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U.S. Presidents and Foreign Wars

John Amendall

    The President of the U. S. is the CEO responsible for administering the nations services. An enormous challenge and responsibility. Moreover the President also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the nations armed forces. Another challenging and responsible task. Either position is demanding for one person but in our republic the President is responsible for both services. Ergo the President has powerfully authoritative influence over our lives.
    The Peoples Republic of China considers Taiwan as a part of mainland China. Taiwan does not share this opinion and wants to remain independent of China’s authoritarian government.
    The Russian Federation considers Ukraine and Belarus as part of Russia. Notwithstanding that Russian is the major language in the Ukraine, the latter does not agree with the former’s position, and favors its more independent, democratic structure and possible membership in NATO which Russia strongly opposes.
    As if Taiwan isn’t enough China has flexed its military muscles aggressively claiming the Spratly Islands in the south China Sea. China has already constructed a series of military installations in the Spratlys. It is a matter of record that Taiwan, Philippines, Malaya, Vietnam, and Brunei also claim the Spratlys. Who are you betting on?
    China has significantly increased the size of its navy making life more difficult for international shipping. The increased military activity of North Korea in the area further complicates this situation.
    Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in March 2014. This event occurred in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution and is a part of a wider Russo-Ukrainian conflict. At this writing (February 2022) there are approximately 150,000 plus Russian troops and supporting military hardware on the boundary between the two countries. Since Russia considers Ukraine part of their country President Putin wonders what all the fuss is about as he continues to deny any plans to invade his own country. NATO and other nations in the world including the U.S are taking the threat of a potential invasion very seriously.
    President Joe Biden together with the group of seven have reiterated their support for Ukraine to decide its own fate. The group of seven consists of the world’s largest developed economies (France, Germany, Italy, Japan, U. S., Great Britain, and Canada). Other NATO members also support this posture.
    Biden has authorized shipping military equipment to Ukraine as has Great Britain. He has sent thousands of U.S. troops to various NATO sites. Recently Russia readily sent troops to Kazakhstan to help that autocratic nation quell violent protests. Russia has finally withdrawn these troops.
    Assuming an invasion of Ukraine what should be the U.S. response? What should the Biden Administration do about this potentially serious transgression? The same question can be raised concerning China’s decision to ignore Taiwan’s attempt to insist on its independence to mainland China. Some pundits assert that this acquisition will occur soon after the Winter Olympics.
    The purpose of this piece is to provide a snap shot of the response of other U.S. presidents faced with threatening foreign wars.
    According to the Reuters Fact-Check team four of the 13 presidents in office from 1945 to 2020 brought the U.S. into foreign wars (Korean, Vietnam, Gulf War in Afghanistan, and the Iraqi War). This picture is incomplete if WWI and WWII are included.
    WWI
    Prior to WWI (1914-1918) President Woodrow Wilson was a strong advocate of neutrality in regards to foreign wars. Germany’s submarine attacks on U.S. commercial shipping and the famous “Zimmerman Telegram” drastically changed Wilson’s mind. According to the telegram Germany would support Mexico regaining territory (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona) they had lost in the Mexican-American War, if Mexico sided with Germany in WWI. Wilson promised to keep U.S. troops out of WWI. For a second term Wilson campaigned with the slogan: “He kept us out of war.” How did that turn out?
    Compared to other belligerents there was 116,516 U.S. deaths and approximately 370,000 sick and wounded of the 4.7 million who served. U.S. lost more men to disease (63,114) than to combat (53,402) largely due to the influenza epidemic of 1918. European critics complained about our late entry to the war and the relatively few losses of men compared to theirs. Some kind of gratitude for a country shipping their men 3000 miles away fighting and dying for people on another continent. Still U.S. entry tipped the balance in favor of England and France helping them defeat Germany.
    WWII
    President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1947) claimed neutrality for the U.S. during the first couple of years of WWII (1938-1941). He promised to keep U.S. troops out of that war. How did that turn out? However, he initiated a lend lease program which provided Great Britain, the Free French, the Republic of China and later the Soviet Union with food, oil, war ships, trucks and airplanes for temporary sites in their countries during the war.
    When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) as a prelude to invading the Hawaiian Islands, Roosevelt went from being an isolationist to an interventionist in his famous “day of infamy speech.” Following his speech the next day congress declared war on Japan. Since Germany and Japan were allies, Germany was obliged to declare war on the U.S. and we responded accordingly. History also tells us that Hitler did not want to bring the U.S. into the European War. But ironically its ally did. U.S. deaths in WWII were recorded at 405,399.
    Korean War
    FDR died in the second year of his fourth term. He was succeeded by former Colonel U.S. Army Reserve Harry S. Truman (1945-1953). He was the only president to serve in WWI.
    During his term of office he proposed that nations should restrict or discourage communist expansion throughout the world. This position became known as the Truman Doctrine leading to the formation of NATO (1949) influencing U. S. foreign policy for several generations of presidents.
    After a communist victory in the Chinese Civil War, the U.S. supported the losing Nationalist side which relocated to Formosa (now Taiwan) when they lost the war. After Japan’s defeat in WWII (September 1945) occupation of the Korean Peninsula was divided into two zones. A northern zone was occupied by the Soviet Union and the southern side zone by the. U.S. North Korean troops invaded South Korea in 1950. Truman did not seek congress’s permission declaring war on North Korea. Whether right or wrong he assumed that as a member of NATO the U.S. had an obligation to do so. This conflict was started by Soviet backed North Korea who ordered an invasion of U.S. backed South Korea.
    The Korean War was viewed as a conflict or “limited war” by the principal combatants who had no wish to see the fighting escalating into a wider conflagration. U.S. troop deaths in the Korean War were recorded at 36,516. Please refrain from referring to the Korean War as limited when discussing this with Korean veterans or surviving families. That their loved ones died in war was quite enough.
    Moreover the U. S. did not win this war. The Battle of the Chosen Reservoir which involved China’s intervention on behalf of North Korea produced a major U.S. withdrawal which destroyed or crippled seven Chinese divisions which blocked their progress.
    The Korean War ended with a designated demilitarized zone and a signing of an armistice (July 27, 1953). A formal peace treaty was never signed. North Korea and the U.S. are still negotiating final closure of the war. Meanwhile North Korea is testing intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear capability while peace talks are going on. The Korean War was another example of U.S. involvement in another war thousands of miles away between two foreign countries.
    Former General Dwight David Eisenhower the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe became President in 1953-1961. He inherited the Korean War. Eisenhower was very critical how President Truman had handled the war in Korea. Eisenhower visited Korea to convince the South Korean President to compromise a bit and delete some of his demands to more readily move peace talks along.
    However, Eisenhower initiated and engaged covert U.S. action in Guatemala and Iran and in addition military intervention in Lebanon (1958). In 1955 he authorized military intervention in Vietnam when he sent in advisers. U.S. had 900 troops in Vietnam by the end of 1960. Eisenhower also inherited Fidel Castro’s victory in the Cuban Revolution and his alliance with the Soviets.
    Vietnam
    President John F. Kennedy (1961-1963) was a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve who served gallantly on active duty in the Pacific theater of war. Prior to his assassination he committed to the botched Bay of Pigs invasion but redeemed himself handling the Cuban Missile Crisis which almost led to war with the Soviet Union. Kennedy upped the number of troops to Vietnam to 16,000.
    Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson succeeded Kennedy as President (1963-1969). Johnson served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He also inherited the Cold War and involvement in Vietnam. He engaged the country in the Korean War with a low level commitment of combat troops. When he left office over 500,000 troops had been committed to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. While Johnson has been labeled as the heavy in regards to starting the Korean War, Kennedy’s earlier combat decisions significantly raised the level of intensity. Nearly 60,000 troops died in action over 150,000 wounded with some 1600 MIA.
    Richard M. Nixon who was a commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve became President in 1969-1974. He inherited U.S. involvement in Vietnam and encroachment into Cambodia and Laos as part of the Vietnam War. However, he made a major foreign policy move initiating talks with China concerning the wars.
    Lieutenant Commander Gerald Ford who served in the U.S. Navy Reserve became President in 1974-1977. He inherited cold war U.S. involvement in Vietnam including the final combat of Indochina/Vietnam 1975.
    Former Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Jimmy Carter became President in 1977-1981. He inherited the cold war and monitored cold war incidents of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Carter also initiated U.S. armed assistance to Afghanistan resisting the Soviet Union.
    Former Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve Ronald Reagan became President in 1981-1989. He inherited cold war hostility with Iran and engaged U. S. intervention in Lebanon and covert war in Nicaragua. Also engaged U.S invasion of Granada as a part of the cold war. In addition he aided conflict with Libya and intervention in Africa against Soviet occupation. Also actively aided Afghanistan resisting the Russians.
    Gulf War
    Former Lieutenant U.S. Navy Reserve, George H. W. Bush flew 58 missions in the Pacific WWII theater. He became President in 1989-1993. He inherited the end of the cold war with the dissolution of the Soviet Union. However, he also inherited ongoing hostility (which still exists) with Iran and engaged in the invasion of Panama in 1989.
    In response to Iraq’s invasion and annexation of Kuwait due to oil pricing and production disputes, a coalition of forces from 35 nations led by President Bush engaged the U.S. in the Gulf War. Operation Dessert Storm was a major victory for the coalition. Bush was later criticized for not carrying the fight to Bagdad. He thought if the coalition did this it would alienate other Arabic countries. The U.S. also intervened in Somalia. With 694,550 U. S. troops deployed 148 dead and 467 were wounded in combat.
    Bosnian War
    Bill Clinton became President in 1993-2001. He inherited ongoing hostility with Iran and Iraq and U.S. intervention in Somalia. He engaged U.S. invasion of Haiti. As a member of NATO Clinton committed U.S. forces against Bosnian Serbs. Also retaliated against Al-Qaida in Sudan and Afghanistan.
    Afghanistan War
    Following the September 11/2001 aerial attacks on the U. S. former First Lieutenant Texas Air Guard President W. Bush (2001-2009) inherited the ongoing hostility with Iraq. He launched Operation Freedom an offensive in Afghanistan intended to destroy Al-Qaida and defeat the Taliban. NATO supported the invasion with the second largest contributor Great Britain (5000 troops) and other contributing countries (Germany, Italy, Romania and Jordan).
    President Barack Obama (2009-2017) inherited ongoing hostility with Iran. Eventually reduced the troop level in Afghanistan to about 8,400 by the end of his term. Supported intervention in civil wars in Yemen and Somalia.
    President Donald Trump (2017-2021) inherited ongoing hostility with Iran and escalated conflict with Afghanistan. Supported conflicts with other Islamic groups in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya, and Somalia. Authorized missile air strikes on Syria for their use of chemical weapons.
    President Joe Biden (2021- ) inherited ongoing hostility with Iran. Ordered retaliatory air strikes in Syria and along Iraq border. Withdrew forces against Isis, Al-Qaida and other Islamic groups in Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Yemin, Libya, Somalia and northern Africa. Recorded Afghanistan casualties totaled 22,311. While Biden and most Americans favored ending the Afghanistan War, the withdrawal of troops, embassy personnel and supporting Americans in Afghanistan received heavy criticism for its lack of disciplined and coordinated implementation.
    Biden has already sent U. S. weaponry to Ukraine and troops to various NATO countries to bolster their defensive forces.
    Summary From 1917 to the present 6 U.S. presidents initiated war in foreign countries: Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Johnson, G.H.W. Bush and G. W. Bush. Four of the six had military experience or training. Roosevelt was a non-military president. However, his response to Japan’s air attack at Pearl Harbor was consistent and expected with his role as the Commander-in-Chief of U.S. armed forces. A historical fact but generally ignored was that Japan’s aerial attack was a prelude to a land invasion of thousands of Japanese troops steaming their way to the Hawaiian Islands. In a strange decision Japanese military leaders changed their minds about a land invasion and their task force returned home. If Japan had successfully invaded and conquered the Hawaiian Islands, the history of WWII in the Pacific would have been very different. How could the U.S. effectively fight a war in the Pacific theater without Hawaii as a major launching site?
    Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon. Ford, Reagan, Clinton, Obama, Trump and Biden may not have officially declared war on other countries but all of them supported military action on existing conflicts and covert activities at one time or another.
    In regards to political persuasion Presidents Wilson, Roosevelt, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Clinton, Obama and Biden were Democrats. Presidents Eisenhower, Nixon, Ford, Reagan, G.W.H. Bush, and G. W. Bush were Republicans. The popular charge that Republicans are predictable war hawks has to be accurately muted with the number of Democratic presidents supporting war time activities.
    For many years I wondered why the U. S. was so frequently engaged in so much military activity throughout the world. Why did we compulsively rush to play the role of the world’s policeman entangling ourselves in all kinds of military activity in various countries? For myself I reduced it to two conditions: ignorance and arrogances. This is not my singular opinion, but it helps me understand the why of U.S. misadventures in foreign wars and conflicts.
    Which comes first ignorance or arrogance? I’m unsure about this so I’ll start with ignorance. The U.S. has consistently involved itself in these wars and conflicts totally ignoring the cultures involved or dismissing itheir significance. Are all these countries so displeased with their form of society and government that the U.S. has to rescue them from their supposed ignorance and malaise?
    Further have we really reduced the expansion of communism throughout the world? China has a long history of imperial rule eventually evolving to a more nationalistic form of government. But during WWII the nationalist government lost out to communism. So the world’s largest population has been communist ever since. Russia had a history of imperial. rulers. The Russian Revolution of 1917 changed all that. During WWII Russia became communist. North Korea became communist. Presidents Putin, Xi and Kim Jong-un are dedicated authoritarian rulers who feel threatened by democratic countries. Some Mideastern countries exclusive of Israel have a long history of rule by religious oligarchs and they do not favor elected democracies. The development of South Korea and South Vietnam is probably the only successful result of Pax Americana.
    Arrogance. While the Truman Doctrine strongly influenced U.S. opposition to communist expansion, it also became a catalyst for U. S. intrusion of military activity throughout the world. The U.S. believes our form of democratic government is so superior to the above that we must share it with the rest of the world. Even if we have to use military pressure to bring this about. The January 6, 2021 insurrection during President Biden’s assumption of federal authority became very clear we better get out own house in order before we herald our form of elected government elsewhere. Insisting our superior constitutional culture on other nations has cost the U.S. billions of dollars and thousands and thousands of American lives.
    With the threat of Russia’s potential annexation of the Ukraine and Belarus and China’s activity to deny Taiwan’s independence what will the U.S. do if these two powder kegs explode?
    Our entanglements in foreign wars and conflicts have been ill advised and generally unsuccessful with the losses cited above.
    Pundits argue both sides of these threats including opinions that the invasions are immanent or just political saber rattling. “Barring a catastrophic blunder Russia will not invade Ukraine. For the for seeable future China lacks the military capability to mount an amphibious operation to seize and occupy Taiwan” (Harlan Ullman, Ph.D. a senior adviser at Washington, DC’s Atlantic Council). Let’s hope Mr. Ullman is correct and the U.S. does not have its characteristic knee jerk response of sending troops to oppose Russian or Chinese invaders.

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