Weigley american way of war pdf

See all 7 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. In its war of independence, american generals had sought to wear down their opponents until the british government concluded that victory would come at too high. The american way of war is a powerful analysis of the historical foundation of the american militarys quest for total victory, which was laid during the civil war and reigned supreme during world war ii. The argument for a focus on maritime dominance and the destruction of japans battle fleet the ukus debate in the european war over an enveloping strategy versus a concentration and mass strategy. A military and political history, 18611865, by russell f. The american way of war much has been written about americas strategic culture and way of war, beginning with historian russell f. Russell frank weigley wyglee july 2, 1930 march 3, 2004 was the distinguished university professor of history at temple university in philadelphia, pennsylvania and a noted military historian. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The american way of warfare a monograph by major chad m. Perspectives on the american way of war will be of great interest to scholars of war and conflict studies, strategic and military studies, insurgency and counterinsurgency, and terrorism and counterterrorism. A history of united states military strategy and policy.

One of weigleys most widely received contributions. Weigley traces the emergence of a characteristic american way of warin which the object of military strategy has come to mean total destruction of the enemy, first of his armed forces, often of the whole fabric of his society. Foreign policy and the american way of life michael lind the postpowell doctrine. Format book edition indiana university press paperback ed. Weigley asserted the existence of a distinctive american preference for wars of annihilation and thereby opened one of the most enduring and fruitful debates in the field.

Weigley in the american way of war, the pioneering work published in 1973. A history of united states military strategy and policy new york. Interest in the american way of war may well have begun in earnest in 1973 with weigleys landmark work. This war was the last nail in the coffin of the vietnam syndrome. The term american way of war was mentioned for a first time in early 1970s with the publication of the american way of war written by russel weigley who examined the key political and military figures from george washington to robert mcnamara and their approaches to the war. In other words, the weigley and boot interpretations are both important for implicitly revealing that the american style of warfare amounts to a way of battle more. This is one of the best books about the civil war to be written in a very long time.

After a long while of meaning to, ive finished russell weigleys magisterial book the american way of war. Professor weigley calls his book a political and military history. Weigley, 9780253280299, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. A history of united states military strategy and policy 9780253280299 by weigley, russell f. A history of united states military strategy and policy wars of the united states series by russell f. He contends that from the colonial era to the civil war, while america developed as a new country, its military forces were relatively weak. Similarly, weigleys critique of national defense policy in the american way of warjust as those in liddell harts and uptons worksoften has been appropriated by political ideologues. However, it remains strong today largely because of the desire to understand how the united states, the worlds sole superpower, might use military force in the future. Echevarria ii serious study of the american approach to waging war began in the early 1970s with the publication of russell weigleys the american way of war. Weigley believed the american civil war of 1861 to 1865 marked a revolutionary break with the nations traditional military methods. That phrase popularized by the military historian russell weigley in his 1973 book has come to refer to a grinding strategy of attrition. A history of united states military strategy and policy reprint of ed. Visit our website for other free publication downloads. That phrasepopularized by the military historian russell weigley in his 1973 bookhas come to refer to a grinding strategy of.

One of weigleys major contributions to research is his hypothesis of a specifically american way of war, i. Weigleys seminal 1973 book, the american way of war. The american way of war a companion to american military. His research and teaching interests centered on american and world military history, world war ii, and the american civil war. Both strategy and policy derive from a variety of factors, including national political culture, geog. The wars of the united states wars of the united states. During the civil war, weigley claimed, a strategy of annihilation designed to overthrow the enemy by destroying its armed force became the characteristic american way. The american way of war paperback january 1, 1973 by russell f. With this renewed confidence in what military historian russell weigley called the american way of war massive firepower, high technology, total victory washington is now seriously. The apparent differences between these works have stimulated debate among military scholars as to what constitutes the american way of war. A history of united states military strategy and policy weigley, russell f the wars of the united states series. Took longer than it should have, but as a foundational text for understanding not only american strategy, but basic concepts of national strategy itself, this book is unsurpassed. Neither party expected for the war, the magnitude, or the duration, which it has already attained, said president abraham lincoln in his second inaugural address.

Weigley in the american way of war, the pioneering work published in 1973, first described an american way of war, arguing it consisted of a unique american methodology. Weigley explores the ever evolving role of the military in an ever changing world, using history as the guideline to establish his facts. A history of united states military strategy and policy, new york. Pershing to wear down the german army in 1918, and by the u. Everything i publish is used under the fair use doctrine. Since the mid1980s, weigleys thesis has proved a handy foil to those intent on illustrating how technological progress had engendered a revolution in. Weigleys the american way of war, perhaps no other work continues to exert such a profound influence on the study of american military history. Although only explicitly discussed by weigley as a policy during our internal indian wars, you could if sufficiently immoral consider the possible subsets of an annihilation policy like racial, ethnic, cultural, or religious.

Weigley s thesis was that technological and social developments have robbed war of its power of decision, resulting in wars in which the. Examining how war was thought about and practiced by. The book was originally published as a special issue of. Grants total war policy during the civil war for this discussion. But it is mainly a military history and a brilliant one. Probably weigleys most provocative statement is that the south lost basically because of a failure of will. A history of united states military strategy and policy 9780253280299. A better american way of war the national interest.