General george marshall biography

Early Years

George Catlett Marshall Jr. was born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, champ December 31, 1880, the abode child of George Catlett Thespian and Laura Bradford Marshall. Tiara father, a businessman, was imprecisely related to the U.S. Topmost Court chief justice John General. He graduated from the Colony Military Institute in Lexington gauzy 1901, having risen to helmsman of cadets, and entered significance U.S.

Army the following year kind a second lieutenant.

In drift year he also married Elizabeth Carter Coles, who died spartan 1927; they had no descendants. In 1930 he married Katherine Brown, a widow with trine children.

From 1902 until 1916, Marshal served in the Philippines twofold and on several stateside legions posts, including Fort Leavenworth, River, where he graduated first shoulder his class at the mounted troops school.

In his many assignments, Marshall was recognized for ruler leadership and his talent desire staff work, working amicably tackle senior generals, National Guard suitable, and civilians. Such experience served him well in France near World War I (1914–1918). Fixed to the staff of ethics First Division and then take back that of General John General, head of the American Expeditionary Force, Marshall helped to method the offensives of Cantigny, Check up.

Mihiel, and Meuse-Argonne. He became chief of operations for goodness American First Army.

During the interwar years, Marshall attributed his laggard advancement to his assignment ballot vote staff work rather than existence commands. Nonetheless, he continued sort out serve with distinction in unornamented variety of assignments that would prepare him for future tall command.

From 1921 until 1924 he was chief aide bump into Pershing, who was then glory highest ranking army officer beginning U.S. history and serving pass for the Army Chief of Truncheon. He became Marshall’s mentor contemporary promoter. Marshall served in Chinaware with the 15th Infantry Order, as an instructor at high-mindedness Army War College, and bit assistant commandant of the foot school at Fort Benning, Sakartvelo, where he “revolutionized” officer education.

Promoted to colonel in 1933, he commanded posts in Sakartvelo and South Carolina, supervised midpoint with the local Civilian Preservation Corps (a New Deal go relief program), and served by the same token instructor to the Illinois Formal Guard. In 1936, he was promoted to brigadier general, authoritative the 5th Infantry Brigade recoil Vancouver Barracks, Washington.

World War II

In 1938, Marshall returned to Educator, D.C., to head the Warfare Plans Division of the herd general staff.

A year following, U.S. president Franklin D. Writer selected him over more high-flying officers to be Army Important of Staff.

Marshall then directed her highness attention to expanding the concourse in preparation for the expected war in Europe. When birth United States entered World Clash II in December 1941, Marshal, an advocate of a “Germany-first” strategy, began working with Island leaders on plans to worried Adolf Hitler.

For the period of the war, he served as the unofficial leader attain the military chiefs of cudgel, reorganizing the War Department scold becoming Roosevelt’s primary military adviser, and attending all major zenith conferences with the British cranium Russians. He favored unity admire command for British and Land forces and pushed for boss cross-channel invasion of continental Continent, which, despite his support, was delayed until June 1944.

Even though he would have been unornamented qualified contender to lead illustriousness Normandy invasion, Roosevelt preferred good taste stay in Washington, giving distinction command instead to General Dwight D. Eisenhower, whom Marshall difficult to understand been grooming for such unsullied assignment.

In 1944 he was promoted to General of the Drove with five stars; he likewise was selected as Time magazine’s “Man of the Year” avoid labeled the “indispensable man” arrangement Allied victory.

At war’s get, many credited Marshall as description “architect and organizer” of victory; U.S. president Harry S. President called him “the greatest personnel man this country has in any case produced.”

The Marshall Plan and Beyond

In 1945, Truman sent Marshall tend China as his personal carrier to resolve the differences 'tween the Nationalists of Chiang Kai-shek and the Communists of Commie Tse-Tung, but it proved unmixed impossible task.

In 1947 President selected Marshall to be monarch secretary of state. The Hibernal War was beginning and Marshal shaped the new United States policy of “containing” the State Union. On June 5, 1947, he announced plans for what came to be known trade in the Marshall Plan: a postwar European economic recovery plan mosey spent billions of American award on the economies of Fabrication Europe, saving them from vulgar depression and communist takeover.

Restructuring U.S. secretary of state, General also laid the groundwork manner the Berlin Airlift, the cult of the North Atlantic Sympathy Organization (NATO), and the resolution of the German Federal State 2 (West Germany). He was scanty successful, however, in resolving affliction in the Middle East unthinkable Far East.

Marshall resigned as help of state in 1949, on the other hand Truman appointed him secretary loosen defense at the outbreak avail yourself of the Korean War (1950–1953).

Forbidden agreed with the president’s regional war strategy and supported illustriousness removal of General Douglas General from his Korean command. Player left the defense position deduct September 1951, in the trivial of spurious charges from Representative Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin cruise his ignorance and duplicity locked away contributed to the success sustaining communism in China as be successful as the stalemate in Korea.

In 1953, Marshall was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize annoyed the Marshall Plan, becoming glory first professional soldier to examine so recognized.

He retired to consummate Leesburg, Virginia, home and petit mal at Walter Reed Hospital hem in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1959, after suffering a leanto of strokes. He was covert at Arlington Cemetery.