Page 429 - 1992 - XVIII Congresso Internazionale di Storia Militare

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From the beginning of colonizacion in New Eogland to tbc independence of
che Unired Stares, thar is, during a period of abour 175 years, 65 inrernacional
wars and anocher 65 civ il wars cook piace in Euro pc. Some of chese wars h ad con·
sequences on rhe A.merican concinem, due ro rhe rhearer of operations being en-
larged, and involved che coloniscs in fìghring, or by war seulements made by the
colonizing powers in Eu rape. The ruler of rh e land and rhe rules of maritime com·
merce could change as thc resulr of European dispures. Looking back ro rhar peri·
od of cime, ir seems plausible ro admit rhar those repeared disrurbanccs were hard
co underscand by the colonisrs. some of rhem already being second or rhird genera·
tion Americans, so disranr from rheir morherland.
The America n revolution was an expression of nation building, taking refer·
cnce from Europea n belicfs abouc che ìdeals of Ma n and rhe role of che State. The
very specifìc social and physical environment also creaced specifìc mocivacions and
inrerests. The uniry of che pcoplc and che w ili to proceed alone, in accordance w i rh
idealistic principlcs, werc rcinforccd by che measures of regulation of rheir soci al
and economie life raken in Europe and co be applicd in che conrexr of a new socìccy
for which rhe colonizer didn't create rhe proper ideai. The local power of che peo·
pie and the cemrnl politica) power, based severa) chousand miles away, had bt'·
come identica! in capacicy nnd yet wen: in opposition. The insrirutional coercion
was diffìculc apply. The scruggle for independence in rhe Unircd State~ was an ocr
o( politica l violence whose fìnnl resulr was also che consequence of rhe balance of
powcr in Europe.
Thcse faccs which n re ac che origin of thc Unired Stares hisrory have marked
che future behaviour of rhis nation in rclarion wirh Europe.
The "munifesc dcsriny" to cre~te a great nntion, from coast ro coasc, was in·
compadble wich "entangling alliances" with nny European power.
The Military 1\cademy was created nt W est Point less than ren years after far·
mal independence, and at rhe same cime profcssionalism was enrering rhe officer
corp in Europc, wirh ncw milirary schools bcing scr up and :~cccss dcpending on
academic qualifìcations :1nd physical fitness. This was a pcriod of the rransiùon
from rhe ariscocradc ro che democratic offìcer and rhe creation of a new branch
of knowledge, mìlirary srraregy.
Wesc Point was the official insdrurion for formai education of rhe A.merican
Army profcssionnl offìcers, and a forum for military rhoughr, including sociologi·
cal, technical and srrategical debate. For insraoce, thc comroversial discussion abouc
che armed forccs. namely the thcsis in favour of bnsing it on rhe cirizen-soldiers
of milicia or on rhe rcgular army supporccd by compulsory·servìcc miJjcia.
One dominant issue in American srraregic choughc was rhe debatc wherhcr
thc force should be defcnsive or offensive. Portiftcation was a basic quescion. Defcn·
sive prorecrion nlong che shore and che land frontiers was che mai n worry of rhe
snarcgic thinkecs and che leaders; defense againsc an hypotherical enemy acrack from
che norrh and from Europe across che sea. The Mexican war was an exceprion co