The Home Front and War in the Twentieth Century
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THE HOME FRONT AND WAR IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Proceedings of the Tenth Military History Symposium October 20-22. 1982 Edited by James Titus United States Air Force Acdemy and Office of Air Force History Headquarters USAF 1984 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Military History Symposium (U.S.) (10th : 1982) (United States Air Force Academy) The home front and war in the twentieth century Sponsored by: The Department of History and The Association of Graduates. Includes index. 1. Military history, Modem-20th century-Congresses. 2. War and society-History-20th century4ongresses. 3. War--Economic aspects-Congresses. 4. War-Economic aspects-United States4ongresses. 5. United States-Social conditions-Congresses. I. Titus, James. 11. United States Air Force Academy. Dept. of History. 111. United States Air Force Academy. Assocation of Graduates. IV. Title. D431.M54 1982 303.6'6 83-600203 ISBN 0-912799-01-3 For sale by Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. 20402 11 THE TENTH MILITARY HISTORY SYMPOSIUM October 20-22, 1982 United States Air Force Academy Sponsored by The Department of History and The Association of Graduates ******* Executive Director, Tenth Military History Symposium: Lieutenant Colonel James Titus Deputy Director, Tenth Military History Symposium: Major Sidney F. Baker, USA Professor and Head, Department of History: Colonel Carl W. Reddel President, Association of Graduates: Lieutenant Colonel Thomas J. Eller, USAF. Retired Symposium Committee Members: Captain John G. Albert Captain Mark L. Dues Captain Bernard E. Harvey Captain Vernon K. Lane Captain Robert C. Owen Captain Michael W. Paul Captain Christie C. Peacock Ms. Nellie Dykes ... 111 United States Air Force Historical Advisory Committee (As of December 1, 1983) Lt. Gen. Charles G. Cleveland, USAF Dr. Alfred F. Hurley Commander, Air University, ATC Brig. Gen., USAF, Retired North Texas State University Mr. DeWitt S. Cispp The National Volunteer Agency Mr. David E. Place, The General Counsel, USAF Dr. Philip A. Crow1 Annapolis, Maryland Gen. Bryce Poe 11, USAF. Retired Dr. Warren W. Hassler, Jr. Pennsylvania State University Lt. Gen. Winfield W. Scott, Jr. Superintendent, USAF Academy Brig. Gen. Harris B. Hull, USAF, Retired Dr. David A. Shannon (Chairman) National Aeronautics and Space University of Virginia Administration iv CONTENTS Page In Memoriam: Major Donald R. Backlund ..................... xi ... Preface .................................................. Xlll Introduction .............................................. 1 James Titus TWENTY-FIFTH HARMON MEMORIAL LECTURE IN MILITARY HISTORY ................................................ “United Against: American Culture and Society During World War 11” John Morton Blum SESSION I: THE QUEST FOR NATIONAL UNITY IN THE GREAT WAR 17 Chairman: David F. Trask Introductory Remarks by the Chairman ...................... 19 “For King and Kaiser: British and German Mobilization in World War I” 24 Dennis E. Showalter “Rallying Americans for War: 1917- 191 8” ................... 47 David M. Kennedy “The Collapse of the Central Powers in World War I: The Case of Austria-Hungary” ............................... 57 Gunther E. Rothenberg Commentary .............................................. 67 Allan M. Winkler Discussion and Comments .................................. 71 David F. Trask (Moderator) V SESSION 11: THE SINEWS OF WAR: ECONOMIC MOBILIZATION IN WORLD WAR I1 . 79 Chairman: Russell F. Weigley Introductory Remarks by the Chairman . 81 “Some Aspects of German Mobilization Under the National Socialist Regime” ................................................. 83 Wilhelm Deist “Warfare and Power Relations in America: Mobilizing the World War I1 Economy” . 91 Paul A. C. Koistinen Commentary ....................................... 111 Robert D. Cuff Discussion and Comments . 119 Russell F. Weigley (Moderator) BANQUET ADDRESS , . 121 “Hollywood Goes to War” . 123 David H. Culbert SESSION 111: SOCIAL EFFECTS OF TOTAL WAR . , . 125 Chairman: Richard H. Kohn Introductory Remarks by the Chairman . 127 “Total War and Social Change in Great Britain and Other European Countries” ............................................... 130 Arthur Marwick “American Blaclks in World War 11: Rethinking the Militancy-Watershed Hypothesis” . 147 Harvard Sitkofs “War is Not Healthy for Children and Other Living Things: Reflections on the Impact of Total War on Women” . 156 Leila J. Rupp vi Commentary .............................................. 170 Richard Polenberg Discussion and Comments . 176 Richard H. Kohn (Moderator) SESSION IV: LIMITED WAR AND THE PROBLEM OF HEARTS AND MINDS ON THE HOME FRONT . 183 Chairman: Allan R. Millet Introductory Remarks by the Chairman . 185 ‘‘Keeping Algeria French: The War on the Home Front” . 187 John E. Talbott “A Comment on the Vietnam Crisis in America: Tet 1968” . 197 Peter Braestrup Commentary ........................................... 202 David Maclsaac Discussion and Comments . 206 Allan R. Millett (Moderator) SUMMARY .............................................. 213 Introductory Remarks . 215 Carl W. Reddel “Beyond the Battlefield” . 216 Edward M.CofSman Notes ................................................... 223 Participants . 25 1 Index .................................................... 265 vii AVAILABLE MILITARY HISTORY SYMPOSIUM PROCEEDINGS 1st The proceedings of the first symposium were not published 2nd Command and Commanders in Modern Warfare (2nd ed, 1971) Stock Number 0874-0003 3rd Science, Technology, and Wa$are (1971) Stock Number 0874-0002 (out of print) 4th Soldiers and Statesmen (1973) Stock Number 0870-00335 5th The Military and Society (1975) Stock Number 008-070-00367-8 6th The Military History of the American Revolution (1976) Stock Number 008-070-106109 7th The American Military on the Frontier (1978) Stock Number 008-070-00432-2 8th Air Power and Warjiare (1979) Stock Number 008-070-00441-1 9th The American Military and the Far East (1980) Stock Number 008-070-00474-7 ... Vlll THE HOME FRONT AND WAR IN THE TWENTIETH CENTURY: THE AMERICAN EXPERIENCE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE Views or opinions expressed or implied in this publication are those of the authors and are not to be construed as carrying official sanction of the Department of the Air Force, the U.S. Air Force Academy, or the institutions with which the contributors are affiliated. IN MEMORIAM: MAJOR DONALD R. BACKLUND The Department of History gratefully acknowledges the generous support given the Tenth Military History Symposium by the Major Donald R. Backlund Memorial Fund. Major Donald R. Backlund, a member of the Air Force Academy Class of 1971, was a man who possessed special qualities as a leader, a scholar, and a human being. As a second classman he wrote an original research paper which won an Air Force Historical Foundation prize and subsequently was published in Aerospace Historian. In his final year at the Academy he received the Outstanding Group Commander Award and was named the Outstanding Cadet in Military History. After graduation and commissioning, Major Backlund continued his formal education and received a Master’s degree in history from Indiana University in 1972. During the next seven years he made his mark as a pilot in a series of demanding operational assignments. He won the Air Force Cross in 1975 for his part in the military operations undertaken at the time of theMayaguez incident. His heroism in that episode also resulted in his joining the small and very select group of Academy graduates who have won the Jabara Award for Airmanship. Major Backlund’s unbroken train of distinguished professional accomplishments led to his selection in 1978 for early promotion to the rank of Major. Major Backlund died in an aircraft accident in 1979. He left behind his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Donald F. Backlund, two sisters, and a host of devoted friends and admirers. xi THE MILITARY HISTORY SYMPOSIA SERIES OF THE: UNITED STATES AIR FORCE ACADEMY 1. Current Concepts in Military History (May 1967) 2. Command and Commanders in Modern Warfare (May 1968) 3. Science, Technology, and Warfare (May 1969) 4. Soldiers and Statesmen (October 1970) 5. The Military and Society (October 1972) 6. The Military History of the American Revolution (October 1974) 7. The American Military on the Frontier (October 1976) 8. Air Power and Warfare (October 1978) 9. The American Military and the Far East (October 1980) 10. The Home Front and War in the Twentieth Century (October 1982) xii PREFACE The essays and commentaries which form this volume originally were pre- sented at the Tenth Military History Symposium which was held at the United States Air Force Academy on October 20-22, 1982. The Military History Sym- posium is a biennial event sponsored jointly by the Department of History and the Association of Graduates, United States Air Force Academy. The purpose of this series is to provide a forum in which scholars may present the results of their research in military affairs. We hope in this way to encourage interest in a vital subject among civilian and military scholars, members of the armed forces, and the cadets of the United States Air Force Academy. Any undertaking of the magnitude and scope of the Tenth Military History Symposium accumulates many debts. Primary thanks are owed to the superb group of scholars who gathered at the Academy to deliver papers, offer commentaries, and moderate the various