Military Leaders and the Presidency

Archive Report

War Heroes and the 1948 Presidential Race

Availability of War Leaders as Political Candidates

The spectacular growth of the Eisenhower-for-President boom in recent months and the possibility of a separate boom for Gen. MacArthur upon his return from Japan in April have revived a perennial controversy over the place of military leaders in the nation's civic affairs. A leading columnist11 has called the movements on behalf of the two generals a “military blitzkrieg,” and has warned that the nomination of either man would violate “our basic tradition of civilian responsibility in …politics and …government.” On the other hand, partisans of Eisenhower and MacArthur have pointed to the long line of military men who have occupied the White House in the past, and have argued that the ...

locked icon

Sign in to access this content

Get a 30 day FREE TRIAL

  • Watch videos from a variety of sources bringing classroom topics to life
  • Read modern, diverse business cases
  • Explore hundreds of books and reference titles