Dwight D. Eisenhower was the supreme commander of the Allied forces during the World War II.
He led the Allied forces in the invasion of Germany that began on D-Day. His leadership and strategic vision were instrumental in defeating Germany and ensuring the victory of the Allied forces.
He would later go on to serve as the President of the United States for two consecutive terms. Eisenhower remains one of the most significant military and political figures of the 20th century.
Eisenhower was born in Kansas in 1890. Although he was born to parents who opposed war on principle, he went on to pursue dreams of a military career. These dreams started to become a reality when Eisenhower enrolled at the U.S. Military Academy West Point.
He had already graduated in 1915 while the World War I was going on. Eisenhower wanted to fight in the war after United States decided to enter it but he was unable to go to Europe before the end of the war. However, he would work as a close aide of the leading American military leaders of the time.
When World War II broke out, Eisenhower was a Lieutenant Colonel serving in the Philippines. He returned home, got a promotion to Brigadier General and was tasked with planning military operations as United States entered the fray of World War II.
He planned and executed the successful invasion of North Africa. Eisenhower was also the main force behind the planning and execution of the invasions of Sicily and Italian mainland.
By 1943, it was clear that Eisenhower was gifted in using Allied military resources fruitfully to clinch important victories. He was promoted to the rank of a full general and made the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.
In this position, Eisenhower planned and oversaw the execution of D-Day, the massive Allied push from Normandy to liberate France. The military operation was an immense success and finally turned the tide against Germany. It also established Eisenhower as one of the most accomplished military commanders of 20th century.
Right after World War II came to an end, United States and Soviet Union emerged as the two superpowers. This ushered in the Cold War era, a kind of proxy war between the capitalist regimes supported by the United States and the communist regimes supported by the Soviet Union.
Eisenhower was tasked with the command of the newly-created North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this position, he sought to combat the military threat of communism.
In 1952, Eisenhower contested the presidential elections and won. He became the 34th President of the United States. He served for two consecutive terms from 1953 to 1961. During his presidency, he concluded the Korean War, oversaw the establishment of NASA and sought to improve relations with Soviet Union. He also authorized several covert CIA operations to topple unfriendly regimes around the world.
Learn more about Dwight D. Eisenhower at wikipedia
The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s
The Age of Eisenhower: America and the World in the 1950s Hardcover – March 20, 2018