How We Fight: Crusades, Quagmires, and the American Way of War
Assistant Professor of Political Science Dominic Tierney's talk, based on a forthcoming book, explores the American experience of war since the Revolution. The project explains why people back some conflicts, but not others, how the United States fights, why Washington wins and loses, and how Americans remember and learn from war. His talk contrasts the American experience of war in two types of military conflict: interstate war (where we fight against other countries) versus nation-building (where we fight against insurgents). Inspired by idealism and vengeance, we view interstate wars like World War II as a glorious crusade to overthrow tyrants. These same cultural forces, however, mean that we see nation-building in places like Somalia or Afghanistan as a wearying quagmire. In other words, Americans are addicted to regime change and allergic to nation-building.
Audio Transcript
Dominic Tierney: Thank you. Thank you.
Alright well, thank you Cindy for that extremely overly kind introduction. Thanks everyone for coming. I'm particularly delighted there's so many students here. Only some of whom are here under duress of various kinds. Some of you, voluntary, which is even more appeal.
I want to talk today about America's experience of war, and about American society and war. A good place to start in order to investigate these topics is with the mall in Washington, D.C. So, sitting on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and looking out toward the Capitol Building, we can see a vision of how war is meant to be. Behind us is a marble Abraham Lincoln enthroned in his temple. Straight ahead lie the Reflecting Pool and the World War II Memorial. The shimmering water bridges America's two good wars, to save the Union and free the slaves, from 1861 to 65 and to defeat fascism from 1941 to 1945. The fifty- six pillars on the giant arches of the World War II memorial signify America's common purpose when the greatest generation united to crush evil.
Anchoring the military vista at the far end of the mall is a statue of Civil War general, Ulysses S. Grant. On a platform of Vermont marble, Grant sits atop his horse, calm amid the fury of battle. A triumphant tale unfolds before us with World War II book ended by the Civil War titans, Lincoln and Grant. It's a panorama of glory and victory, a narrative of liberation through force of arms, freedom born, global freedom redeemed. This is what war ought to look like. Decisive victory, regime change, and the transformation of the world. A magnificent crusade.But if we broaden the view from the Lincoln Memorial, our peripheral vision reveals a less comfortable military narrative. Hidden away behind trees on the right hand side is a memorial to the 1950 to 53 Korean War. This was a most splendid crusade. There was no decisive victory. There was no regime change, or transformation of the world. Instead, the Unites States fought its opponents to a draw. For Americans, it was bleak ordeal, and a profoundly confusing experience. The raw immediacy of the Korean War Veteran's Memorial is utterly different than the abstract triumphalism of the World War II Memorial. The depiction of Korea focuses on the human experience of battle. A group of 19 men, cast in stainless steel, slug their way uphill, sorrowful and exhausted, burdened with baggage, and shivering under ponchos from the elements.
https://www.swarthmore.edu/news-events/how-we-fight-crusades-quagmires-and-american-way-war
