Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur in the Philippines: There Must Be a Day of Reckoning

In 1935 Major Dwight Eisenhower accompanied General Douglas MacArthur to the Philippines, where MacArthur was tasked with creating a Philippine army capable of defending an independent Philippines. Eisenhower’s odyssey in the American colony (1935–39) left him with a deep and indelible negative impression of MacArthur. Historians have disputed the cause and depth of the rift. Ike’s disagreements with MacArthur were more philosophical than personal and concerned two significant issues: building an army in a developing but still impoverished country, and the leadership qualities that an American army officer should exhibit and develop in his subordinates. The dispute and resulting antipathy lasted the rest of their lives.