Trump advocates for a revival of the War Department, harking back to World War II eras
The United States' military and foreign policy have undergone significant transformations since the country's inception. One of the earliest steps towards establishing a formal military structure was taken by the Continental Congress in 1775, when they created the Army as hostilities built against the British.
In 1789, Congress established the War Department, a single Cabinet agency led by a secretary of war, marking the formal beginning of a unified military leadership. The Navy and Marine Corps, which were created shortly after the Army, separated from the War Department in 1798, creating the Navy Department.
Fast forward to the 20th century, and the War Department once again expanded, this time to accommodate the needs of two world wars. Henry Stimson, who served as President Franklin D Roosevelt's war secretary and also as secretary of state under Herbert Hoover, presided over the secret Manhattan Project to develop atomic bombs. His role as both a State and War Department chief highlights the sometimes blurred lines between top diplomatic and military agencies and their roles in US foreign policy since World War II.
Following World War II, Harry S. Truman asked Congress to create a "Department of National Defense" and bring military operations under one Cabinet officer. The National Security Act of 1947, which was signed into law, created a single Pentagon department called "the National Military Establishment". The Act also established the National Security Council to advise the president, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Defense, which later replaced the National Military Establishment due to an unintended reading as "Enemy".
The US and its allies worked to establish NATO and the United Nations after World War II as ways to prevent future conflicts. Truman's foreign policy emphasis was on "peace through strength", a concept carried through the Cold War by subsequent US administrations. Construction of the Pentagon began in 1941, before the US entered World War II.
Over the years, Congress has occasionally modified and built on the National Security Act of 1947, but it still underpins the nation's military and intelligence structure. Some Navy secretaries have also wielded strong influence, serving as top presidential advisers from the War of 1812 through World Wars I and II.
In more recent times, the US has been involved in various conflicts, including wars in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Donald Trump, as president, has taken a more assertive approach to military engagements, despite his previous criticisms of such actions. For instance, he has bombed Iran, backed shipments of weapons to Israel, and approved a strike on a Venezuelan boat.
Interestingly, former U.S. President Donald Trump proposed reintroducing the name "Department of War" to reflect the military's direct association with war rather than a romanticized notion of defense. However, this change was implemented as a secondary title rather than an official renaming due to the legal designation of the department remaining "Department of Defense" and the need for congressional approval, which was not pursued directly after World War II.
Read also:
- Lu Shiow-yen's Challenging Position as Chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Under Scrutiny in Donovan's Analysis
- Who is Palestine Action, the organization tied to numerous arrests within the UK?
- "Trump Criticizes EU's $3.5 billion fine on Google as Unjust, Threatens Additional Tariffs"
- Restructuring community adaptability amidst multiple concurrent crises
