Joseph Warren Stilwell
Joseph Warren Stilwell was a prominent American General known for his significant contributions during the early to mid-20th century, particularly in the context of World War II and U.S.-China relations. A graduate of West Point in 1904, Stilwell spent considerable time in the Philippines before playing a pivotal role in the St. Mihiel offensive during World War I. His military career continued with key postings in China, where he served as both assistant military attache and military attache, along with various command roles in the U.S. Army.
During World War II, Stilwell commanded U.S. forces in the China-Burma-India theater and served as chief of staff to Chiang Kai-shek. His strategic efforts aimed at keeping China engaged in the war faced challenges, particularly due to Chiang’s prioritization of fighting Chinese communists over the Japanese. Stilwell’s successful Burma campaign in 1944 led to considerations for him to command Chinese forces, but his contentious relationship with Chiang ultimately resulted in his recall. Despite this, later events in the Chinese Civil War affirmed Stilwell's critiques of Chiang's leadership. His career reflects the complexities of military diplomacy and the intricate dynamics of wartime alliances in Asia.
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Joseph Warren Stilwell
- Born: March 19, 1883
- Birthplace: Palatka, Florida
- Died: October 12, 1946
- Place of death: San Francisco, California
Born: March 19, 1883; Palatka, Florida
Died: October 12, 1946; San Francisco, California
Principal wars: World War I, World War II
Principal battles: St. Mihiel (1918), Burma (1944)
Military significance: Stilwell’s command in Asia during World War II demonstrated the limits of U.S. influence in China.
A West Point graduate (1904), Joseph Warren Stilwell served in the Philippines (1904–1906, 1911–1913) and organized the St. Mihiel offensive during World War I. Prominent in Sino-American relations between 1920 and 1944, Stilwell served as assistant military attache and later military attache at Beijing (1920–1923, 1935–1939) and both battalion commander and acting chief of staff for the U.S. Army at Tianjin (1926–1929). As commander of U.S. forces in the China-Burma-India theater, Chiang Kai-shek’s chief of staff, and deputy supreme commander in Southeast Asia (1942–1944), Stilwell’s effort to keep China in the war met stiff resistance from Chiang, who hoarded American aid to fight the Chinese communists rather than the Japanese. The success of his Burma campaign in 1944 led President Franklin D. Roosevelt to suggest that Stilwell take command of Chinese forces, but Stilwell’s contempt for Chiang and his desire to employ Chinese communist forces against Japan led Chiang to demand the general’s recall. Succumbing to demands of coalition warfare and hopeful that Chiang would play a major role in postwar Asia, Roosevelt acceded to the general’s wish in October, 1944. The outcome of the Chinese Civil War, however, validated Stilwell’s complaints against Chiang.
Bibliography
Prefer, Nathan N. Vinegar Joe’s War: Stilwell’s Campaign for Burma. Novato, Calif.: Presidio Press, 2000.
Tuchman, Barbara Wertheim. Sand Against the Wind: Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911-45. London: Papermac, 1991.