Late Bloomer - Eisenhower (Illustrated Series of International Figures in World War II)

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 Allies, the sheer number of troops and weaponry deployed, the vast geographical scope of the battlefields, 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 times changing and circumstances evolving, it still captivates numerous military strategists and historians from China and abroad with its grandeur, depth, and richness. 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 brilliant generals with remarkable achievements emerged, their names etched in history for their glorious deeds. The "Illustrated Series on International Figures of World War II" consists of 15 volumes, featuring 15 renowned figures, essentially covering the key political and military representatives from both sides of the war. These include books written by the popular international affairs expert and best-selling author Jie Lifu on the "Three" of World War II and the "Three" of World War II, as well as those 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 U.S. 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. In 1927, he enrolled in the Army War College for advanced studies.
In 1928, he joined the "War Memorial Commission" in France for a year and returned to work in the U.S. Army General Staff. In 1933, he became 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 U.S. and held successive positions as a battalion commander, division staff officer, corps staff officer, and army group staff officer. For his outstanding performance, he gained the attention of Chief of Staff George C. Marshall 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 launch a shortcut attack on 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. He quickly ended the North African campaign and forced 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 1944, 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 ensuring joint combat.
After Germany surrendered, Eisenhower became the Supreme Commander of the U.S. Occupation Forces in Germany. In November 1945, he served as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. In February 1948, he retired from the military and briefly served as president of Columbia University. From 1950 to 1952, he re-entered active duty as the Supreme Commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) 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. His works include memoirs such as The European Crusade, Authorizing Change, and Looking for Peace.