In Search of the American Way of War

Whether one agrees with John Keegan that war is fundamentally a cultural phenomenon or adheres to the more traditional Clausewitzian view that war is all about politics, it is clear that armed forces are raised, equipped, organized, supplied, and commanded by discrete social groups. Therefore, the way wars are fought is inherently cultural: it could hardly be otherwise. So Russell Weigley was right, there is an American way of war: we just do not know exactly what that is—yet.1 If Wayne Lee's objective is to track the cultural roots of American military history, the debate must be broader than what he proposes.2 First, it must be grounded more firmly in what might be called the mainstream intellectual debate over the nature of the American national psyche. Only then can the American conception of the purpose and conduct of war be properly assessed. Secondly, to get a handle on what is distinctly American about America's way of war, the debate must be set in a wider, international context. American military history needs to be informed by the literature, the debates, and the shared experiences of others, including not only America's enemies, but its allies as well. Americans may not always agree with and like what foreigners say about them, but such a debate needs outside perspectives

Context (archaeology · Epistemology · Mainstream · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Psyche · Sociology · Spanish Civil War · Vietnam War · Anthropology: Ethics, History, Culture · History · Intelligence, Security, War Strategy · Law · Military History and Strategy

• Fatal Decision

  Shelford Bidwell, Carlo D'Este et al.•The Journal of Military History•1992

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