Course Title: History 480: Presidents and War

Prerequisite:  None

Credits:  3

In the history of the United States of America there have been many wars, and not unexpectedly, many of those wars evolved out of situations where the President actively steered the nation to war. The Mexican-American War, or Polk's War comes to mind. As do the Spanish-American & Civil Wars, both World Wars, Korea, and Vietnam.

The History Department's Presidents and War 480, is a mid-level course design to enrich the historical understanding in the student of the reality of Presidential involvement in past wars, both prior to US involvement and during the particular wars. The history learned in this course is to be considered in understanding the Bush Administration's handling of the Iraq War.

Much has been written by journalist "exposing" how the Bush Administration manipulated pre-war intelligence, how the military executed the war in respects to counter-intelligence and propaganda, and the Bush peace plan. This course will establish a historical foundation for the history student to understand how much of the policy & actions of the Administration during this time, both prior and during the conflict, is in fact not novel, nor radically deviant from the historical norm, or without merit.

"I may be entirely inconsistent, and furthermore I am perfectly willing to mislead and tell untruths if it will help me win the war." -- FDR

For many people today who did not live through the period of the Great Depression and World War II, the perception of America fighting the Nazi's, Fascists, and Japanese Imperialist as a righteous American endeavor is accepted without disagreement. However, United States involvement in the second great conflict of the 20th century was not a popularly supported idea until after Pearl Harbor. What may be surprising also to most people today is that Pearl Harbor was an incident which quite a few historians debate how much FDR knew of before hand. The idea that the President actually knew the attack would happen and did nothing, so that public sentiment would move toward support for US involvement in WWII, is not without merit!

What is without debate is the notion that FDR not only desired for the United States to enter the war on the side of the Allies, but he actively and aggressively manipulated events to this end.

In Roosevelt's Secret War: FDR and World War II by noted espionage historian Joseph E. Persico, the author takes the reader on journey through time when a powerful President could utilize tools and create apparatus' to engage and develop the weapons, the rationale, and the public support for a conflict that would ultimately cost the world over 60 million souls, with the US sacrificing 292,000.

Many characters are spread throughout this story, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, CIA's "Wild Bill" Donovan, Winston Churchhill, Joseph Stalin, many lessor diplomats and bureaucrats, and Eleanor Roosevelt as well.

You'll learn, in reading this book, the machinations that FDR used to achieve his ultimate goal of entering the war. His curious diplomatic relationships, duplicitous espionage campaigns, personality exploitations and antagonistic policies are all laid bare in Persico's sometimes humorous affair.

In the end, you'll also read about the rapid decline of the President's health and a decisive refutation of the notion that FDR knew about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but did nothing. Which is not to say the writing wasn't on the wall, for in the time leading up to December 7, 1941, FDR did much to foster such an atmosphere that precipitated the attack.

In the history of the United States there has probably not been a more study, dissected, researched, and written about event than the American Civil War. The field of study is so large and exhaustive that the biggest obstacle to new research projects is finding something novel to write about. If you can think of an interesting angle, there is probably a book out there already on it.

To find one particular book that would provide lessons for the student as they relate to the course objective was a daunting task, not because a book couldn't be found, but rather too many books were found. In the end, Lincoln the War President: The Gettysburg Lectures, was chosen for a variety of reasons.

The first reason this book was selected derives from the nature of the book itself. Lincoln the War President: The Gettysburg Lectures is not a book written by one historian, but rather a collection of essays, all but one not published before, by a little over a handful of noted scholars. In this way, not one singular view point is available to the student, but a rather a collection of view points on different facets of the war. Contributors include: Kenneth Stampp, Arthur Schlessinger, Jr., David Brion Davis, Gabor Boritt, Carl Degler, Robert Bruce, and James McPherson.

In that there were varied interest exhibited in this title, there were many lessons to be learn. Which is the second reason for this book's inclusion in Presidents and War 480.

Arthur Schlessinger, Jr. compares Lincoln to FDR and their tendency to go beyond Constitutional authority, Kenneth Stampp explores national self-determination, and Gabor Boritt follows a stubborn war President.

While some may chaffed at the idea of comparing the Iraq War to the Civil War, there are themes and similarities that are undoubtedly comparable and help to mitigate the hysteria on the left at every daily news report from the Middle East.

What makes the Spanish-American War relevant to our course on Presidents and War is the juxtaposition of the press and the president in this brief but compelling battle. It is ironic in a historical sense that the first international conflict of the US military, indeed the war that catapulted the US on the international power list, was precipitated by a American press that was rabidly meddlesome in foreign affairs, quick to jump to conclusions, and disrespectful of the national sovereignty issues of Spain. While during the Iraq conflict, the press has been quick to point out the sins of the Bush Administration in regards to these very same issues. As to President McKinely's view of things in 1898? As the book, The Spanish War: An American Epic: 1898 details, he was rather disinterested in war.

The Spanish-American War was a brief affair, but it was a significant war nevertheless. The US entered the battle with Spain as a neutral nation, uninterested in colonial affairs, other than keeping a balance in the New World, a status quo position. By the end of the battles, the US acquired territories and interest from Puerto Rico, south of Florida to the Philippines and Guam on the far rim of the Pacific Ocean. The duration of the battle lasted less than 4 months, April 25-August 12, 1898!

The immediate cause of the war had much to do with an explosion on the USS Maine, a battleship moored in Havana Harbor, although there were other ancillary problems between the two nations. The explosion led the "yellow journalism" press to surmise that Spain had something to do with the loss of the 266 men. "To hell with Spain, remember the Maine" became the clarion call in the newspapers, as the press riled up the public to force President McKinley to act in retribution.

The Spanish War: An American Epic: 1898 is a superbly written account of the war, with the issues leading up to the war nicely recounted. This war had one other huge beneficiary, Theodore Roosevelt, who used his war record to win the White House in succession of McKinley.