Presidents and War
A comment made in a previous post got me thinking about whether or not a President with first-hand experience in war would be less inclined to involve the nation in war than a president with no significant military experience.
For example, Presidents Grant and Eisenhower kept their nations out of war despite the opportunity to do so. Grant's slogan (etched in stone at the entrance to Grant's Tomb) was "let us have peace." Eisenhower de-escalated the Korean conflict and was not involved in any other wars. James Monroe was not a general, but he was wounded in the Battle of Trenton and his two terms were called the Era of Good Feelings. Rutherford Hayes and James Garfield were both civil war veterans and neither led the nation into any conflict. And of course George Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace", the latter referring to his keeping the nation out of war as president.
On the other hand non-soldier James Madison took his nation into the War of 1812. Lincoln had limited military experience (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he only saw limited action in one of the Indian wars) but he was ready to win the Civil War through a campaign of attrition. Neither Wilson nor Franklin Roosevelt, who belatedly involved the nation in two world wars, had much if any military experience. I don't think Lyndon Johnson saw any combat in World War 2, I think he was an administrative officer of some sort. George W. Bush only had national guard service and never saw combat in Vietnam.
Against this trend however, William McKinley fought in the civil war, but he was convinced to lead the nation into war with Spain. George H. W. Bush was shot down as a pilot in World War II, and he led the nation into the first Gulf War, though he stopped short of an attack on Baghdad. Harry Truman was a lieutenant who saw combat in the first world war, but he sent troops into Korea.
I'm curious to get your thoughts on this. Do you believe that electing a president with military combat experience reduces the likelihood of that president sending troops into combat? I welcome your comments.
For example, Presidents Grant and Eisenhower kept their nations out of war despite the opportunity to do so. Grant's slogan (etched in stone at the entrance to Grant's Tomb) was "let us have peace." Eisenhower de-escalated the Korean conflict and was not involved in any other wars. James Monroe was not a general, but he was wounded in the Battle of Trenton and his two terms were called the Era of Good Feelings. Rutherford Hayes and James Garfield were both civil war veterans and neither led the nation into any conflict. And of course George Washington was eulogized as "first in war, first in peace", the latter referring to his keeping the nation out of war as president.
On the other hand non-soldier James Madison took his nation into the War of 1812. Lincoln had limited military experience (correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he only saw limited action in one of the Indian wars) but he was ready to win the Civil War through a campaign of attrition. Neither Wilson nor Franklin Roosevelt, who belatedly involved the nation in two world wars, had much if any military experience. I don't think Lyndon Johnson saw any combat in World War 2, I think he was an administrative officer of some sort. George W. Bush only had national guard service and never saw combat in Vietnam.
Against this trend however, William McKinley fought in the civil war, but he was convinced to lead the nation into war with Spain. George H. W. Bush was shot down as a pilot in World War II, and he led the nation into the first Gulf War, though he stopped short of an attack on Baghdad. Harry Truman was a lieutenant who saw combat in the first world war, but he sent troops into Korea.
I'm curious to get your thoughts on this. Do you believe that electing a president with military combat experience reduces the likelihood of that president sending troops into combat? I welcome your comments.
Generally speaking, those presidents who had seen war first hand as generals or combatants were more reluctant to keep the United States out of war than those Presidents without significant military experience.
I strongly agree
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I agree somewhat
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I neither agree nor disagree
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I disagree somewhat
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I strongly disagree
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