Marshall & His Generals

No one understood more than George Marshall the old adage that an army is no better than its commanders. He knew as well than anyone that superior logistics, intelligence, training, and resources could not compensate for inadequate leadership. As the army’s chief of staff during World War Two, Marshall faced the daunting task of choosing the officers to command the army’s army groups, field armies, and corps. Because he recognized the importance of his task, he put considerable thought into the process. He carefully considered an officer’s background, education, age, and especially character before making his selections. The result was a cadre of thirty-eight men who led the army’s major combat units across the Pacific and Europe to victory. Although several of them failed on the battlefield, the success of the vast majority is testimony to Marshall’s knack for identifying and assigning talented officers to the appropriate positions. His ability to do so not only contributed enormously to Allied victory, but also provided the army’s postwar leadership.