Eisenhower Versus the Generals

The most fundamental principle in American civil-military relationships is the subordination of the military to civilian control; consequently, senior military officers serve as advisors to the President and his cabinet. In 1953, Dwight D. Eisenhower brought to the presidency a great deal of military expertise and strong convictions regarding national security, which his New Look proposed to guarantee by relying on atomic weapons, the Strategic Air Command, and a robust economy. Army officers believed the New Look’s drastic reductions in conventional ground forces challenged the very existence of their service. Tired of their dissension, the President steadily isolated himself from opposing views voiced by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, particularly those of the Army.