Lauren SchmeckMrs. Snyder U.S. History, pd. 6

“Leadership is a word and a concept that has been more argued than almost any other I know.”

     The President's News Conference of 11/14/56

In 1940, America began to draft men into the army.

Many believed it was only a matter of time until America was drawn into the war

The increasing size of the army meant that senior officers were needed who were skilled in organization – and Eisenhower had a reputation for this. In 1941, he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general.

On December 7th 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked, while Eisenhower a brigadier-general.

The next day, America declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy.

General George Marshall, the army’s chief of staff, put Eisenhower in charge of the War Plans Division based in Washington DC – in effect, making Eisenhower the senior war planner for the American Army.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor

Layout of Pearl Harbor Bombings

America was faced with fighting a war on two fronts – Europe and in the Far East. His plan

was for Germany and Italy to be defeated first and then the Allies could turn their full might

on to the Japanese.

Eisenhower planned to use Normandy to land Allied troops.

On D-day itself, the Allies faced a total of 50 German divisions.

Compared to the numbers involved, few Allied troops were killed on D-Day,

From Normandy, the Allies pushed out and Paris was freed in August.

D-Day

D-Day was on

June 6th 1944. To

Get to Normandy,

one hundred and

fifty thousand

soldiers were

forced to cross

the English

Channel.

Eisenhower was promoted to “General of the Army”, which is the highest rank in the American Army, on December 25th, 1944.

Just a few days after this, Eisenhower was forced to fight in the Battle of the Bulge, against the Germans.

Soon after, the war was over. Germans surrendered on May 7, 1945.

After the war, Dwight D. Eisenhower continued to be involved with government and military, by becoming president of the United States. His leadership skills were never to be forgotten during WWII.

"Dwight David Eisenhower, The Centennial." 16 Aug. 2006. 10 May 2009 <www.history.army.mil/brochures/ike/ike.htm>.

Trueman, Chris. "Dwight Eisenhower." 10 May 2009 <http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/dwight_eisenhower.htm>.

"Army Years." Eisenhower Presidential Library & Museum Web Site Information. 10 May 2009 <http://www.eisenhower.utexas.edu/All_About_Ike/Military/Military.html>.