harbor Naval Base and U.S.S. Shaw aflame, 1941. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  12.1 Marine Private First Class Douglas Lightheart at Peleliu, September 14, 1944. Record Group 127: Records of the U.S. Marine Corps, 1775–9999, National Archives

  12.2 Map of World War II in Asia

  12.3 General Dwight D. Eisenhower gives the Order of the Day, 1944. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress

  12.4 Map of the European theater, 1942–1945

  12.5 Colonel Paul W. Tibbets, Jr., pilot of the Enola Gay, August 6, 1945. Record Group 208: Records of the Office of War Information, 1926–1951, National Archives

  13.1 Recruiting poster for women in the Air Force, 1951. The Betty H. Carter Women Veterans Historical Project, Martha Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

  13.2 Map of the Korean War

  13.3 Fighting with the 2nd Infantry Division north of the Chongchon River, November 20, 1950. Integration of Armed Forces in Korea, U.S. Army, http://www.army.mil/media/32791/

  14.1 “The Wise Men”: luncheon meeting, March 26, 1968. Collection LBJ-WHPO: White House Photo Office Collection, 11/22/1963–01/20/1969, National Archives

  14.2 Map of Vietnam, showing 1954 North/South division and routes of invasions and evacuations, 1945–1975

  14.3 A Boeing B-52D in Vietnam. Photo 061127-F-1234S-017, National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

  15.1 M-1A1 Abrams main battle tanks of Co. A, 3rd Battalion, 32nd Armored Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division, December 9, 1990. Photo DA-ST-92-07289, Department of Defense, http://www.defenseimagery.mil/

  15.2 Major General Colin L. Powell, August 27, 1984. Record Group 330: Records of the Office of the Secretary of Defense, 1921–2008, National Archives

  15.3 Map of Operation Desert Storm

  16.1 Navy SEALs operating in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. Photo 050628-N-0000X-001, U.S. Navy, http://www.navy.mil/

  16.2 Map of the Middle East

  16.3 U.S. Army General David Howell Petraeus, the Multi-National Force Iraq Commander, June 4, 2008. Photo 080604-F-LX971-358, Department of Defense, http://www.defenseimagery.mil/

  Acknowledgments

  It is my pleasure to give thanks to all those who made this textbook possible. First and foremost, I would like to thank my daughter, Beatrice. She outran me to my computer many mornings and moved her 2-year-old fingers over my keyboard while repeating: “I do it!” I dedicate this work to her.

  While working, I found inspiration in a framed photograph that shows my father in his ROTC uniform. In 1964, he stood confidently next to my mother. His brother enlisted in the Marine Corps in a time of war, while her brother was drafted into the Army. One of her brothers-in-law joined the Air Force. Another became an Army lieutenant. In other words, all of my uncles a generation ago served in the American military. Because of my father's wanderlust and early death, I never learned why he did not earn his commission. Whatever the reason, the black and white image seems to hint at his unrealized potential.

 

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