‘The Naked Truth of Battle” written by James Burns, explains and examines the American way of making war as compared to other countries such as the Germany, Britain, and Russia. Details presented in this account revolve around the central idea that Americans emphasize victory by overwhelming force. This, American way of making war, is accomplished by characteristics such as technological and economic superiority as well as logistical expertise. On the contrary, methods used by other countries exemplify the differing ideals in political systems, economic circumstances, and culture as compared to the American way. As described above, the American way of war is rooted in the idea that victory is achieved by overwhelming force, coupled with the first characteristic of technological and economic superiority.…
With the influence of battles such as Vera Cruz, Hampton Roads, and Manila Bay, the military has been able to develop into an unstoppable force. The lessons of Army-Navy cooperation, amphibious operation, technological advancement, and military readiness have resulted in America’s rise to world prominence since the nineteenth century as the nation has grown overtime. This in turn has spread America’s influence throughout the world. No nation can match the might of the United States, because the military has developed overtime into a dominant force which is dedicated to America’s status as a world…
The essays by Ambrose, Broyles, Hedges, Kudo, and Styron collectively discuss War in varying contexts, highlighting the effects both before and after war. Some articles intersect on the supporting the idea of another, while others clearly hold opposing views.…
“From a strategic standpoint, the American way of war seeks swift military victory, independent of strategic policy success; the desired political and military outcomes do not always align. When analyzed, this…
Bacevich makes a clearly stated, and well-written argument providing abundant information to the reader. Although the language use may be advanced for some less-educated people, the writing makes it very easy for the reader to understand bacevich's view that America has grown accustomed to the use of power to 'help' less fortunate countries where people do not have the same rights as American citizens do. Bacevich uses his experiences in the Vietnam war, and his service in the Persian Gulf, to explain that Americas' adapting to the use of military…
There is one truth in war…good men will die, sent to the front by their senior civilian and military leadership. Throughout the short history of the United States, many published works put forth a counter position to Huntington’s The Soldier and the State. All attempt to find the “right” answer and balance to the civil-military relationship; with each essay, it seems a new conflict is on the horizon and the question is more difficult to answer. In Elliot Cohen’s book, Supreme Command, he examines the tension between these two kinds of leadership, civil and military. Here, we will examine two accounts of civil-military relationships: the Civil War and Vietnam War, and determine which case best support Cohen’s general argument in his book.…
As time passes, every society endures situations which stress its' very fabric. Each societies' history is sprinkled with these situations. One such situations which the United States underwent was the Vietnam war. For years this particular event has been hotly debated. Hardly anyone who was present at the time agrees on any point concerning this war, except that they regret it. It has become "the greatest American foreign policy calamity of the century." . Now the United States finds itself entangled in another war. A war in Iraq which is beginning to resemble more and more the events of the Vietnam war. Many analysts, and even the public have begun to wonder if the current situation is the same as what took place in Vietnam. The answer is a disturbing yes. The current military engagement in Iraq is showing signs that it will become for this generation what Vietnam was to that generation.…
War has always been something that seemed pointless to me; it seemed like violence with no other purpose but to harm people. I felt sorry for the people who had to go to war, for the people who died, and for people who could never go back to normal after a war ended, because of the mental or physical impact it had on them. Howard told us his story, his opinion about war, and the book “The Things they carried”. He changed my way of looking at war a lot, partly even my opinion about war.…
War is a very controversial topic for many people. Depending on the person’s outlook on the war, it can be depicted as something good or bad. War brings destruction wherever it goes, whether it is on a place or the people, and it ultimately is inevitable. War also protects a country from having further destruction and keeps the people at home safe from any danger. As a person can see in many recordings of war, there are many comparisons and contrasts that are expressed through soldiers, veterans, and civilians. Some comparisons seen in many of the testimonies given by effected people are dehumanization, dislocation, and alienation; but they also have contrasts that can be seen through nationalism, technological advancements, and the coming home for many…
Throughout America’s history there have been a handful of wars that the United States has been a part of. We have proven that we are a strong country and that we can handle anything that comes our way. Along our journey, we have encountered our share of issues: moral, ethical and constitutional issues, specifically in World War II and the War on Terror. We have seen our leaders lead our country and take us to become one of the most powerful countries in the world. We have also seen leaders take us in another direction.…
Wars have been fought since the beginnings of humanity to settle disputes, and the core concepts of warfare has not changed for thousands of years. Unfortunately, all wars come with a devastating cost the world must pay - the loss of many lives, the destruction of environment, and a deep wound in society which would take years to stitch back to unity. Between 1955 and 1975, the United States participated in the Vietnam War in order to prevent the spreading of Communism by the Vietcong from North Vietnam. The Vietnam War ultimately impacted both the soldiers overseas and the families back home. Soldiers overseas were both physically and psychologically wounded from the injuries they sustain and the traumatic experiences they witness.…
Sitting watching the news channel or hearing my family and friends (the ones in the military) talk about the war they have been in or the ones that they still in, I never realized that we are, as a country, addicts to war preparations, “If Western Civilizations were a person, we should be directing it to the nearest meeting of War-Preparers Anonymous, ” Writes Kurt Vonnegut in “1983 New York” (298) Vonnegut’s point is that we should be standing up and admitting that we have a problem, we have lost everything we cared about and should have come a long time ago; we hit rock bottom back in 1914.…
1. Explain and evaluate extensive economic and military mobilization on the home front by the United States during World War II and its impact of the success of the war effort.…
To claim that the Civil War was unlike any other war since is to dispute the claims of countless historians who view it as a prelude or prototype for the type of wars that followed, “Library shelves groan with works pointing to the Civil War as a harbinger of “total war” in its modern form.” This claim, as well as overlooking strategies and tactics that have been applied and evolved through subsequent wars, overlooks the significance of ideological warfare and policies of a central government such as conscription, which have been practices employed since in a wartime context. It would appear more correct to claim then, that the Civil War was unlike any other war before as it validates evidence that points to it as the first ‘modern war’ and the first ‘total war’, namely in its tactics and its technology. But while it may be true that the Civil War marks the ‘firsts’ in several ways, to state that it was unlike any war before is to ignore continuities in American wartime tradition and strategy and principles from foreign wars. This essay will argue therefore that the Civil War was different from wars before it but differences were not total and continuities certainly existed, and that it has certainly found a place within the commentaries on other wars since.…
After the Civil War and by the mid-20th century, the United States had become the dominant force in international relations. Some have argued that the United States’ military functions as the world’s “police.”…