United States Military History - Essay Example

United States Military History Name Institution Affiliation United States Military History Introduction The United States military history spans for a period of more than two centuries, it was through this time that the military grew into to a great army fighting the Great Britain for independence from 1775-1783 during the infamous American civil war of 1861-1865 and then collaborating in the triumph during the World War II. After its establishment the continental congress in 1775 was created General George Washington who was the commander. The military is made up of the army, navy, Marine Corps, the air forces, which are all under the US (DOD) department of defence command. Additionally, the US coast guard, is also under the department of homeland security. In the US, the president is identified as the commander-in-chief of the military where he exercises his powers through the use of the chairperson of all Joint Chiefs of workers and the secretary of defence. However, state governors possess some control of the state’s military and the National Guard divisions where he is allowed to use them for limited duties. The president is allowed by the constitution to federalize National Guard units which is done by bringing them under the command of the US DOD. The military has undergone various changes where it has fought many battles, wars, and rebellions which have made it be recognized as the most superior military in the world (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014).  The Colonial War of (1670-1774) and the War of Independence in (1775-1783) The origin of the United States military is traced back in the civilian frontier colonizers and settlers who were interested in the hunting of basic human service necessities from the wilderness. The colonies paid the volunteers. Later, after the colonization of North America, the Native Americans fought the British in the kings Philip’s War of 1675 and in the Yamasee War of 1715 and later the father Rales’s war fought in 1722. The US colonies were tangled in a chain of wars that took place between France, France and Great Britain, with an aim of controlling North America. During this period, the wars were instrumental since they provided military experience to people such as by then colonel George Washington who used the experience during the American revolutionary war. Around 1774, their political tensions between the thirteen colonies and the Great Britain increased, especially after the British decision to place the Massachusetts province under the martial law. The continental congress then chose General George Washington as the commander in chief of the freshly formed continental army. Due to lack of a unified command, the British lacked the winning strategy. Later France made an agreement to dismiss the previous alliance and then terminate its military attacks (Harris, 2014).  The Early National Period (1783-1812) and the Barbary Wars After the infamous American revolutionary war, the US faced a military struggle, due to the trust in the local militia. After the declaration of war on the Great Britain in 1793, the US remained neutral. The military fought on the seas where the US won a string of battles in the Caribbean. During the Barbary wars, the USS Philadelphia was captured where lieutenant Stephen Decatur managed to burn the captured ship with an aim of preventing it from using or selling it (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014).  War with Mexico (1846-1848) Due to the increased and rapid expansion of the farming population the settlers declared independence after the defeat of the Mexican army, which was largely interested in the conquering of the lost province. The US army under invaded Mexico and blockaded the coast, capturing the national capital, where America purchase the areas from California to New Mexico at a price of $10 million. American Civil War (1861-1865) Due to the long tensions that had existed between the states led to peculiar institution slavery and the ability to continue keeping slaves led to a division within the national government. The conflict between the south and the north progressed to violence which caught both fighting sides unprepared for war. The confederation wished to emerge victorious in the war by making France and Britain intervene in the war while the US sought to win through seizing the Confederate capital which was by then located at Richmond in Virginia. Under the leadership of Robert E. Lee, the confederate protected their headquarters to the very end (Harris, 2014). Later, the war spilled over across the whole continent where most materials and personnel were used up. This war is considered as the first modern war as it was characterized by technical innovations that involved the use of turret gun warship, rifles, telegraphs, railroads and trench warfare (Crocker, & Dean, 2014).  The Indian Wars (1865-1891) and American- Spanish War (1898) After the end of the civil war railroad construction, the population increasing and the disappearance of the buffalo led to an increase in military tension of the Great Plains. Here, the army had a duty of ensuring that they kept indigenous people on the objections and then end their battles against the British settler farmers and each other. On the other hand, the Spanish-American war was marked by an overwhelming American victory on both land and sea against Spain. The US freed Cuba, where it ceded to the US and its colonies of Guam, Puerto Rico, Philippines (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014).  The Philippine-American War (1899-1902) This was a war between the American and the Filipino revolutionaries after the ceding of the Philippines colony to the US shortly after the conquest of Spanish militaries that took place in manila revolution. The US then army deployed 100,000 soldiers who were largely comprised of persons from the National Guard under the leadership of Elwell Otis. During this war, victims included about 1,037 Americans that were killed in the battle field and about 3,340 whom then died from infectious diseases more than 20,000 rebels were also killed (Crocker, & Dean, 2014).  Banana Wars (1898-1935) This was a term that was used to label the military participation in the Latin-America from 1898 until 1934. The war included the military support and presence in Panama, Cuba with Haiti, the Panama Canal Zone, Nicaragua and in Dominican Republic. The US Marine Corps then started to concentrate on the long-term military career as a way of safeguarding the customs revenues that cause of local periodic civil wars (Harris, 2014).  The Moro Rebellion (1899-1913) and the Mexican Revolution of (1910-1919) This was an armed insurgency that was fought between the southern Philippines and the Muslim Filipino tribes. On the other hand, the Mexican revolution that largely comprised of a civil war with thousands of combat and non-combat casualties deaths and a large number of fleeing the hot combat zones. The war was a sign that the US would not allow any attack on its citizens. The German secret service, then reinvigorated the Pancho villa and involved it in the US in a participation in Mexico. President Wilson then commanded the state militia and sent the army to punish villa in the Pancho villa expeditions (Harris, 2014).  World War 1 (1917-1918) Although the United States remained neutral after the World War 1 broke, its ships were used in carrying food and raw materials to Britain and France. By 1918 a million American soldiers who were commonly referred to as doughboys of the (AEF) American expeditionary force were by then in Europe, aiding on the western battle front under the leadership of general John Pershing where more 25,000 more joining the force after every week. The inability of the German government to launch new offences led to the end of the war on the western battle front in November 1918 (Crocker, & Dean, 2014).  The Russian Revolution (1918-1919) and the Naval Disarmament of the 1920s This revolution was identified as the polar bear expedition that involves about 5000 US soldiers during the Russian uprising which was blocking Bolsheviks in region of Arkhangelsk The U.S supported a key world movement that was used in the naval armament of world powers such as U.S, Britain, France, Japan and other smaller countries. Nations were involved in the reduction of their battleships (Dunbar-Ortiz, 2014).  The World War II (1941-1945) The involvements of American troops in the World War 2 were limited to the provision of war materials and then support, financial support to Britain, Republic of China and Soviet Union. After the Japanese invasion on harbour of pearl located in Hawaii, the Japanese soldiers then seized America, British and Dutch assets across the southeast Asia and pacific with the exception of the Australia. During the attack, America lost eight battleships and 2,403 Americans making it rely on its aircraft carriers. Beginning with the bombing of the Nazi Germany, the millions of soldiers and thousands of tanks and planes in the United Kingdom and soviet conquest from the east. Connectively, the Nazi surrendered in May in the year 1945 where the US had great accomplishment in the naval operations where it strategized to terminate the war with less American lives (Crocker, & Dean, 2014). The US use of atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima shock the Japanese leadership making them surrender of Japan. After the win where more than 16 million served which was by then approximately 11 percent of the United States inhabitants and more than 400,000 soldiers died during the war. However, during the war, the US homeland was never touched making the US emerged as the world superpowers (Clark, 2014).  The Cold War Era (1945-1991) The United States was the global superpower in competition with the in the cold war. During this time the US provided military support and direct participation in Proxy wars that were fought against the former Soviet Union and was also a major actor in both Vietnam and Korean wars as a mutually assured destruction. The US also took part in the Grenada violent power struggle that threatened the America lives. In Beirut, where there was fighting between the Palestinian refugees and the Lebanese factions The US Marines fought along the French and Italian forces where 241 marines were killed making president Reagan withdraw the marines. In 1990 the Persian Gulf War sought the help during the conflict between Iraq and the coalition force. The war was characterized by low death toll although 180,000 US veterans were categorized as permanent incapacitated. The Persian Gulf War cannot be said to have ended since the US still has its military personnel within the area (United States, 2014). In Somalia, the US troops contributed in UN peacekeeping mission in pursuit of Mohamed Farrah Aided where 18 American soldiers were killed. The US military has been involved in war on terrorism from 2001 to present where it has been fighting Islamist extremist terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda, Taliban, ISIL, Al-Shabab and in the Iraq disarmament crisis. The US military continues to be an instrumental element in the fight against terrorism where they offer materials support, training and weapons and eve participating in the direct fight against terror groups. References Clark, G. B. (2014). The United States military in Latin America: A history of interventions through 1934. Jefferson: McFarland & Company. Crocker, H. W., & Dean, R. (2014). The Yanks are coming!: A military history of the United States in World War I. Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2014). An indigenous peoples' history of the United States. Beacon Press, Harris, M. (2014). Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America, September 11, 1777. Havertown: Savas Beatie. United States. (2014). The future of U.S.-China relations: Hearing before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, One Hundred Thirteenth Congress, second session, June 25, 2014. United States,. (2014). An Act to Award a Congressional Gold Medal to the American Fighter Aces, Collectively, in Recognition of Their Heroic Military Service and Defense of Our Country's Freedom throughout the History of Aviation Warfare. Read More