Verified Document

Military War Term Paper

¶ … growth and development of the United States military from its origination to its present status in the 21st century. It will specifically examine the fostering of both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. Moreover, these two branches -- which will serve as case studies for the overall development tendencies of the military in general -- will get deconstructed in the context of the martial encounters that were most seminal for them: The Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, and World War I and World War II, respectively. this paper will delineate the history of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force to indicate how military sophistication has paralleled the developments in technology and applications knowledge of America itself.

B.U.S. Naval History

The American Revolutionary War

The War of 1812 and the establishment of the U.S. Naval Academy

C.U.S. Air Force History

1947 Third branch of the armed forces and World War I

World War II

D. Conclusion

The history of the Navy and Air Force parallels increasing levels of sophistication in U.S. technology and knowledge.

2. These branches demonstrated their worth in respective wars.

3. As a result, there are formal academies to aid in their progress and modernization.

Introduction

In many ways, the history of the U.S. military parallels that of the United States itself. The country was initiated in a martial conflict with England, and it was only with the support of a fledgling military force that the colonialists were able to win the Revolutionary War. Therefore, as the country developed and its processes became more sophisticated, so did those pertaining to the military. One of the most demonstrable ways in which this tendency is readily apparent is by tracing the history of the various branches of the U.S. armed forces. Specifically, this paper will delineate the history of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force to indicate how military sophistication has paralleled the developments in technology and applications of knowledge of America itself.

U.S. Naval History

The history of the U.S. Navy begins with the American Revolution. As that conflict waged on, it became imperative for the colonists to counter the effects of the relatively large and agile British naval fleet. The source of conflict for this martial encounter was the fact that the colonists, the majority of whom were British subjects, desired independence from the British government which the former viewed as tyrannical and financially disadvantageous. Experiences of Americans captured by the British during this encounter reinforced these perceptions (Dzurec, 2013, p. 32). The pecuniary gripes of the colonists began in earnest following the conclusion of the French and Indian War, in which the British incurred debt and attempted to exact a heavy financial toll from its colonies in the form of myriad of taxes. The necessity of formulating a fledgling navy for the new nation was due in part to the fact that England was supplying its soldiers via the seaways; impairing their ability to do so with the colonist's fleet could seriously impair England's military prowess.

The U.S. Navy's future was uncertain at one point, until it was realized how valuable its contribution to the armed forces on a long-term basis actually was. After the success of the Colonial War:

…the Continental Navy was demolished in 1785 by an economy-minded Congress. The dormancy of American sea power lasted barely a decade when, in 1794, President George Washington persuaded…Congress to authorize a new naval force to combat the growing menace of privacy on the high seas (U.S. Navy, 2015).

Perhaps it was the victory and the role of the Navy in the War of 1812 that contributed to its status as a lasting fixture of the U.S. military. This war, which reprised both partisans from the Revolutionary War, was partially started due to the unpopular British tactic of impressments (Deeben, 2012), when its fleet would seize control of U.S. ships and make those on board British citizens. Additionally, privateer and piracy efforts on the part of the British in their encounters with the U.S. On the seaways contributed to the war as well. The U.S.'s victory was largely attributed to its navy's efforts, which factored into the forming of a formal navy academy. The first naval school was established by George Bancroft in 1845, and was the first attempt to modernize this practice and give it an actual science and education to accompany its field requirements. The size and number of students enrolled in the Navy Academy continued to grow through the 20th century; it is now a fully formed...

Air Force History
The history of the U.S. Air Force also illustrates how the country has updated its military to keep pace with technological advancements in the world and on the battlefield. Initially, this branch of the armed forces was a part of the Army and Navy until 1947 when, with the establishment of the department that would eventually become known as the United States Department of Defense, it became the third branch of the military (U.S. Air Force, 2012). The U.S. military initially began utilizing aircraft for war purposes in 1907 with the establishment of the Aeronautical Division of the Army and the Navy. Although the name of the component of the Army and the Navy that would become the air force changed names several times prior to 1947, it played a critical role in both World Wars -- the first of which spanned from 1914-1918. Although the U.S. only became involved in this martial encounter during the final year of its waging, it was able to utilize the predecessor to the Air Force as a means of supporting its land troops, which were outnumbered (National Archives, 2010). This element of the armed forces saw combat action in the war theaters hosted at Saint-Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne.

The entity that would become the Air Force greatly expanded its utility and assistance during the Second World War, which spanned from 1939 to 1945 and was largely actuated by Adolph Hitler's fascist desires for global dominance. Again, it is important to note that advances in technology helped to issue advances in this branch of the military. Whereas most of the aerial action in the World War I featured planes engaging with one another, aeronautical activity in the Second World War was largely characterized by lengthy bombing efforts. Subsequently, the finances dedicated to the air force and the number of craft and pilots grew greatly during the waging of World War II (Y'Blood, 2001, p. 9). The efficacy of the tactics of using planes to bomb was dramatically demonstrated when the war largely ceased following the atomic bombing of Japan. Moreover, it was greatly due to the efficacy of the air force during this war that a formal Air Force academy was created in 1954. With the establishment of this training institution, Air Force was able to get even more monetary resources, and greatly enhance the training and education of pilots in a manner befitting of aerial combat in the late 20th century and the 21st century.

Conclusion

An examination of the history of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force readily reveals that the military prowess of America has readily increased in sophistication due to technology developments and the capability of the country itself. From the outset of America's history with the Revolutionary War, to its lauded efforts in the World War II at the midway point of the 20th century to help preserve freedom and democracy, the military of the U.S. has increased its prowess according to means of the times. This fact is evinced in several ways, not the least of which is that both the Navy and Air Force endured periods in which they were not official branches of the military prior to proving their worth in combat. Additionally, each of these branches has dedicated educational institutions that help to groom soldiers for the areas of technical expertise that play an integral role in the operation of these branches. Consequently, they have increased in sophistication as the country itself has.

References

Deeben, J.P. (2012). Stoking the fires: The impressments of Seaman Charles Davis by the U.S. Navy. Prologue Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/summer/1812-impressment.html This is an excellent source which helps to contextualize the sentiment that contributed to the War of 1812, It not only covers the events of that time period at a macro level, but also includes a number of salient personal details as well. This source emphasizes the importance of the Navy in this war.

Dzurec, D. (2013). Prisoners of war and American self-image during the American Revolution. War in History. 20(4), 430-451. This source provides an explanation for much of the anti-British sentiment during the Revolutionary War. It principle does so by discussing the experience of those captured by the British in this encounter.

National Archives. (2010). Teaching with documents." www.archives.gov. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/369th-infantry / This source provisions a decent overview of World War I. It does so largely through a consideration of…

Sources used in this document:
References

Deeben, J.P. (2012). Stoking the fires: The impressments of Seaman Charles Davis by the U.S. Navy. Prologue Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2012/summer/1812-impressment.html This is an excellent source which helps to contextualize the sentiment that contributed to the War of 1812, It not only covers the events of that time period at a macro level, but also includes a number of salient personal details as well. This source emphasizes the importance of the Navy in this war.

Dzurec, D. (2013). Prisoners of war and American self-image during the American Revolution. War in History. 20(4), 430-451. This source provides an explanation for much of the anti-British sentiment during the Revolutionary War. It principle does so by discussing the experience of those captured by the British in this encounter.

National Archives. (2010). Teaching with documents." www.archives.gov. Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/369th-infantry / This source provisions a decent overview of World War I. It does so largely through a consideration of the involvement of African-American troops. These troops were necessary to implement in combat situations for the simple fact that the U.S. did not have enough men without their addition. It illustrates some of the wider social implications of this war and its effect both within and outside of the military.

United States Naval Academy (2015). A brief history of USNA. www.usna.edu Retrieved from http://www.usna.edu/USNAHistory / This source provides a fairly detailed history of the development of the United States Naval Academy. As such, it provides an overview of the history of the navy as well. By emphasizing the level of development that the academy underwent since its inception, this source indicates the sort of improvement that characterizes the military in general through the years.
U.S. Air Force Academy. (2012). Air Force academy history. www.usafa.af.mil / Retrieved from http://www.usafa.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=9409 This source offers an overview of the U.S. Air Force Academy. However, it only begins with its creation as a third branch of the military, and does not offer a great amount of insight into the nearly 40 years that passed since the department's inchoate beginnings and its official creation in 1947. Its information after the branch was formed is detailed.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

History a Military War or Campaign
Words: 2600 Length: 8 Document Type: Research Paper

Military War or Campaign The world has existed amidst a set of wars and conflicts that have shaped political systems, governments, and humanitarian associations. Gulf War is one of the universal and all time conflicts that rocked the world. With equitable measures and categorical procedures, philosophies, missions, and visions of these wars, this piece of study exemplifies Gulf War as one of America's participatory wars in the world. The article

Military Education Sams Monograph Prospectus Field of
Words: 1564 Length: 4 Document Type: Thesis

Military Education SAMS MONOGRAPH PROSPECTUS FIELD OF STUDY The field of study will be a combination of history and operational art. The proposed topic is professional military education at the field-grade level during periods of peace. The training and actions after Armistice and after World War II will serve as case studies to help understand the topic at a deeper level. After twelve years of conflict and two wars, what reasonable quality of training

Military Technology -- Civil War Leadership What
Words: 1996 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Military Technology -- Civil War Leadership What technological advances were used during the United States Civil War? There were many technological innovations that were devised and used during the Civil War by both sides, and they are important aspects when researching the reasons that the Union Army defeated the Confederate Army. An article in Scientific American ("How Technology Shaped the Civil War") reports that first of all, the way the war was

Military Strategy in Korean and Vietnam Wars
Words: 1555 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Military Strategy in Korean and Vietnam Wars There have been numerous wars in the history of the United States. Some of the critical wars in the history of the United States include the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Prior to venturing into the Vietnam War, United States had participated in the Korean War. The case of Korean War proves to be a success because of the implementation of accurate and extensive strategies.

War Why a Military Presence
Words: 870 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

However, little concern is given to the Afghan people when their innocent is killed due to military action of developed nations. This too will only exacerbate the turmoil within the country. Revenge is a powerful emotion, especially when an individual has nothing a stake to achieve it. As such, due in parts to foreign operations in Afghanistan, many individuals have extreme animosity towards the developed world. It is therefore much

Military Role at the U.S.A.
Words: 1912 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Addressing the Disadvantages of Military Involvement While the reasons for the involvement are obvious, the cons are outweighed by the advantages. Firstly, the two countries do not have to act in isolation. Military from both sides can be employed by formal consent between the two countries to better manage the borders and the diplomatic relations. Secondly, the cost of the military involvement is low as compared to the costs that are

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now