Posted on 01/09/2010 4:45:25 AM PST by Homer_J_Simpson
What would you put at #1?
Mongol invasion of Eastern Europe, 1241.
That’s going back! Zooming ahead a little I’ve always been fascinated with Kharkov because it changed hands 3 times between 41-43 or so.
Aside from Case Yellow, my favorite WW II camapaign is Rommel’s 1942 operation starting at Gazala, and ending with hustling the Brits out of Mersa Matruh. For sheer size, you can’t beat the Kiev encirclement of 1941.
Eisenhower was George Marshall’s choice to command Overlord [when Roosevelt wouldn’t give the job to Marshall]. FDR went along with Marshall’s choice.
Yeah, with roughly half a million Russkies imprisoned no wonder Hitler was overconfident after and during Kiev.
Marshall recommended. Roosevelt reviewed the recommendation, met with Eisenhower to evaluate him and decided it was a good choice.
Eisenhower demonstrated on a number of occasions that he was Roosevelt's man. His decision in 1945 not to contest the Russians for Berlin comes to mind, as does his refusal to support Hungarian freedom fighters in 1956.
Indeed, now that I'm thinking about it, ask yourself this question: who was the greater anti-Communist -- Democrat President Truman or Republican President Eisenhower?
Sort of makes you think... was Eisenhower more of a Roosevelt-man than Truman?
I thought I had it with a google search that turned up a WPA site. But it kept telling me "error when loading."
Truman? Acquiesced in Stalin's takeover of Poland. Didn't raise a finger against the left wing coup in Czechoslovakia. Along with his Sec/Def., Louis Johnson, cut the U.S military’s budget to the bone [Harry didn't like the regular Army much], so that when Korea started up [due to Dean Acheson's big mouth], the Army was incapable of fighting T-34s. Fought the first war whose aim was a draw in Korea. Told by Whittaker Chambers that Alger Hiss was a Soviet agent [introduced by Adolf Berle]. Refused to act based on political considerations, choosing to ease Hiss over to the Carnegie Trust instead of prosecuting him for espionage/ treason. Refused to move on a large number of Soviet agents in the U.S government besides Hiss.
Both have pluses. Both have minuses. Ike's pluses, too me, outweigh Harry's.
You didn't mention China, which was lost on Truman's watch. But I couldn't argue that Eisenhower would have prevented the defeat of Chiang Kai-shek.
In defense of President Truman:
Of course I agree that Truman did nothing more than defend the terms already agreed to by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin -- i.e., the Russians get Poland and Czechoslovakia. But defend them he did -- Containment was Truman's policy.
Reviewing Korea: the North invaded on June 25, 1950.
On July 5, the first American battle, Osan, resulted in a US battalion sized infantry unit's defeat. Task Force Smith of the 24th Infantry Division fell back towards Pusan because they had neither tanks nor effective anti-tank weapons.
"Meanwhile, US garrisons in Japan continually dispatched soldiers and material to reinforce the Pusan Perimeter. Tank battalions deployed to Korea from San Francisco (in the continental US); by late August, the Pusan Perimeter had some 500 medium tanks."In early September 1950, ROK Army and UN Command forces were prepared—they out-numbered the KPA 180,000 to 100,000 soldiers, and then counterattacked...
"...Countering the initial combat imbalance, the US and UN Command reinforcement materiel included heavier US M4 Sherman, M26 Pershing, M46 Patton, and British Cromwell and Centurion tanks that proved effective against North Korean armor, ending its battlefield dominance.
"Unlike in the Second World War (1939–45), in which the tank proved a decisive weapon, the Korean War featured few large-scale tank battles. The mountainous, heavily-forested terrain prevented large masses of tanks from maneuvering. In Korea, tanks served largely as infantry support."
Point is: in June 1950 the Truman administration did not expect, and Truman's military was not prepared, to defend South Korea. It took the military a few months to change their plans.
Bottom line: Truman did more actual fighting against Communists than Eisenhower.
Neither president crossed the lines of agreement set by Roosevelt, Churchill and Stalin during the Second World War.
Not at this moment it isn't. But after tomorrow there will be reason to spruce it up some. Then it will be something really impressive.
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