Marshall, George C.

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{{epname|Marshall, George C.}}
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|name= [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] George C. Marshall, [[United States|U.S.]] [[United States Army|Army]]
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|lived= [[December 31]] [[1880]] – {{death date and age|1959|10|16|1880|12|31}}
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[[Image:General George C. Marshall, official military photo, 1946.JPEG|thumb|right|200px|George C. Marshall, general of the army, 1946]]
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|placeofbirth= [[Uniontown, Pennsylvania|Uniontown]], [[Pennsylvania]]
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'''George Catlett Marshall, Jr.''' (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an [[United States|American]] [[Military of the United States|military]] leader,  
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|placeofdeath= [[Washington, D.C.]]
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general of the army, secretary of state, and the third secretary of defense. Once noted as the "organizer of victory" by [[Winston Churchill]] for his leadership of the [[Allied Powers (World War II)|Allied]] victory in [[World War II]], Marshall supervised the U.S. Army during the war and was the chief military advisor to [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]].
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|image= [[Image:General George C. Marshall, official military photo, 1946.JPEG|200px|George Marshall]]
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Marshall accepted appointment as U.S. secretary of state in 1947 because he wanted above all to remove the causes of war "insofar as humanly possible, and in this way make war impossible."<ref>Carl Joachim Hambro, [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/press.html "The Nobel Peace Prize, 1953,"] Nobel Foundation. Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref> Having helped to win the war, Marshall knew that a peace also required winning if the mistakes made in the post-[[World War I]] context were to be avoided. He recognized the great mistake of the U.S. after World War I of largely withdrawing from [[Europe]]. After World War II, the U.S. committed itself to assisting the reconstruction process, and as secretary of state, Marshll became the public face and name of the [[Marshall Plan]], which poured massive amounts of resources into the task of repairing the shattered continent of Europe. For this effort, he was awarded the [[Nobel Prize#Nobel Prize in Peace|Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1953. According to the [[Smithsonian Institution]], "Few Americans in the twentieth century have left a greater legacy to world peace than George C. Marshall."<ref>[http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/marshall/marsh2.htm "George C Marshall: Soldier of Peace,"] Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref>
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|nickname=
 
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|allegiance= [[United States of America]]
 
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|service= [[United States Army]]
 
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|serviceyears= 1901&ndash;1945
 
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|rank= [[General of the Army]]
 
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|commands=[[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]]
 
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|unit=
 
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|battles=[[Philippine-American War|Philippines]],<br> [[World War I]],<br> [[World War II]]
 
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|awards= [[Distinguished Service Medal (Army)|Distinguished Service Medal]], [[Silver Star Medal]]
 
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|laterwork= [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]]; [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]}}
 
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{{Otherpeople}}
 
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[[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]] '''George Catlett Marshall, Jr.''' ([[December 31]] [[1880]] &ndash; [[October 16]] [[1959]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[Military of the United States|military]] leader, [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]], and the third [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]]. Once noted as the "organizer of victory" by [[Winston Churchill]] for his leadership of the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] victory in [[World War II]], Marshall supervised the U.S. Army during the war and was the chief military advisor to [[President of the United States|President]] [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]. As Secretary of State he gave his name to the [[Marshall Plan]], for which he was awarded the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1953.
 
  
 
==Early life==
 
==Early life==
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George C. Marshall was born into a middle-class family in [[Uniontown, Pennsylvania]]. Marshall was a scion of an old Virginia family and a distant relation of Chief Justice [[John Marshall]]. Marshall was a cadet at the [[Virginia Military Institute]] (where he was initiated into the [[Kappa Alpha Order]]), graduating in 1901.
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Marshall was born into a middle-class family in Uniontown, [[Pennsylvania]]. Marshall was a scion of an old [[Virginia]] family and a distant relation of Chief Justice [[John Marshall]]. Marshall was a cadet at the [[Virginia Military Institute]] (where he was initiated into the [[Kappa Alpha Order]]), graduating in 1901.
  
 
==World War I==
 
==World War I==
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In 1902 Marshall received a commission into the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]. Until World War I, he was posted to various positions in the US and the [[Philippines]], and was trained in modern warfare. During the war, he had roles as a planner of both training and operations. He went to [[France]] in the summer of 1917 as the director of training and planning for the [[U.S. 1st Infantry Division|1st Infantry Division]]. In mid-1918, he was promoted to American Expeditionary Forces headquarters, where he worked closely with his mentor General [[John J. Pershing]] and was a key planner of American operations. He was instrumental in the design and coordination of the [[Meuse-Argonne offensive]], which contributed to the defeat of the [[German Army]] on the Western Front.
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In 1902 Marshall received a commission into the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]]. Until [[World War I]], he was posted to various positions in the U.S. and the [[Philippines]], and was trained in modern [[war]]fare. During the war, he had roles as a planner of both training and operations. He went to [[France]] in the summer of 1917 as the director of training and planning for the 1st Infantry Division. In mid-1918, he was promoted to American Expeditionary Forces headquarters, where he worked closely with his mentor General [[John J. Pershing]] and was a key planner of American operations. He was instrumental in the design and coordination of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which contributed to the defeat of the German Army on the Western Front.
  
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==Between WWI and the Eve of World War II==
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==Between Wars==
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In 1919, he became an aide-de-camp to General [[John J. Pershing]]. Between 1920 and 1924, while Pershing was Army Chief of Staff, Marshall worked in a number of positions in the US Army, focusing on training and teaching modern, mechanized warfare. Between WWI and World War II, he was a key planner and writer in the [[United States Department of War|War Department]], spent three years in [[China]], and taught at the Army War College. In 1934, then-Col. Marshall directed the publication of ''Infantry in Battle''. a book that codified the lessons of World War I. ''Infantry in Battle'' is still used as an officer's training manual in the Infantry Officer's Course, and was the training manual for most of the infantry officers and leaders of World War II.
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In 1919, he became an aide-de-camp to Pershing. Between 1920 and 1924, while Pershing was army chief of staff, Marshall worked in a number of positions in the U.S. Army, focusing on training and teaching modern, mechanized warfare. He was a key planner and writer in the War Department, spent three years in [[China]], and taught at the Army War College. In 1934, then-Colonel Marshall directed the publication of ''Infantry in Battle'', a book that codified the lessons of World War I. ''Infantry in Battle'' is still used as an officer's training manual in the Infantry Officer's Course, and was the training manual for most of the infantry officers and leaders of World War II.
  
 
==World War II==
 
==World War II==
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[[Image:George marshall&henry stimson.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Marshall with [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[Henry Stimson]]]]
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[[Image:George marshall&henry stimson.jpg|thumb|right|250px|General Marshall (left) and Secretary of War [[Henry Stimson]] (right) sometime during 1942]]
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Marshall was promoted to Brigadier General in October 1936. Nominated by President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin Roosevelt]] to be [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]], Marshall was sworn in on September 1, 1939, the day German forces invaded Poland, precipitating World War II. He would hold this post until the end of the war in 1945.
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Marshall was promoted to brigadier in October 1936. Nominated by President [[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|Roosevelt]] to be army chief of staff, Marshall was sworn in on September 1, 1939, the day [[Nazism|German]] forces invaded [[Poland]], precipitating World War II. He would hold this post until the end of the war in 1945.
  
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As Chief of Staff, Marshall oversaw the largest military expansion in U. S. history, inheriting an outmoded, poorly equipped army of 200,000 men and, partly drawing from his experience teaching and developing techniques of modern warfare as an instructor at the Army War College, coordinated the large-scale expansion and modernization of the U. S. army into a force of over eight million soldiers by 1942 (a fortyfold increase within three years).  
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As chief of staff, Marshall oversaw the largest military expansion in U.S. history, inheriting an outmoded, poorly equipped army of 200,000 men and, partly drawing from his experience teaching and developing techniques of modern warfare as an instructor at the Army War College, coordinated the large-scale expansion and modernization of the U. S. army into a force of over eight million soldiers by 1942 (a forty-fold increase within three years).  
  
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In 1944, he became the second U.S. General to be awarded [[5 star rank|5-star]] rank, otherwise known as [[General of the Army]], after John Pershing, who was awarded the rank in September 1919; although Pershing was promoted to [[General of the Armies]]. This position is the American equivalent in rank to [[Field Marshal]]. Marshall once joked that he was glad the U.S. never created a Field Marshal rank during World War II, since he would then have to be addressed as Marshal Marshall.
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In 1944, he became the second U.S. general to be awarded a five-star rank, otherwise known as general of the army, after Pershing, who was awarded the rank in September 1919; although Pershing was promoted to general of the armies. This position is the American equivalent in rank to field marshal. Marshall once joked that he was glad the U.S. never created a field marshal rank during World War II, since he would then have to be addressed as “Marshal Marshall.”
  
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During World War II, Marshall was instrumental in getting the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps reorganized and ready for combat. Marshall wrote the document that would become the central strategy for all Allied operations in Europe, selected [[Dwight Eisenhower]] as Supreme Commander in Europe, and designed [[Operation Overlord]], the invasion of [[Normandy]]. His success in working with Congress and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, along with his refusal to lobby for the position, ultimately resulted in his being passed over as the [[Supreme Allied Commander]] in charge of the [[D-Day]] invasion. At the time, the President told him: "I couldn't sleep nights, George, if you were out of Washington."
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During World War II, Marshall was instrumental in getting the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps reorganized and ready for combat. Marshall wrote the document that would become the central strategy for all Allied operations in Europe, selected [[Dwight Eisenhower]] as Supreme Commander in Europe, and designed [[Operation Overlord]], the invasion of [[Normandy]]. His success in working with Congress and President Roosevelt, along with his refusal to lobby for the position, ultimately resulted in his being passed over as the supreme allied commander in charge of the [[D-Day]] invasion. At the time, the President told him: "I couldn't sleep nights, George, if you were out of [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]]."
  
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Throughout the remainder of the World War II, Marshall coordinated Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific. He was characterized as the organizer of Allied victory by [[Winston Churchill]]. ''[[Time Magazine]]'' named Marshall [[Person of the Year|Man of the Year]] in 1944. Marshall resigned his post of Chief of Staff in 1945, but did not retire, as regulations stipulate that Generals of the Army remain on active duty for life.
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Throughout the remainder of the World War II, Marshall coordinated Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific. He was characterized as the organizer of Allied victory by [[Winston Churchill]]. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine named Marshall [[Person of the Year|Man of the Year]] in 1944. Marshall resigned his post of chief of staff in 1945, but did not retire, as regulations stipulate that generals of the army remain on active duty for life.
  
 
==Post War: China and Secretary of State==
 
==Post War: China and Secretary of State==
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| name=George C. Marshall
 
| name=George C. Marshall
 
| order=50th
 
| order=50th
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| title=[[United States Secretary of State]]
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| title=United States Secretary of State
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| term_start=[[21 January]] [[1947]]
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| term_start=January 21, 1947
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| term_end=[[20 January]] [[1949]]
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| term_end=January 20, 1949
 
| predecessor=[[James F. Byrnes]]
 
| predecessor=[[James F. Byrnes]]
 
| successor=[[Dean Acheson]]
 
| successor=[[Dean Acheson]]
 
| president=[[Harry S. Truman]]
 
| president=[[Harry S. Truman]]
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| birth_date=[[December 31]], [[1880]]
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| birth_date=December 31, 1880
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| death_date=[[October 16]], [[1959]]
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| death_date=October 16, 1959
 
| order2=3rd
 
| order2=3rd
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| title2=[[Secretary of Defense]]
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| title2=Secretary of Defense
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| term_start2=[[21 September]] [[1950]]
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| term_start2=September 21, 1950
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| term_end2=[[12 September]] [[1951]]
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| term_end2=September 12, 1951
 
| predecessor2=[[Louis A. Johnson]]
 
| predecessor2=[[Louis A. Johnson]]
 
| successor2=[[Robert A. Lovett]]
 
| successor2=[[Robert A. Lovett]]
 
| president2=[[Harry S. Truman]]
 
| president2=[[Harry S. Truman]]
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| party=[[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]]
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| party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
 
}}
 
}}
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In December 1945, Truman sent Marshall to [[China]] to broker a coalition government between the [[Communist Party of China|Communists]] under [[Mao Zedong]] and America's [[Kuomintang|Nationalist]] allies under [[Chiang Kai-shek]]. Marshall had no leverage over the Communists, but threatened to withdraw American aid essential to the Nationalists. Both sides rejected his proposals and the [[Chinese Civil War]] escalated, with the Communists winning in 1948. His mission a failure, he returned in January of 1947.<ref> Mark A. Stoler, ''George C. Marshall'' (1989) 145-51; Tang Tsou, ''America's Failure in China, 1941-50'' (1963).</ref> As Secretary of State in 1947-48, Marshall seems to have disagreed with strong opinions in the Pentagon and State department that Chiang's success was vital to American interests, insisting that U.S. troops not become involved. <ref> May (2002) </ref> May (2002) suggests the reason was that his first priority was to spend money on his Marshall Plan of aid to Europe.
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In December 1945, Truman sent Marshall to [[China]] to broker a coalition government between the [[Communist Party of China|communists]] under [[Mao Zedong]] and America's [[Kuomintang|Nationalist]] allies under [[Chiang Kai-shek]]. Marshall had no leverage over the communists, but threatened to withdraw American aid essential to the nationalists. Both sides rejected his proposals and the [[Chinese Civil War]] escalated, with the communists winning in 1948. His mission a failure, he returned in January 1947.<ref>Mark A. Stoler, ''George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century'' (Woodbridge, CT: Twayne Publishers, 1989, ISBN 0805777857), 145-151.</ref><ref>Tang Tsou, ''America's Failure in China, 1941-50'' (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963, ISBN 0226815153).</ref> As secretary of state in 1947-1948, Marshall seems to have disagreed with strong opinions in the Pentagon and State Department that Chiang's success was vital to American interests, insisting that U.S. troops not become involved. May (2002) suggests the reason was that his first priority was to spend money on his [[Marshall Plan]] of aid to [[Europe]].<ref>Ernest R. May, "1947-48: When Marshall Kept the U.S. out of War in China," ''Journal of Military History'' 66(4) (2002): 1001-1010.</ref>
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On his return in early 1947, [[Harry S. Truman|President Truman]] appointed Marshall secretary of state. He became the spokesman for the State Department's ambitious plans to rebuild Europe. On June 5, 1947, at a speech at [[Harvard University]], he outlined the American plan.<ref>[http://www.georgecmarshall.org/lt/speeches/marshall_plan.cfm/ The Marshall Plan Speech,] George C. Marshall International Center. Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref> The European Recovery Plan, which became known as the [[Marshall Plan]], would help Europe quickly rebuild and modernize its [[economy]] on American lines. Truman wanted to call the plan the Truman Plan, but was warned that the plan would sink before it took off if named that. Truman thought of the idea to call it “the Marshall Plan.” The [[Soviet Union]] forbade its satellites to participate.
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Marshall was again named ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s “Man of the Year” in 1948, and received the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1953. As secretary of state, Marshall strongly opposed recognizing the State of [[Israel]], telling Truman, "If you [recognize the state of Israel] and if I were to vote in the election, I would vote against you."<ref>Richard H. Curtiss, [http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0591/9105017.htm "Truman Adviser Recalls May 14,1948 US Decision to Recognize Israel,"] ''Washington Report on Middle East Affairs'' (May/June 1991). Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref> In 1949, he resigned from the State Department and was named president of the [[American Red Cross]]. The Marshall plan's role in European reconstruction helped to pave the way for the creation of what was originally called the Common Market, or [[European Economic Community]], which has made war unthinkable in Europe.
  
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On his return in early 1947, Truman appointed Marshall [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]].  He became the spokesman for the State Department's ambitious plans to rebuild Europe. On [[June 5]] [[1947]] at a [http://www.georgecmarshall.org/lt/speeches/marshall_plan.cfm/ speech] at [[Harvard University]], he outlined the American plan. The European Recovery Plan, which became known as the [[Marshall Plan]], would help Europe quickly rebuild and modernize its economy on American lines. Truman wanted to call the plan the Truman Plan, but was warned that the plan would sink before it took off if named that. Truman thought of the idea to call it the Marshall Plan. The Soviet Union forbade its satellites to participate.  
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==Secretary of Defense; McCarthyism==
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When the early months of the [[Korean War]] showed how poorly prepared the Department of Defense was, Truman dismissed Secretary [[Louis A. Johnson]] and named Marshall as secretary of defense in September 1950. His main role was to restore confidence.  
  
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Marshall was again named [[TIME]]'s Man of the Year in 1948, and received the [[Nobel Peace Prize]] in 1953. As Secretary of State, Marshall strongly opposed recognizing the State of [[Israel]], telling President Truman, "If you (recognize the state of Israel) and if I were to vote in the election, I would vote against you." [http://www.wrmea.com/backissues/0591/9105017.htm][http://www.trumanlibrary.org/hst/h.htm] In 1949, he resigned from the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] and was named president of the [[American Red Cross|American National Red Cross]].
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On June 14, 1951, as the Korean War stalemated in heavy fighting between American and Chinese forces, [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] Senator [[Joseph McCarthy]] attacked. He charged that Marshall was directly responsible for the "loss of China," as China turned from friend to enemy.<ref>The speech was published as a 169-page booklet, ''America's Retreat from Victory: The Story of George Catlett Marshall'' (Milwaukee, WI: Senator Joseph R. McCarthy Educational Foundation, 1985, original 1951).</ref> McCarthy said the only way to explain why the U.S. "fell from our position as the most powerful Nation on earth at the end of World War II to a position of declared weakness by our leadership" was because of "a conspiracy so immense and an infamy so black as to dwarf any previous such venture in the history of man."<ref>Joseph McCarthy, ''Major Speeches and Debates'' (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1951), 215.</ref> McCarthy said that "If Marshall were merely stupid, the laws of probability would dictate that part of his decisions would serve this country's interest."
  
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==Secretary of Defense; attacked by McCarthy==
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McCarthy argued that General [[Albert Coady Wedemeyer]] had prepared a wise plan that would keep China a valued ally, but that it had been sabotaged, saying "only in [[treason]] can we find why evil genius thwarted and frustrated it."<ref>McCarthy, 264.</ref> McCarthy suggested that Marshall was old and feeble and easily duped; he did not charge Marshall with treason. Specifically, McCarthy alleged:
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When the early months of the [[Korean War]] showed how poorly prepared was the Defense Department, Truman fired Secretary [[Louis A. Johnson]] and named Marshall as [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] in September 1950. His main role was to restore confidence. He served in that post for less than one year, retiring from politics for good in September 1951. In 1953, he represented America at the [[Coronation of the British monarch|coronation]] of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]].
 
  
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On June 14, 1951, as the Korean war stalemated in heavy fighting between American and Chinese forces, Republican Senator [[Joe McCarthy]] attacked. He charged that Marshall was directly responsible for the "loss of China," as China turned from friend to enemy.<ref> The speech was published as a 169-page booklet, ''America's Retreat from Victory: The Story of George Catlett Marshall'' (1951).</ref> McCarthy said the only way to explain why the U.S. "fell from our position as the most powerful Nation on earth at the end of World War II to a position of declared weakness by our leadership" was because of "a conspiracy so immense and an infamy so black as to dwarf any previous such venture in the history of man."<ref>Joe McCarthy, ''Major Speeches and Debates'' (1951) p. 215</ref> McCarthy said that "If Marshall were merely stupid, the laws of probability would dictate that part of his decisions would serve this country's interest." McCarthy argued that General [[Albert Coady Wedemeyer]] had prepared a wise plan that would keep China a valued ally, but that it had been sabotaged; "only in treason can we find why evil genius thwarted and frustrated it." <ref> McCarthy, ''Major Speeches and Debates'' (1951) pp. 264.</ref> McCarthy suggested that Marshall was old and feeble and easily duped; he did not charge Marshall with treason. Specifically McCarthy alleged: 
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<blockquote>When Marshall was sent to China with secret State Department orders, the Communists at that time were bottled up in two areas and were fighting a losing battle, but that because of those orders the situation was radically changed in favor of the Communists. Under those orders, as we know, Marshall embargoed all arms and ammunition to our allies in China. He forced the opening of the Nationalist-held Kalgan Mountain pass into Manchuria, to the end that the Chinese Communists gained access to the mountains of captured Japanese equipment. No need to tell the country about how Marshall tried to force Chiang Kai-shek to form a partnership government with the Communists."<ref>McCarthy, 191. From a speech of March 14, 1951.</ref><ref>Thomas C. Reeves, ''The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy'' (New York: Stein and Day, 1982, ISBN 978-0812823370), 371-374.</ref></blockquote>
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:"When Marshall was sent to China with secret State Department orders, the Communists at that time were bottled up in two areas and were fighting a losing battle, but that because of those orders the situation was radically changed in favor of the Communists. Under those orders, as we know, Marshall embargoed all arms and ammunition to our allies in China. He forced the opening of the Nationalist-held Kalgan Mountain pass into Manchuria, to the end that the Chinese Communists gained access to the mountains of captured Japanese equipment. No need to tell the country about how Marshall tried to force Chiang Kai-shek to form a partnership government with the Communists."<ref> McCarthy, ''Major Speeches'' p. 191, from speech of March 14, 1951; see also Thomas C. Reeves, ''The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy'' (1982) pp 371-74. </ref>
 
  
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Public opinion became bitterly divided along party lines on Marshall's record. In 1952, Eisenhower while campaigning for president denounced the Truman administration's failures in Korea, campaigned alongside McCarthy, and refused to defend Marshall's policies.<ref> Reeves, McCarthy'' 437-8</ref>
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Marshall served as secretary of state for less than one year, retiring from politics for good in September 1951. Public opinion became bitterly divided along party lines on Marshall's record. In 1952, Eisenhower, while campaigning for president denounced the Truman administration's failures in Korea, campaigned alongside McCarthy, and refused to defend Marshall's policies.<ref>Reeves, 437-438.</ref>
  
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George Catlett Marshall, "The Organizer of Victory", died on Friday [[October 16]] [[1959]]. Marshall's achievements were on a grand scale. Like Eisenhower, he is recognized as a great American soldier despite never actually seeing combat. He is buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].
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In 1953, Marshall represented the United States at the coronation of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]].
  
 
==Family life==
 
==Family life==
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He married [[Elizabeth Carter Cole]] of [[Lexington, Virginia]] in 1902. She died in 1927. In 1930, he married [[Katherine Boyce Tupper]]. George Marshall maintained a home, known as [[Dodona Manor]] (now restored), in [[Leesburg, Virginia]].
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Marshall married [[Elizabeth Carter Cole]] of Lexington, [[Virginia]] in 1902. She died in 1927. In 1930 he married [[Katherine Boyce Tupper]]. Marshall maintained a home, known as Dodona Manor (now restored), in Leesburg, Virginia.
  
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==Bibliography==
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==Legacy==
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*  Cray, Ed.  ''General of the Army: George C. Marshall, Soldier and Statesman.'' Norton, 1990. 847 pp. 
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Marshall, "The Organizer of Victory," died October 16, 1959. He is buried at [[Arlington National Cemetery]].
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* Harold I. Gullan; "Expectations of Infamy: Roosevelt and Marshall Prepare for War, 1938-41." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' Volume: 28#3 1998. pp 510+ [http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=5001392305 online edition]
 
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* May, Ernest R. "1947-48: When Marshall Kept the U.S. out of War in China." ''Journal of Military History'' 2002 66(4): 1001-1010. Issn: 0899-3718 Fulltext: in Swetswise and [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0899-3718%28200210%2966%3A4%3C1001%3A1WMKTU%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T  in Jstor]
 
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* Levine, Steven I. "A New Look at American Mediation in the Chinese Civil War: the Marshall Mission and Manchuria." ''Diplomatic History'' 1979 3(4): 349-375. Issn: 0145-2096
 
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* Parrish, Thomas.  ''Roosevelt and Marshall: Partners in Politics and War.'' 1989. 608 pp. 
 
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* Steele, Richard W.  ''The First Offensive, 1942: Roosevelt, Marshall, and the Making of American Strategy.'' 1973. 239 pp. 
 
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* Mark C. Stoler, ''George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century. '' (1989) 252pp
 
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* [[Forrest Pogue]], Viking, (1963–87) Four-volume authorized biography: complete text is online
 
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** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/poguecollection.htm George C. Marshall: Education of a General, 1880-1939]''
 
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** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/Library/PogueCollection.htm George C Marshall: Ordeal and Hope, 1939-1943]''
 
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** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/Library/PogueCollection.htm George C. Marshall: Organizer of Victory 1943-1945]''
 
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** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/Library/PogueCollection.htm George C. Marshall: Statesman 1945-1959]''
 
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===Primary Sources===
 
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* ''The Papers of George Catlett Marshall:'' (Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens, eds.)
 
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Vol. 1: The Soldierly Spirit," December 1880-June 1939. (1981)
 
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Vol. 2: "We Cannot Delay," July 1, 1939-December 6, 1941. (1986)
 
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Vol. 3: The Right Man for the Job, December 7, 1941-May 31, 1943. (1991)
 
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Vol. 4: "Aggressive and Determined Leadership," June 1, 1943-December 31, 1944. (1996)
 
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Vol. 5: "The Finest Soldier," January 1, 1945-January 7, 1947.  (2003)
 
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* Bland, Larry; Jeans, Roger B.; and Wilkinson, Mark, ed.  ''George C. Marshall's Mediation Mission to China, December 1945-January 1947.'' Lexington, Va.: George C. Marshall Found., 1998. 661 pp. 
 
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* Marshall, George C.  ''George C. Marshall: Interviews and Reminiscences for Forrest C. Pogue.'' Lexington, Va.: George C. Marshall Found., 1991. 698 pp.  [http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/pogue.html online edition]
 
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* George Catlett Marshall. ''Memoirs of My Services in the World War, 1917-1918'' (1976)
 
  
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==Dates of rank==
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Like [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]], he is recognized as a great American soldier, despite never actually seeing combat. Marshall was a man in whose heart resided a genuine desire for peace. In helping to reconstruct Europe, Marshall made an enduring contribution towards a more peaceful world. The emergence of a new, more united Europe represented by the [[European Union]] has made war in Europe unthinkable. When he received the [[Nobel Prize#Nobel Prize in Peace|Nobel Peace Prize]], Marshall remarked that its award to a soldier had created some discussion:
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* [[Second Lieutenant]], [[United States Army]]: February 2, 1902
 
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* [[First Lieutenant]], United States Army: March 7, 1907
 
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* [[Captain]], United States Army: July 1, 1916
 
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* [[Major]], [[National Army]]: August 5, 1917
 
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* [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]], National Army: January 5, 1918
 
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* [[Colonel (United States)|Colonel]], National Army: August 27, 1918
 
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* Major, [[Regular Army]] (reverted to peacetime rank): July 1, 1920
 
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* Lieutenant Colonel, Regular Army: August 21, 1923
 
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* Colonel, Regular Army: September 1, 1933
 
−
* [[Brigadier General]], Regular Army: October 1, 1936
 
−
* [[Major General]], Regular Army: September 1, 1939
 
−
* [[General]], Regular Army, for service as [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Army Chief of Staff]]: September 1, 1939
 
−
* [[General of the Army (United States)|General of the Army]], [[Army of the United States]]: December 16, 1944
 
−
* General of the Army rank made permanent in the Regular Army: April 11, 1946
 
  
−
==Awards and decorations==
+
<blockquote>There has been considerable comment over the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a soldier. I am afraid this does not seem as remarkable to me as it quite evidently appears to others. I know a great deal of the horrors and tragedies of war. Today, as chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, it is my duty to supervise the construction and maintenance of military cemeteries in many countries overseas, particularly in Western Europe. The cost of war in human lives is constantly spread before me, written neatly in many ledgers whose columns are gravestones. I am deeply moved to find some means or method of avoiding another calamity of war. Almost daily I hear from the wives, or mothers, or families of the fallen. The tragedy of the aftermath is almost constantly before me.</blockquote>
−
===U. S. military honors===
 
−
* [[Army Distinguished Service Medal|Distinguished Service Medal]] with one [[Oak leaf cluster]]
 
−
* [[Silver Star]]
 
−
* [[Philippine Campaign Medal]]
 
−
* [[World War I Victory Medal]] with four [[battle clasp]]s
 
−
* [[Army of Occupation of Germany Medal]]
 
−
* [[American Defense Service Medal]]
 
−
* [[American Campaign Medal]]
 
−
* [[World War II Victory Medal]]
 
−
* [[National Defense Service Medal]]
 
  
−
===Foreign military honors===
+
He continued to speak of the need to create conditions for peace to flourish by addressing issues of want and need in the world, saying "millions who live under subnormal conditions and who have now come to a realization that they may aspire to a fair share of the God-given rights of human beings." People also needed to be educated about the benefits of democracy, which holds "within itself the seeds of unlimited progress by the human race." Yet, he continued:
 +
 
 +
<blockquote>Material assistance alone is not sufficient. The most important thing for the world today in my opinion is a spiritual regeneration which would reestablish a feeling of good faith among men generally. Discouraged people are in sore need of the inspiration of great principles. Such leadership can be the rallying point against intolerance, against distrust, against that fatal insecurity that leads to war. It is to be hoped that the democratic nations can provide the necessary leadership.<ref>[http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/marshall-lecture.html George C. Marshall - Nobel Lecture,] Nobel Foundation. Retrieved August 21, 2007.</ref></blockquote>
 +
 
 +
==Selected Honors==
 +
* Numerous military decorations, among them the Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star
 
* [[Order of the Bath|British Order of the Bath]]  
 
* [[Order of the Bath|British Order of the Bath]]  
 
* [[French Legion of Honor]]  
 
* [[French Legion of Honor]]  
−
* [[Croix de Guerre|French Croix de Guerre]]
 
−
* [[Order of Suvarov|Soviet Order of Suvorov]]
 
−
* [[Order of Military Merit|Soviet Grand Cross Order of Military Merit]]
 
−
* [[Order of Ouissam Alaouite|Moroccan Grand Cross of Ouissam Alaouite]]
 
−
* Cuban Order of Military Merit, First Class
 
−
* Liberian Centennial Medal
 
−
* Greek Grand Cross [[Order of George I]] with swords
 
 
* Order of the Crown of Italy
 
* Order of the Crown of Italy
−
* [[Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus]] (Italy)
+
* Distinguished Achievement Award (1948) for his role and contributions during and after [[World War II]]
−
* Netherlands Grand Cross with Swords in the Order of Orange Nassau
+
* [[Nobel Prize#Nobel Prize in Peace|Nobel Peace Prize]] (1953) for the [[Marshall Plan]]
−
* Montenegro Silver Medal for Bravery
 
−
* Panamanian Medal of La Solidaridad, Second Class
 
−
* Peruvian Gran Official del Sol del Peru
 
−
* Brazilian Order of Military Merit
 
−
* Chilean Order del Merito
 
−
* Ecuadorian Star of Abdon Calderon, First Class
 
−
* Colombian Grand Cross of the Order of Boyaco Cherifien
 
  
−
===Civilian honors===
+
==Notes==
−
* In 1948, he was awarded the Distinguished Achievement Award for his role and contributions during and after [[World War II]].
+
<references/>
−
* [[Nobel Peace Prize]] 1953 for the Marshall Plan
 
−
* 1959 [[Charlemagne Award|Karlspreis (International Charlemagne Prize of the city of Aachen)]]
 
−
* The British Parliament established the [[Marshall Scholarship]] in recognition of Marshall's contributions to Anglo-American relations.
 
−
* Many building and streets throughout the U.S. and other nations are named in his honor.
 
−
*George C. Marshall Award, the highest award given to a chapter in Kappa Alpha Order
 
−
 
 
−
==Quotations==
 
−
*"We are determined that before the sun sets on this terrible struggle, Our Flag will be recognized throughout the World as a symbol of Freedom on the one hand and of overwhelming force on the other." — George Marshall (May 29, 1942, ''Papers of George Catlett Marshall,'' Vol 3 pp. 212-14.) [http://www.ehistorybuff.com/kimmel1.html]
 
−
 
 
−
*"I couldn't sleep nights, George, if you were out of Washington." -[[Franklin D. Roosevelt]], reported by [[Henry Stimson]], 1943
 
−
 
 
−
*“...what a joy it must be to [Marshall] to see how the armies he called into being by his own genius have won immortal renown. He is the true 'organizer of victory.’” [[Winston Churchill]], 1945
 
−
 
 
−
*"A man devoted to the daily study of war on several continents with all the ardour of a certified public accountant." - [[Alistair Cooke]], 1959
 
−
 
 
−
*"Hitherto I had thought of Marshall as a rugged soldier and a magnificent organizer and builder of armies - the American Carnot. But now I saw that he was a statesman with a penetrating and commanding view of the whole scene." - [[Winston Churchill]]
 
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
−
<references/>
+
;Primary Sources
 +
* Marshall, George C. ''The Papers of George Catlett Marshall''. Edited by Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
 +
**Vol. 1: "The Soldierly Spirit," December 1880-June 1939 (1981)
 +
**Vol. 2: "We Cannot Delay," July 1, 1939-December 6, 1941 (1986). ISBN 0801825539
 +
**Vol. 3: "The Right Man for the Job," December 7, 1941-May 31, 1943 (1991). ISBN 0801829674
 +
**Vol. 4: "Aggressive and Determined Leadership," June 1, 1943-December 31, 1944 (1996). ISBN 0801853680
 +
**Vol. 5: "The Finest Soldier," January 1, 1945-January 7, 1947 (2003). ISBN 0801878713
 +
* Marshall, George C. ''Memoirs of My Services in the World War, 1917-1918''. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. ISBN 978-0395207253
 +
* Marshall, George C. ''George C. Marshall: Interviews and Reminiscences for Forrest C. Pogue.'' Lexington, VA: George C. Marshall Foundation, 1991. [http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/pogue.html Available online.] Retrieved November 6, 2022.
 +
* Marshall, George C. ''George C. Marshall's Mediation Mission to China, December 1945-January 1947.'' Edited by Larry Bland, Roger B. Jeans and Mark Wilkinson. Lexington, VA: George C. Marshall Foundation, 1998. ISBN 978-0935524048
  
−
==See also==
+
;Secondary Sources
−
*[[Saving Private Ryan]]
+
* Brower, Charles F. ''George C. Marshall: A Study in Character''. Edited by Stanley L. Klos. [http://famousamericans.net/georgemarshall.org/ Available online] from Virtualology.com. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
−
*[[Marshall Space Flight Center]]
+
* Cray, Ed. ''General of the Army: George C. Marshall, Soldier and Statesman.'' New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1990. ISBN 978-0393027754
−
*[[Marshall Mission|Marshall Mission to China]]
+
* Gullan, Harold I. "Expectations of Infamy: Roosevelt and Marshall Prepare for War, 1938-41." ''Presidential Studies Quarterly'' 28(3) (1998).
−
*[[The George C. Marshall Foundation]]
+
* May, Ernest R. "1947-48: When Marshall Kept the U.S. out of War in China." ''Journal of Military History'' 66(4) (2002): 1001-1010.
−
*[[German Marshall Fund]]
+
* Levine, Steven I. "A New Look at American Mediation in the Chinese Civil War: the Marshall Mission and Manchuria." ''Diplomatic History'' 3(4) (1979): 349-375.
−
*[[George C. Marshall High School]]
+
* Parrish, Thomas. ''Roosevelt and Marshall: Partners in Politics and War.'' New York: William Morrow, 1989. ISBN 978-0688090999
 +
* Pogue, Forrest. ''George C. Marshall''. New York: Viking, 1963–1987. Four-volume authorized biography, complete text [http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/poguecollection.htm available online] from the [http://www.marshallfoundation.org/ George C. Marshall Foundation]: Retrieved November 6, 2022
 +
** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/EducationofaGeneral.html George C. Marshall: Education of a General, 1880-1939]'' (Vol. 1)
 +
** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/OrdealandHope.htm George C Marshall: Ordeal and Hope, 1939-1943]'' (Vol. 2)
 +
** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/OrganizerofVictory.htm George C. Marshall: Organizer of Victory 1943-1945]'' (Vol. 3)
 +
** ''[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/GeorgeCMarshallStatesman.htm George C. Marshall: Statesman 1945-1959]'' (Vol. 4)
 +
* Steele, Richard W. ''The First Offensive, 1942: Roosevelt, Marshall, and the Making of American Strategy.'' Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press, 1973. ISBN 978-0253322159
 +
* Stoler, Mark C. ''George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century''. Boston: Twayne Publishing, 1989. ISBN 978-0805777680
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
−
{{wikiquote}}
+
All links retrieved April 18, 2024.
−
{{commons}}
+
 
−
{{wikisource author}}
+
* [http://marshallfoundation.org/ George C. Marshall Foundation]
−
*[http://www.marshall.org/index.php George C. Marshall Institute]
+
**[http://marshallfoundation.org/library/audio/mp3-marshall-plan-speech/ The Marshall Plan Speech (MP3)]
−
* [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/marshall-bio.html Brief biography at the official Nobel Prize site]  
+
* [http://www.marshall.org/index.php George C. Marshall Institute]
−
*[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/ The Marshall Foundation]
+
*[http://www.georgecmarshall.org/ George C. Marshall International Center at Dodona Manor]
−
*[http://famousamericans.net/georgemarshall.org/ Colonel Charles F. Brower Biography on George C. Marshall edited by Stanley L. Klos]
+
* [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1953/marshall-bio.html George C. Marshall - The Nobel Peace Prize 1953 -Biography] &ndash; Nobel Foundation
−
*[http://www.marshallfoundation.org/library/index_av.html The Marshall Plan Speech MP3]
+
* [http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/marshall/marsh2.htm George C. Marshall: Soldier of Peace] &ndash; Smithsonian Institution
−
*[http://www.marshallfilms.org/ The Marshall Films Collection]
 
 
*[http://www.marshallscholarship.org/ Marshall Scholarships]
 
*[http://www.marshallscholarship.org/ Marshall Scholarships]
−
*[http://www.georgecmarshall.org/lt/speeches/marshall_plan.cfm/ The Marshall Plan Speech]
 
−
*[http://www.georgecmarshall.org/ Dodona Manor]
 
−
* [http://www.npg.si.edu/exh/marshall/marsh2.htm "George C. Marshall: Soldier of Peace" (Smithsonian Institution)]
 
−
*[http://alsos.wlu.edu/qsearch.aspx?browse=people/Marshall,+George Annotated bibliography for George Marshall from the Alsos Digital Library for Nuclear Issues]
 
−
*[http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/books/Last_Salute/Ch19.htm The Last Salute: Civil and Military Funeral, 1921-1969, CHAPTER XIX, General of the Army George C. Marshall, Special Military Funeral, 16-20 October 1959] by B.&nbsp;C.&nbsp;Mossman and M.&nbsp;W.&nbsp;Stark
 
  
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{{succession box|title=[[Chief of Staff of the United States Army]]|before=[[Malin Craig]]|after=[[Dwight D. Eisenhower]]|years=1939-1945}}
 
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{{U.S. Secretary box
 
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| before= [[James F. Byrnes]]
 
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| years=1947 – 1949
 
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| department= Secretary of State}}
 
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{{U.S. Secretary box
 
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| before= [[Louis A. Johnson]]
 
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| after= [[Robert A. Lovett]]
 
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| years=1950 – 1951
 
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| president= [[Harry S. Truman]]
 
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{{US Army Chiefs of Staff}}
 
 
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{{USSecState}}
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{{Nobel Peace Prize Laureates 1951-1975}}
 
  
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Latest revision as of 07:05, 18 April 2024

George C. Marshall, general of the army, 1946

George Catlett Marshall, Jr. (December 31, 1880 – October 16, 1959) was an American military leader, general of the army, secretary of state, and the third secretary of defense. Once noted as the "organizer of victory" by Winston Churchill for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II, Marshall supervised the U.S. Army during the war and was the chief military advisor to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Marshall accepted appointment as U.S. secretary of state in 1947 because he wanted above all to remove the causes of war "insofar as humanly possible, and in this way make war impossible."[1] Having helped to win the war, Marshall knew that a peace also required winning if the mistakes made in the post-World War I context were to be avoided. He recognized the great mistake of the U.S. after World War I of largely withdrawing from Europe. After World War II, the U.S. committed itself to assisting the reconstruction process, and as secretary of state, Marshll became the public face and name of the Marshall Plan, which poured massive amounts of resources into the task of repairing the shattered continent of Europe. For this effort, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. According to the Smithsonian Institution, "Few Americans in the twentieth century have left a greater legacy to world peace than George C. Marshall."[2]

Early life

Marshall was born into a middle-class family in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. Marshall was a scion of an old Virginia family and a distant relation of Chief Justice John Marshall. Marshall was a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute (where he was initiated into the Kappa Alpha Order), graduating in 1901.

World War I

In 1902 Marshall received a commission into the U.S. Army. Until World War I, he was posted to various positions in the U.S. and the Philippines, and was trained in modern warfare. During the war, he had roles as a planner of both training and operations. He went to France in the summer of 1917 as the director of training and planning for the 1st Infantry Division. In mid-1918, he was promoted to American Expeditionary Forces headquarters, where he worked closely with his mentor General John J. Pershing and was a key planner of American operations. He was instrumental in the design and coordination of the Meuse-Argonne offensive, which contributed to the defeat of the German Army on the Western Front.

Between Wars

In 1919, he became an aide-de-camp to Pershing. Between 1920 and 1924, while Pershing was army chief of staff, Marshall worked in a number of positions in the U.S. Army, focusing on training and teaching modern, mechanized warfare. He was a key planner and writer in the War Department, spent three years in China, and taught at the Army War College. In 1934, then-Colonel Marshall directed the publication of Infantry in Battle, a book that codified the lessons of World War I. Infantry in Battle is still used as an officer's training manual in the Infantry Officer's Course, and was the training manual for most of the infantry officers and leaders of World War II.

World War II

General Marshall (left) and Secretary of War Henry Stimson (right) sometime during 1942

Marshall was promoted to brigadier in October 1936. Nominated by President Roosevelt to be army chief of staff, Marshall was sworn in on September 1, 1939, the day German forces invaded Poland, precipitating World War II. He would hold this post until the end of the war in 1945.

As chief of staff, Marshall oversaw the largest military expansion in U.S. history, inheriting an outmoded, poorly equipped army of 200,000 men and, partly drawing from his experience teaching and developing techniques of modern warfare as an instructor at the Army War College, coordinated the large-scale expansion and modernization of the U. S. army into a force of over eight million soldiers by 1942 (a forty-fold increase within three years).

In 1944, he became the second U.S. general to be awarded a five-star rank, otherwise known as general of the army, after Pershing, who was awarded the rank in September 1919; although Pershing was promoted to general of the armies. This position is the American equivalent in rank to field marshal. Marshall once joked that he was glad the U.S. never created a field marshal rank during World War II, since he would then have to be addressed as “Marshal Marshall.”

During World War II, Marshall was instrumental in getting the U.S. Army and Army Air Corps reorganized and ready for combat. Marshall wrote the document that would become the central strategy for all Allied operations in Europe, selected Dwight Eisenhower as Supreme Commander in Europe, and designed Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. His success in working with Congress and President Roosevelt, along with his refusal to lobby for the position, ultimately resulted in his being passed over as the supreme allied commander in charge of the D-Day invasion. At the time, the President told him: "I couldn't sleep nights, George, if you were out of Washington."

Throughout the remainder of the World War II, Marshall coordinated Allied operations in Europe and the Pacific. He was characterized as the organizer of Allied victory by Winston Churchill. Time magazine named Marshall Man of the Year in 1944. Marshall resigned his post of chief of staff in 1945, but did not retire, as regulations stipulate that generals of the army remain on active duty for life.

Post War: China and Secretary of State

George C. Marshall
50th United States Secretary of State
In office
January 21, 1947 – January 20, 1949
Under President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by James F. Byrnes
Succeeded by Dean Acheson
3rd Secretary of Defense
In office
September 21, 1950 – September 12, 1951
Under President Harry S. Truman
Preceded by Louis A. Johnson
Succeeded by Robert A. Lovett
Born December 31, 1880
Died October 16, 1959
Political party Democratic

In December 1945, Truman sent Marshall to China to broker a coalition government between the communists under Mao Zedong and America's Nationalist allies under Chiang Kai-shek. Marshall had no leverage over the communists, but threatened to withdraw American aid essential to the nationalists. Both sides rejected his proposals and the Chinese Civil War escalated, with the communists winning in 1948. His mission a failure, he returned in January 1947.[3][4] As secretary of state in 1947-1948, Marshall seems to have disagreed with strong opinions in the Pentagon and State Department that Chiang's success was vital to American interests, insisting that U.S. troops not become involved. May (2002) suggests the reason was that his first priority was to spend money on his Marshall Plan of aid to Europe.[5]

On his return in early 1947, President Truman appointed Marshall secretary of state. He became the spokesman for the State Department's ambitious plans to rebuild Europe. On June 5, 1947, at a speech at Harvard University, he outlined the American plan.[6] The European Recovery Plan, which became known as the Marshall Plan, would help Europe quickly rebuild and modernize its economy on American lines. Truman wanted to call the plan the Truman Plan, but was warned that the plan would sink before it took off if named that. Truman thought of the idea to call it “the Marshall Plan.” The Soviet Union forbade its satellites to participate.

Marshall was again named TIME's “Man of the Year” in 1948, and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953. As secretary of state, Marshall strongly opposed recognizing the State of Israel, telling Truman, "If you [recognize the state of Israel] and if I were to vote in the election, I would vote against you."[7] In 1949, he resigned from the State Department and was named president of the American Red Cross. The Marshall plan's role in European reconstruction helped to pave the way for the creation of what was originally called the Common Market, or European Economic Community, which has made war unthinkable in Europe.

Secretary of Defense; McCarthyism

When the early months of the Korean War showed how poorly prepared the Department of Defense was, Truman dismissed Secretary Louis A. Johnson and named Marshall as secretary of defense in September 1950. His main role was to restore confidence.

On June 14, 1951, as the Korean War stalemated in heavy fighting between American and Chinese forces, Republican Senator Joseph McCarthy attacked. He charged that Marshall was directly responsible for the "loss of China," as China turned from friend to enemy.[8] McCarthy said the only way to explain why the U.S. "fell from our position as the most powerful Nation on earth at the end of World War II to a position of declared weakness by our leadership" was because of "a conspiracy so immense and an infamy so black as to dwarf any previous such venture in the history of man."[9] McCarthy said that "If Marshall were merely stupid, the laws of probability would dictate that part of his decisions would serve this country's interest."

McCarthy argued that General Albert Coady Wedemeyer had prepared a wise plan that would keep China a valued ally, but that it had been sabotaged, saying "only in treason can we find why evil genius thwarted and frustrated it."[10] McCarthy suggested that Marshall was old and feeble and easily duped; he did not charge Marshall with treason. Specifically, McCarthy alleged:

When Marshall was sent to China with secret State Department orders, the Communists at that time were bottled up in two areas and were fighting a losing battle, but that because of those orders the situation was radically changed in favor of the Communists. Under those orders, as we know, Marshall embargoed all arms and ammunition to our allies in China. He forced the opening of the Nationalist-held Kalgan Mountain pass into Manchuria, to the end that the Chinese Communists gained access to the mountains of captured Japanese equipment. No need to tell the country about how Marshall tried to force Chiang Kai-shek to form a partnership government with the Communists."[11][12]

Marshall served as secretary of state for less than one year, retiring from politics for good in September 1951. Public opinion became bitterly divided along party lines on Marshall's record. In 1952, Eisenhower, while campaigning for president denounced the Truman administration's failures in Korea, campaigned alongside McCarthy, and refused to defend Marshall's policies.[13]

In 1953, Marshall represented the United States at the coronation of Elizabeth II.

Family life

Marshall married Elizabeth Carter Cole of Lexington, Virginia in 1902. She died in 1927. In 1930 he married Katherine Boyce Tupper. Marshall maintained a home, known as Dodona Manor (now restored), in Leesburg, Virginia.

Legacy

Marshall, "The Organizer of Victory," died October 16, 1959. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Like Eisenhower, he is recognized as a great American soldier, despite never actually seeing combat. Marshall was a man in whose heart resided a genuine desire for peace. In helping to reconstruct Europe, Marshall made an enduring contribution towards a more peaceful world. The emergence of a new, more united Europe represented by the European Union has made war in Europe unthinkable. When he received the Nobel Peace Prize, Marshall remarked that its award to a soldier had created some discussion:

There has been considerable comment over the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a soldier. I am afraid this does not seem as remarkable to me as it quite evidently appears to others. I know a great deal of the horrors and tragedies of war. Today, as chairman of the American Battle Monuments Commission, it is my duty to supervise the construction and maintenance of military cemeteries in many countries overseas, particularly in Western Europe. The cost of war in human lives is constantly spread before me, written neatly in many ledgers whose columns are gravestones. I am deeply moved to find some means or method of avoiding another calamity of war. Almost daily I hear from the wives, or mothers, or families of the fallen. The tragedy of the aftermath is almost constantly before me.

He continued to speak of the need to create conditions for peace to flourish by addressing issues of want and need in the world, saying "millions who live under subnormal conditions and who have now come to a realization that they may aspire to a fair share of the God-given rights of human beings." People also needed to be educated about the benefits of democracy, which holds "within itself the seeds of unlimited progress by the human race." Yet, he continued:

Material assistance alone is not sufficient. The most important thing for the world today in my opinion is a spiritual regeneration which would reestablish a feeling of good faith among men generally. Discouraged people are in sore need of the inspiration of great principles. Such leadership can be the rallying point against intolerance, against distrust, against that fatal insecurity that leads to war. It is to be hoped that the democratic nations can provide the necessary leadership.[14]

Selected Honors

  • Numerous military decorations, among them the Distinguished Service Medal and the Silver Star
  • British Order of the Bath
  • French Legion of Honor
  • Order of the Crown of Italy
  • Distinguished Achievement Award (1948) for his role and contributions during and after World War II
  • Nobel Peace Prize (1953) for the Marshall Plan

Notes

  1. ↑ Carl Joachim Hambro, "The Nobel Peace Prize, 1953," Nobel Foundation. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  2. ↑ "George C Marshall: Soldier of Peace," Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  3. ↑ Mark A. Stoler, George C. Marshall: Soldier-Statesman of the American Century (Woodbridge, CT: Twayne Publishers, 1989, ISBN 0805777857), 145-151.
  4. ↑ Tang Tsou, America's Failure in China, 1941-50 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1963, ISBN 0226815153).
  5. ↑ Ernest R. May, "1947-48: When Marshall Kept the U.S. out of War in China," Journal of Military History 66(4) (2002): 1001-1010.
  6. ↑ The Marshall Plan Speech, George C. Marshall International Center. Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  7. ↑ Richard H. Curtiss, "Truman Adviser Recalls May 14,1948 US Decision to Recognize Israel," Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (May/June 1991). Retrieved August 21, 2007.
  8. ↑ The speech was published as a 169-page booklet, America's Retreat from Victory: The Story of George Catlett Marshall (Milwaukee, WI: Senator Joseph R. McCarthy Educational Foundation, 1985, original 1951).
  9. ↑ Joseph McCarthy, Major Speeches and Debates (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1951), 215.
  10. ↑ McCarthy, 264.
  11. ↑ McCarthy, 191. From a speech of March 14, 1951.
  12. ↑ Thomas C. Reeves, The Life and Times of Joe McCarthy (New York: Stein and Day, 1982, ISBN 978-0812823370), 371-374.
  13. ↑ Reeves, 437-438.
  14. ↑ George C. Marshall - Nobel Lecture, Nobel Foundation. Retrieved August 21, 2007.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

Primary Sources
  • Marshall, George C. The Papers of George Catlett Marshall. Edited by Larry I. Bland and Sharon Ritenour Stevens. Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
    • Vol. 1: "The Soldierly Spirit," December 1880-June 1939 (1981)
    • Vol. 2: "We Cannot Delay," July 1, 1939-December 6, 1941 (1986). ISBN 0801825539
    • Vol. 3: "The Right Man for the Job," December 7, 1941-May 31, 1943 (1991). ISBN 0801829674
    • Vol. 4: "Aggressive and Determined Leadership," June 1, 1943-December 31, 1944 (1996). ISBN 0801853680
    • Vol. 5: "The Finest Soldier," January 1, 1945-January 7, 1947 (2003). ISBN 0801878713
  • Marshall, George C. Memoirs of My Services in the World War, 1917-1918. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin, 1976. ISBN 978-0395207253
  • Marshall, George C. George C. Marshall: Interviews and Reminiscences for Forrest C. Pogue. Lexington, VA: George C. Marshall Foundation, 1991. Available online. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  • Marshall, George C. George C. Marshall's Mediation Mission to China, December 1945-January 1947. Edited by Larry Bland, Roger B. Jeans and Mark Wilkinson. Lexington, VA: George C. Marshall Foundation, 1998. ISBN 978-0935524048
Secondary Sources

External links

All links retrieved April 18, 2024.

United States Secretaries of State
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Seal of the United States Department of State
Nobel Peace Prize laureates

Léon Jouhaux (1951) • Albert Schweitzer (1952) • George Marshall (1953) • United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1954) • Lester B. Pearson (1957) • Dominique Pire (1958) • Philip Noel-Baker (1959) • Albert Lutuli (1960) • Dag Hammarskjöld (1961) • Linus Pauling (1962) • International Committee of the Red Cross / International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (1963) • Martin Luther King Jr. (1964) • UNICEF (1965) • René Cassin (1968) • International Labour Organization (1969) • Norman Borlaug (1970) • Willy Brandt (1971) • Lê Đức Thọ (declined award) / Henry Kissinger (1973) • Seán MacBride / Eisaku Satō (1974) • Andrei Sakharov (1975)

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