Late bloomer Eisenhower

Author: Jie Lifu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: World War II was the largest conflict in human history. In this war between the fascist axis powers and the anti-fascist alliance, the number of troops and weaponry deployed, the vast scope of the battlefield, the novelty of combat tactics, the scale of losses, and the profound impact were unprecedented. Although nearly 50 years have passed since the end of the war, with the passage of time and changes in circumstances, it still attracts numerous military strategists and historians from China and abroad to explore and write about it with its grandeur, profound connotations, and rich heritage. World War II provided countless soldiers with opportunities to showcase their talents and demonstrate their abilities, giving rise to a generation of outstanding generals. Among the anti-fascist camp, a group of great generals who excelled in their fields and achieved remarkable military exploits emerged, their glorious deeds immortalized in history. The "Illustrated Series on International Figures of World War II" consists of 15 volumes, featuring 15 renowned figures, essentially covering the representative figures on both sides of the war who played decisive roles in politics and military affairs. These include books written by the popular international affairs expert and best-selling author Jie Lifu, such as "The Three of World War II" and "The Three of World War II," as well as works compiled by other military historians on famous generals of World War II.
Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969) — the 34th President of the United States and a five-star general in the U.S. Army. Born in Denison, Texas, in a poor family.
After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy (West Point) in 1915, he served in an infantry unit. During World War I, he remained in the United States as the director of the Cort Tank Training Center. In 1922, he was assigned to the Panama Canal Zone. In 1925, he entered the Command and General Staff School for training. In 1927, he enrolled in the U.S. Army War College for advanced studies.
In 1928, he went to France for a year with the "War Memorial Commission" and returned to work in the U.S. Army General Staff. In 1933, he served as the aide-de-camp to General Douglas MacArthur, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. In 1935, he accompanied MacArthur to the Philippines as an assistant military advisor, helping to organize the Philippine army.
After the outbreak of the European war in 1939, he returned to the United States and held successive positions as a battalion commander, division staff officer, corps staff officer, and army group staff officer. Due to his outstanding performance, he gained the of General George C. Marshall, the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. In September 1941, he was promoted to brigadier general.
With the outbreak of the Pacific War, Eisenhower was transferred to the U.S. Army General Staff as the deputy director and later the director of the Operations Plan Division, responsible for reinforcing defensive forces in the Pacific theater. In March 1942, he was reassigned as the head of the Operations Division. He supported the "Europe First" strategy and advocated opening a second front in Western Europe as soon as possible to shorten the route to Germany.
In June 1942, he was selected by Roosevelt to command the U.S. Army in Europe. From November of that year, he successively served as the commander of the North African and Mediterranean Allied Forces, leading the Allies to land in North Africa, Sicily, and the Italian mainland, quickly ending the North African campaign and forcing Italy to surrender and declare war on Germany. In December 1943, Eisenhower was appointed Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. In June 1944, he commanded the largest amphibious invasion in history—the D-Day landings—and subsequently drove German forces out of France, Belgium, and the Netherlands, advancing deep into Germany. In December of the same year, he was promoted to five-star general. He possessed exceptional organizational and leadership skills, adept at unifying the vast armed forces of multiple nations, coordinating their actions, and fighting together.
After Germany surrendered, Eisenhower served as the Supreme Commander of the U.S. Occupation Forces in Germany. In November 1945, he became the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. In February 1948, he retired from the military and briefly served as the president of Columbia University. From 1950 to 1952, he re-entered active duty as the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) armed forces.
From 1953 to 1961, he served two terms as President of the United States. During his presidency, he continued to pursue Truman's "Cold War" policy, expanded nuclear weapons production, accelerated the development of strategic air forces, and implemented the "massive retaliation" strategy.
He passed away on March 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C., at the age of 79. He authored several memoirs, including "Crusade in Europe," "Authorizations for Change," and "The Search for Peace."