Michael Matheny Carrying The War To The Enemy Summary

Michael Matheny’s thesis in Carrying the War to the Enemy: American Operational Art to 1945, argues that while the United States military did not officially recognize operational art as a level of war before and during World War II, it was developed through in the military schools during the interwar period and used effectively during the war. This argument runs contrary to the common belief that the United States did not develop operational arts until after the Vietnam War. To support this argument, Matheny focuses on tracing the development of operational art in the American military for the first five chapters before analyzing how those developments were used in the European and Pacific Theaters of the war. His analysis of the war covers four major operations, two in each theater, to demonstrate that America successfully used operational art during the war. However, before examining the different sections of Matheny’s work, it is equally important

He uses several primary sources, including memoirs, letters, and military writings from the interwar period and the war. Archival materials from military colleges are also used extensively to support his assertion that the schools were instrumental in developing operational art before the war. Secondary monographs and articles are also referenced to analyze different operations and developments in the United States military. The first five chapters of Matheny’s work are dedicated to understanding American operational art prior to World War II. While the first two chapters focus on developments prior to 1919, chapters three through five closely examine the role of military schools and colleges in the advances of land, air, and seapower during the interwar period. Arguably, this section provides his best support for the assertion that American military thought did not stagnate after World War I but focused instead on the importance of joint operations in future