Bull Tiger Biographical Library · Giant Hundred--Marshall

Author: Li Hao (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-10-01
Features: We are delighted to recommend the "Giant Biographies Series" to young friends. At the turn of the century, having such a fine series as company is a joy in wisdom. We believe that from the footsteps of these giants and masters, one can learn how to properly handle success and failure, comfort and hardship, joy and pain, smoothness and adversity, and understand how to face life, how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, how to shape oneself, and how to shape the future.
Principal of Peking University, Zhao Yulin Secretary of the Party Committee, Dong Lingsheng
Every great figure with global influence has a deeply moving story behind them. Their rich experiences and life lessons, their spirit of struggle and elements of success, their pursuit of excellence and ability to seize opportunities, undoubtedly have a tremendous inspirational and educational role for today's youth.
Principal of Tsinghua University, Zhao Qinggang
Giants are the elite of humanity. They have made outstanding contributions to the progress and civilization of human society. Their spirit of struggle and extraordinary achievements are deeply admired, becoming models for people to learn from. Giants are human, not gods; they come from ordinary people but surpass them. Their lofty ideals and the belief that they must seek happiness for their country and humanity are the driving forces behind their relentless efforts and fearlessness of difficulties.
Principal of Tianjin Nankai, Kang Xiuyan
To carefully read this series of books is like seeing their appearance, speech, and behavior, and feeling their ideals, beliefs, ambitions, and moral character. This will help you learn how to be a person, how to pursue knowledge, and how to build a career.
Principal of Fudan University, Cao Tianren
George C. Marshall was one of the three U.S. Armys. During World War II, he served as the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army and assisted President Roosevelt in establishing the international anti-fascist alliance, commanding 8 million U.S. soldiers alongside the Allies in vast battlefields around the world to fight against the German, Italian, and Japanese armies, and ultimately won the great victory in the anti-fascist war, making significant contributions to world peace and democracy. After the war, he served as President Roosevelt's special envoy to China to mediate the conflict between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of China, but he failed. Upon returning to the U.S., he became Secretary of State and implemented the "Marshall Plan" to aid the economic recovery of Europe, for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Marshall was born on December 31, 1880, in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He was the youngest of three children, and his older siblings did not like the little brother who was born later. His older sister, Mary, was a smart, selfish, and loud child who often got angry with him. His older brother, Stuart, was favored by their father, and he often bullied young Marshall to prevent him from sharing his father's affection. If Marshall had been able to surpass his older siblings, his life might have been easier, but unfortunately, he was a slow learner as a child. Marshall was often punished by his father, and a long willow switch was kept in the basement of their home. Being beaten was a common occurrence for him. Despite being beaten frequently, he never saw his older brother get punished, so he concluded that his brother was either perfect or a favored child who could not be beaten for mistakes. As a young boy, Marshall was reluctant to study in primary school and often ranked among the last in class. When he was nine, his father took him to Uniontown Public School for an interview, but he was completely lost when answering most of the very simple questions, leaving his father utterly embarrassed. This made Marshall even more self-conscious, and he believed he was not cut out for studying, so he often engaged in mischievous behavior. Mary noticed that mocking her brother's poor academic performance was dangerous. She made a mistake by calling him "the class idiot," and the next night, she found a frog under her bed. Once, Mary invited her friends over for a gathering, and she convinced her mother not to let her brother come in. So, he ran to the nearby woods to knock down a beehive, only stopping when the bees flew out to chase him. He led the bees back to the courtyard and then dashed into the house, skillfully dodging around and hiding in the bathroom. The bees continued to buzz, causing trouble for Mary's friends. For this, he was severely beaten, but he did not give up. He continued to tease his sister until one day, holding a watering can, he waited at the front door for Mary in her evening gown. However, it was his mother who came in, and he sprayed her with water. Of course, his mother forgave him, as she loved her little son and gave him the kindness he had never received from his father. But his brother did not let the opportunity slip and told their father, so he was taken to the basement again.
In September 1897, at the age of 16, Marshall successfully entered the Virginia Military Institute, motivated by his brother's disdain. He vowed to make them take notice of him. Life at the military academy was very tough, especially for first-year students, who were often assigned dirty and exhausting tasks. Upperclassmen called them "rodents" and made them work themselves to the bone. Marshall had just recovered from typhoid fever before arriving at the academy. As soon as he got there, he attracted the attention of the upperclassmen, who said his "harsh Pittsburgh accent" was grating and made him clean the toilets alone. Later, Marshall admitted that in the first month at the academy, he cleaned more toilets "than a female cleaner would in her entire life." He truly earned respect at the school after the "bayonet incident." This was a test for the upperclassmen against the "rodents," where they forced first-year students to strip and squat on bayonets stuck upright in the floor for 10 minutes. Marshall, weakened after recovering from typhoid fever, could not last more than two or three minutes and collapsed onto the bayonet tip. He was quickly rescued, bleeding profusely, and later taken to the military doctor to be stitched up with more than a dozen stitches. The upperclassmen worried that he would report the school, but to their surprise, Marshall said nothing about it. Instantly, people respected him.
At the academy, his outstanding leadership skills caught the attention of a young woman. Her name was Elizabeths·, a beautiful woman with a rosy complexion and sparkling eyes. They fell in love passionately. Many talented and beautiful women played important roles in Marshall's later life, including two duchesses of the United Kingdom, a famous Chinese beauty, and a reigning European queen, but none of them, not even his beloved second wife, had the same effect on him as Elizabeth. His loyalty to her remained unwavering, both during her lifetime and after her death. Elizabeth was an excellent pianist and believed she could attract Marshall, the young and handsome commander of the student corps, with her music. One night, as he and a group of classmates passed her house, a Chopin nocturne drifted out from an open window. The next night, when he passed by again, he heard her singing a song by Heinrich Heine. He stood there for a long time beneath the window until the door opened, and the young Elizabeth smiled warmly and asked if he would like to come in for a while. He agreed. He entered dazed and left intoxicated.
On the night of February 11, 1902, Marshall married in the same room where Elizabeth had played enchanting music. But that night, he heard a shocking news: she suffered from mitral valve stenosis and could not withstand the risks of childbirth and would have to be cared for as if she were half-disabled. Although this was a heavy blow to Marshall, it did not shake his deep affection for her. After the wedding, Marshall faced severe financial problems. He had to support himself, his wife, and his mother-in-law on a mere $116.67 per month as a second lieutenant. It was then that he realized, "No one earns less than a second lieutenant."
Marshall and his wife never dared to have children. In 1922, they adopted a little girl named Rose Page. She was smart and brought joy to the family, but this joy did not last long. On the morning of September 16, 1927, the time bomb hidden in Elizabeth's body finally exploded. At that time, Marshall was 47 years old, and he became the most solitary person in the U.S. Army.
In the summer of 1929, a beautiful widow named Catherine Brown fell in love with Marshall, and he was instantly smitten with her. This was Marshall's second wife, and they married on October 15, 1930, with General John J. Pershing serving as the best man. Their love never faded from that day on.
On September 1, 1939, Marshall became the Chief of Staff of the Army, holding the temporary rank of lieutenant general and the permanent rank of second lieutenant, serving as the main military assistant to President Roosevelt. He organized and led major battles of World War II, achieving a series of victories. In December 1944, he was awarded the rank of, becoming one of the highest-ranking generals in U.S. history.
Another major contribution of Marshall was the implementation of the "European Recovery Program," known as the "Marshall Plan." For this, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1953.
Marshall died in his bed at Walter Reed Hospital on October 16, 1959. He passed away quietly, without a fuss, as people said, "He was here just a moment ago, and now he's gone." Churchill summed up the mood in London in one sentence: "He was the last great American of his generation."