Eisenhower Preparation of a Leader

8 May marks the anniversary of Victory in Europe in 1945, perhaps the most spectacular
achievement for democracy in the twentieth century. As we reflect on this day, we should
appreciate that the defeat of the Third Reich was fundamentally a product of the militarytechnical application of military expertise.
As the Allied Supreme Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower delved into the mission of
developing and implementing the strategy for the defeat of Germany. He was aptly suited for
the task, having dedicated his career to the study of the military art.
Stationed at Camp Colt in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during World War I, Eisenhower divided his
time between his duties at the Tank Corps Training Center and an intense study of the
Gettysburg Battlefield. In particular, his assessment of Picketts Charge would influence his
decision to enlarge the Normandy landings 25 years later.

Major Eisenhower as an instructor at Camp Colt, circa 1918

Along with his close friend George Patton, Eisenhowers theories on mechanized warfare
caught the attention of General Fox Connor, who later brought Eisenhower to Panama to work
for him. Under Connors tutelage and access to his vast library, Eisenhower began an intensive
study of the Civil War, the Napoleonic campaigns, Frederick the Greats campaigns, Tacitus,
Plato, and even Shakespeare. Notably, he read Clausewitzs On War three timesa feat in
itself. Conner also instructed Eisenhower on the art of coalition warfare, underscoring the art of
persuasion as essential to maintaining unity of effort among various allies. As historians have
recognized, Eisenhowers association with Conner was his graduate school in the military art.
Thereafter, Eisenhower began drawing the attention of senior military officers as a result of his
superb writing and staff work. After graduating number one at the Command and General Staff
School, Eisenhower was assigned to the American Battle Monuments Commission under
General John J. Pershing to author the official history of the American campaign on the Western
Front. Not only did Eisenhower study Pershings military strategy and supporting operations, he
also gained a keen appreciation of logistics, the coordination of allied armies, and the
geography of northern France.

After graduating from the Army War College, at Carlisle Barracks, PA, in which he incidentally
wrote his research paper on mobilization, Eisenhower worked as military assistant to the
assistant secretary of war in Washington D.C. in the early 1930s. Here, he wrote the industrial
mobilization plan in the event of war. His crisp, logical prose impressed his superiors, and soon
Eisenhower gained the attention of General Douglas MacArthur, the Chief of Staff of the Army.
During this period, Eisenhower learned a great deal about the interaction of political and military
issues, an experience which broadened his philosophy of higher command.

Major General Eisenhower on the War Plans Staff

With the outbreak of war in Europe, Eisenhower worked in various command and staff positions
as the Army began preparations for possible war. In the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, Eisenhower
was assigned to the War Plans Division under General George C. Marshall and crafted the U.S.
war strategy, with Europe designated as the main effort. Dispatched to England in mid-1942 to
prepare for the invasion of France (initially set in 1943), Eisenhower received new instructions to
prepare for the invasion of North Africa instead.
From this point onwardfrom North Africa to Sicily, to Italy, to France and Belgium, and finally to
GermanyEisenhower commanded as the Supreme Allied Commander: directing campaign
strategies, shaping operations, husbanding resources, gauging logistical requirements,
managing strong personalities, and keeping political and military leaders focused on the ultimate
objectivethe decisive defeat of Germany.
While Victory in Europe had a thousand fathers, it was Eisenhower who orchestrated the unity
of effort. In view of his military-technical background, Eisenhower was not only the best choice
as Supreme Allied Commander, he was also a paragon of military expertise.

General Eisenhower with paratroopers on the eve of

D-Day for Operation Overlord, 1944