Birth of the American Force Projection Army

In the aftermath of World War II, the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, so loathed yet respected the Great German General Staff that he called for its complete destruction on at least two separate occasions. Regardless of whether the individual's view of the Great German General Staff, with its Prussian roots, is revulsion or admiration, the fact remains that in the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, no better system existed. While the Prussian General Staff solidified its position in history during the German Wars of Unification, the United States Army, under leaders such as Generals Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, sought to enhance the level of professionalism and excellence throughout the American Army. To this end, these leaders certainly sought to study and incorporate elements of the Prussian General Staff. Unfortunately, American political, military, and national culture and strategic position thwarted their efforts. It was not until the deficiencies of the Spanish-American War highlighted the weaknesses in the American military system that Prussian style reforms became possible. The change in strategic position after the war with Spain combined with the identified need to improve military processes brought about enough of a change to the appropriate aspects of American culture that incorporating elements of the Prussian system became possible.