Wettemann examines the issues that defined civil-military relations in the United States between 1815-1860, including the debate surrounding the existence of a standing army versus a volunteer militia, the use of the army as a constabulatory force on the frontier, and the importance of the army as a tool of conquest and expansion.
Between 1815-1860, the tiny American army took on many new and often daunting tasks. In the face of civil opposition to the very existence of a professional military, the first battle officers and supporters had to win after 1815 was that of simply preserving some small professional force. As American interests expanded further west and conflict with Native Americans increased, the army was charged with the dual responsibility of peacekeeper and conqueror. Its most dramatic successes, however, came during the Mexican War and the conquest of the American Southwest. Against this back drop, Wetteman crafts a narrative overview of the rivalries, personalities, and events that defined civil-military relations during this era.
Beginning in 1815, the U.S. Army struggled for existence within a society that was not convinced that a standing army was worth the expense. At the same time, many questioned the viability of a professional officer corps, citing the innate ability of the American fighting man as demonstrated in earlier conflicts. Although efforts were undertaken early on to define the role and status of a peacetime army, issues of national defense, domestic security, Indian policy, and internal improvements shaped civil military relations over the next 4 12 decades. While the true position of the citizen-soldier in relation to a standing army had not been clearly defined by 1860, the nation had made giant strides towards full acceptance of the idea that the U.S. Army, a standing force commanded by military professionals, was a national necessity.
Robert P. Wettemann, Jr., received his PhD in history from Texas A&M University in 2001, after completing undergraduate work at Oklahoma State University. He has published widely on U.S., military, and public history while at McMurry University, Abilene, TX, and as a visiting professor at the United States Air Force Academy. He currently serves as historian for U.S. Army Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, NC.
Reviews
"This study offers a narrative overview of the rivalries, personalities, and events that defined civil-military relations during the period between the War of 1812 and the Mexican War in 1860, emphasizing the Army's struggle for existence within a society that was not convinced that a standing army was worth the expense. The book examines how issues of national defense, domestic security, expansion, and Indian policy shaped civil-military relations. A detailed chronology, b&w historical illustrations, and a 10-page bibliographical essay are included."—Reference & Research Book News
Endorsements
"More than a simple accounting of early nineteenth-century military policy-making, Wettemann describes the multi-faceted tensions that influenced American leaders as they worked to build a military establishment that would ensure national security. From the War of 1812 to the Civil War, civil/military relations, militia versus professional soldiers, the natural aristocracy versus the Common Man, and Whig versus Jacksonian Democrat all influenced the maturation of America’s defense policies and force structure. Wettemann’s study examines the interaction of these factors to deepen our understanding of this critical period in the country’s national and military growth and should be read by all political and military historians of the period."—Harry S. Laver, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of History
Southeastern Louisiana University
