Abstract
As Army chief of staff, secretary of state, and secretary of defense, George C. Marshall played a major role in creating, implementing, and defending the multilateral “Europe-First” global strategy that guided U.S. foreign and military policies through World War II and the Cold War. This lecture explores how and why he did so, emphasizing the decision to defeat Germany before Japan, the postwar European Recovery Program that bears Marshall’s name, and the relief of General Douglas MacArthur during the Korean War for his refusal to accept this grand strategy. In the process it analyzes the complex relationship that exists between diplomatic and military history.
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Cite this article
Mark A. Stoler, “George C. Marshall and the ’Europe-First’ Strategy, 1939–1951: A Study in Diplomatic as well as Military History,” The Journal of Military History 79, no. 2 (April 2015): 293–316.