The only American to head the Army, the State Department, and the Pentagon, organizer of Allied victory and architect of the Marshall Plan
At Harvard's commencement on June 5, 1947, Marshall received an honorary degree and delivered a speech of under 1,200 words — barely twelve minutes — sketching a recovery plan directed 'against hunger, poverty, desperation and chaos.'
Marshall was the only American to serve as Army Chief of Staff (1939–45), Secretary of State (1947–49), and Secretary of Defense (1950–51): the 'organizer of victory' who presided over the fortyfold expansion of the U.S. Army. At Harvard on June 5, 1947, he proposed a massive aid program to reverse Europe's economic collapse and contain Soviet pressure; the Marshall Plan channeled $13 billion over four years, stabilizing Western Europe's industrial base and currencies while reshaping U.S. Cold War strategy. As Secretary of State he clashed openly with Truman over the recognition of Israel, and as Defense Secretary during the Korean War he approved MacArthur's dismissal, reasserting civilian control of the military. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953, the only career soldier ever to do so.
Career Timeline
- 1880Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, the youngest child of a coal and coke businessman
- 1902Graduated VMI, commissioned 2nd lieutenant, posted to the Philippines
- 1917–1918WWI: planned the Cantigny and Meuse-Argonne offensives as 1st Division G-3
- 1939–1945Army Chief of Staff: expanded the Army from 189,000 to 8 million, directed Allied strategy
- 1945.12–1947.01Special envoy to China; failed to broker a Nationalist-Communist coalition
- 1947–1949Secretary of State: launched the Marshall Plan and pushed for NATO's creation
- 1950–1951Secretary of Defense during the Korean War; approved MacArthur's relief and rebuilt the Pentagon
- 1953Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
Related historical events
- 1941–1944The Second Front and the Normandy LandingsU.S. Army chief of staffA leading candidate for Overlord, he remained Army chief of staff in Washington and supported the operation's preparation.
- 1947–1948The Marshall Plan and the Cold WarArchitect of the Marshall PlanIn his Harvard speech of June 5, 1947, he proposed a massive aid program for European reconstruction; the idea became the $13 billion European Recovery Program that bore his name.