Both Eisenhower and MacArthur were five-star generals in the United States during World War II. Although the two were not responsible for the same war zone, because they both made great contributions to World War II and came from the same country, it was inevitable that they would have to make a comparison.
These two generals, who is greater?
(Old photo by Eisenhower)
Born in 1890, Eisenhower was a late-bloomer.
After graduating from West Point in 1915, Eisenhower worked as an assistant and staff officer for more than two decades. In 1933 , Eisenhower was transferred to MacArthur and followed MacArthur for six years.
After returning from the Philippines in 1939, Eisenhower was only a lieutenant colonel, and his path to promotion seemed difficult and long. Without the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Eisenhower would not have become a general, let alone a president, for the rest of his life.
1941 was the year of the Eisenhower rocket's ascent. After being promoted to colonel at the beginning of the year, Eisenhower was promoted to the rank of brigadier general for his outstanding performance in military exercises. At the end of the same year, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in the United States, and the United States officially participated in World War II.
In early 1942, with Marshall's help, Eisenhower, a general with no combat experience, was sent to the North African theater as commander-in-chief of the Allied forces that landed in North Africa. At this time, he had been promoted to the rank of lieutenant general.
At first, Brooke, Montgomery and other generals were quite dissatisfied with this rookie. Eisenhower knew that his experience in leading troops was far inferior to that of the veterans of the allies. So on the North African battlefield, Eisenhower only talked to the generals on big strategic issues, and he fully trusted Montgomery, Patton, and others, and let them fight according to their own tactics. Finally, in May 1943, Eisenhower led the Allies to drive fascist forces out of Africa once and for all.
Just a month later, Eisenhower launched the Battle of Sicily. The Allies initially set the landing time for July 9. However, due to the influence of the weather, many generals advocated extending the landing time. However, Eisenhower showed excellent strategic vision at this time. He firmly commanded the army to move as planned, and the Allies finally successfully occupied the entire island in mid-August.
(Normandy landing)
In 1944, Eisenhower conducted the famous Normandy landings.
Eisenhower was promoted to five-star general for his military exploits and served two terms as president of the United States after the war. He was one of the most influential figures in American history.
MacArthur was born in 1880. Unlike Eisenhower, MacArthur set multiple "youngest records" and caused a sensation in the U.S. military early on. In addition to being the youngest brigadier general, the youngest President of the West Point Military Academy, and the youngest Army chief of staff, MacArthur was the only American general to participate in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War, and he was also the most famous of the American generals.
MacArthur's main achievement was also after the United States entered World War II. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, MacArthur was serving as the supreme commander of U.S. forces in the Philippines. While the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and sent troops to the Philippines, MacArthur was caught off guard. In order to prevent him from becoming a prisoner, the U.S. military top brass transferred him to Australia as commander of the Southwest Pacific Theater. As he retreated, MacArthur held his breath and vowed he would return.
In the southwest Pacific, MacArthur used his famous "frog jumping tactic" to lead the American army all the way to capture the Pacific islands occupied by the Japanese. After the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1943, the Allies began to shift from a defensive to an offensive posture. MacArthur's day of revenge is approaching.
(MacArthur old photo)
In October 1944, MacArthur led troops to a successful landing on Leyte Island. After returning to the land after three years of absence, MacArthur, accompanied by the President of the Philippines, delivered a shocking speech: "Filipino people, I am back. In December of the same year, MacArthur was promoted to five-star general.
After World War II, MacArthur became the de facto ruler of Japan. He coerced Emperor Hirohito of Japan into issuing the Human Declaration, thus completely knocking the emperor down.
In June 1950, the Korean War officially broke out, and MacArthur served as commander-in-chief of the "United Nations Army" and intervened in the war. When the South Korean army collapsed, MacArthur forced the extremely difficult Inchon landing plan to be rejected. With the miraculous success of this landing, the war deployment of the Korean People's Army was completely disrupted, and the situation was fundamentally reversed.
If it were not for the entry of Chinese troops into the war later, the U.S. plan on the Korean Peninsula would have been fully realized.
Judging from their lives, Eisenhower and MacArthur both had high-light moments that people enjoyed, and it was difficult to judge which was better or worse. But by its very nature, Eisenhower was not a pure soldier who could win the best interests for the United States while also maneuvering between allied heads of state. His ability to coordinate operations and diplomatic skills was clearly unique in World War II, and he was more like a military politician.
MacArthur was a typical American veteran, commanding countless battles large and small throughout his life. In terms of strategy and tactics, he was clearly much more professional than Eisenhower. But when it comes to political ability or diplomatic skill, he is far from being on par with Eisenhower.
(References: History of World War II, Pacific War)