A political general is a term used by historians and most often applies to the American Civil War. In this context, it means a General officer who does not have formal military training or experience and who gained his position through political influence.[1] To a lesser degree, it can also mean generals who engaged in politics during or after their time as a general.[2] A "political general" can seem to be a contradiction in terms in a country such as the United States where by law the military is under civilian authority.[3] An example was Dwight D. Eisenhower, who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the class of 1915.[4] He was an experienced staff officer who commanded the invasions of North Africa and Western Europe.[3] Eisenhower developed the political skills to deal with his British and American officers as well as political leaders.[3] He later became President of the United States.[3]
- ↑ Brooks D. Simpson, 'Lincoln and His Political Generals', Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Vol. 21, Iss. 1, (Winter 2000), pp. 63-77
- ↑ Steven Lee Myers (6 April 2008). "Generally Speaking". The New York Times. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Patrick J. Garrity (17 October 2012). "Eisenhower the Political General". The Claremont Institute. Archived from the original on 30 July 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ↑ Thomas W. Fleming (7 May 2013). "War List: First in Their Class at West Point". HistoryNet. Retrieved 24 August 2016.