Analysis: No Country Fears a Strong America
The concept of "No Country Fears a Strong America" centers on the assertion that a robust military presence is essential for the United States to maintain its status as a global leader and defender of peace. The discussion stems from a historical context where, following World War II, figures like General Dwight D. Eisenhower emphasized the importance of preparedness in the face of potential threats, advocating for a military that would not only be capable of defense but also serve as a deterrent against aggression. Eisenhower argued that a powerful military does not equate to a militaristic society but rather reinforces the nation's traditional values of freedom and democracy.
The analysis reflects on the lessons learned from the United States' delayed entry into World War II and highlights the importance of being proactive in defense strategies. Eisenhower contended that a strong military ensures legitimacy in international relations, enabling the U.S. to promote peace while safeguarding its interests. Ultimately, the perspective presented suggests that having a well-prepared armed force is crucial for both national security and global stability, allowing the United States to continue its role as a protector of the weak and a promoter of democratic ideals, rather than a bully on the world stage.
Analysis: No Country Fears a Strong America
Date: November 20, 1945
Author: Dwight D. Eisenhower
Genre: speech
Summary Overview
Less than a month after President Harry S. Truman declared the end of World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed a dinner convocation attended by members of the American Legion. Eisenhower told the audience of military veterans that the United States should maintain the strength of its armed forces. A nation that promotes peace and international law can only be respected when it possesses a strong military, Eisenhower said. The general argued that such a policy would not create a militaristic philosophy among Americans, but would instead continue to promote the traditional and peaceful cultural philosophies the nation has demonstrated since its beginning. Eisenhower reminded the audience of how long it took for the United States to become involved in World War II after the attack on Pearl Harbor and suggested that the nation should be prepared to defend itself at all times.
Defining Moment
The latter years of World War II were marked by a number of high-profile events—most notably the invasion of France known as “D-Day.” However, a fact often overlooked is that the United States' entry into the war—prompted by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941—took place two years after Germany invaded Poland, prompting England and France to declare war. Even after the United States' official declaration of war, it took several months for US troops to have significant involvement in combat. Among the issues preventing a more timely response were geography (the thousands of miles of ocean between the United States and battlefields in both Europe and the Pacific) and logistics (sending American troops to the optimal locations to engage Axis forces).
When the United States did reach the battlefield, however, the strength of the American armed forces was essential to an Allied victory. Working in partnership largely with English and French forces, US troops contributed heavily to the invasion at Normandy on June 6, 1944, and the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944–January 1945. In the Pacific, after sustaining heavy casualties during the year after Pearl Harbor, the US Navy began securing major victories at Midway and Guadalcanal (in June and August, respectively, of 1942) before dropping two atomic bombs on Japan in August 1945, bringing the international conflict to a close.
The United States' participation in World War II was also marked by the personalities and leadership of the US armed forces. General George S. Patton, for example, was a charismatic and yet intense officer who almost lost his command after famously slapping two US servicemen who suffered from combat fatigue. Lt. Gen. Eisenhower, viewed by many early in his command as a reluctant leader, privately clashed with President Roosevelt in 1942. Eisenhower, the new commander of the US force in northern Africa, pushed for the United States to cross the English Channel and invade France in concert with the English forces instead of engaging Germany's weaker forces across the Mediterranean.
The overwhelming destruction caused by the two American atomic bombs in Japan, coupled with the performance of the US military in Europe, vaulted the United States to the status of international leader. Following the war's end, the nation's leaders began an assessment of the next step for the United States in light of this new position in the international community. Less than one month after President Truman declared an official end to the war, General Eisenhower was invited to a dinner hosted in Chicago by the National Commanders of the American Legion, where he offered his thoughts on the future of the country's armed forces.
Author Biography
Dwight David Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas, on October 14, 1890. He was raised in Abilene, Kansas. Inspired by a childhood friend, who attended the US Naval Academy, Eisenhower gained admittance to the US Military Academy at West Point in 1911, graduating in 1915. In 1926, he graduated from the US Army's Command and General Staff School, leaving as an aide to General John Pershing. Two years later, he graduated from the Army War College and, shortly thereafter, accompanied General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines. In 1942, he served as the commanding officer of the Army's European theater of operations, eventually leading Operation Torch in North Africa. A year later, he commanded the D-Day invasion of France. In 1952, he entered politics as a moderate Republican, winning the presidential election. He was reelected in 1956, earning his legacy as a prominent face of the Cold War. He retired from public service in 1961 and moved to a farm in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He died on March 28, 1969.
Document Analysis
Eisenhower uses the platform provided to him by the American Legion to praise not only the Allied victory in World War II, but also the spirit and camaraderie of American military veterans. These men, Eisenhower says, are part of an organization that was dedicated both to defending the United States and to promoting international peace. Eisenhower tells his audience that the United States must continue to be prepared to protect itself—through war, if necessary—while promoting the traditional American values of freedom, democracy, and peace. Such a policy is not inherently militaristic, he argues. Instead, a strong, well-trained, and organized military lends a high degree of legitimacy to the United States as it seeks to become a world leader in the postwar era.
Eisenhower begins his speech by paying homage to the veterans before him as well as to the entire Allied Expeditionary Force (AEF) that, in concert, defeated Germany, Italy, and Japan in Europe and the South Pacific. Every serviceman who took part in the war, he says, has seen battle and the benefits of his training to surviving on the battlefield. Despite the fact that the atomic bomb and pilotless missiles signal a new era in military technology, he says, it is the experience and knowledge of every survivor of World War II that will help the rest of the world appreciate the moral value of peace. However, Eisenhower cautions, not every nation or society will share this perspective. Indeed, the world saw such belligerence in the form of the unprovoked attack on Pearl Harbor, he suggests. War is an emergency, and “like all emergencies, it usually comes, at least to us, unexpectedly.”
It is, therefore, imperative that the US military continue to recruit, train, and enhance its armed forces, Eisenhower says. He reminds the audience that the United States was not only caught by surprise by the Japanese attack on the Pacific Fleet, but it was also slow to react in both the European and Pacific theaters even after the declaration of war had been issued. The United States was only successful because of the assistance of Britain, France, and the other Allies, he argues. When the emergency of war occurs in the future, the United States should learn from this experience and ensure that its armed forces are well-trained, organized, and prepared to respond with great vigor and strength.
Eisenhower says that, in addition to giving security to the nation, a strong military—which is “not a sin,… [but] a necessity”—lends credibility to a country that looks to confront would-be aggressors on the international diplomatic stage, effectively deterring them from considering attacking it. The United States' strength “can never be that of the bully.” The United States has a reputation in the world as a defender of the weak and a promoter of peace and democracy. Strengthening the armed forces, he argues, will not generate a culture of militarism; throughout American history, the reasonable actions of US soldiers and sailors prove that investment in enhanced military training does not lead to militarism. Rather, he assures, it is a prudent and sensible policy that protects the interests of the United States, both at home and abroad.
Bibliography and Additional Reading
Atkinson, Rick. “Ike's Dark Days.” US News and World Report 133.16 (2002): 42. Print.
Darby, Jean. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Minneapolis: Twenty-First Century, 2004. Print.
“The Eisenhower Presidency, 1953–1961.” Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Boyhood Home. Natl. Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
Freidel, Frank, & Hugh Sidey. “Dwight D. Eisenhower.” White House. United States Govt., 2006. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
“A Life in Brief: Dwight David Eisenhower.” Miller Center. U of Virginia, n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.
Norton, Richard. “Rivals, Victors: Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley, and the Partnership that Drove the Allied Conquest in Europe.” Naval War College Review, 65.2 (2012): 178–80. Print.
“World War II Time Line.” National Geographic. National Geographic Soc., 2001. Web. 5 Nov. 2014.