George c. marshall biography

George C. Marshall’s contributions to our nation and the world cannot be overstated. He was the organizer of victory and the architect of peace during and following World War II. He won the war, and he won the peace. His characteristics of honesty, integrity, and selfless service stand as shining examples for those who study the past and for those generations who will learn about him in the future. The Marshall Foundation is dedicated to celebrating his legacy.

Marshall’s career touched on many of the key events of the 20th century—as a new Army officer following the Philippine insurrection, as a member of the staff of General of the Armies John J. Pershing during World War I, as U.S. Army Chief of Staff during War World II, as Secretary of State and the architect of European economic recovery following WWII, and as Secretary of Defense during the Korean War. He is the only person to have served in these three highest positions.

During World War II, Marshall as Army Chief of Staff (1939–1945) was the most important military figure in the U.S. military establishment and of great significance in maintaining the Anglo-American coalition. After the war, he was named special ambassador to China (1945–1947), Secretary of State (1947–1949), President of the American Red Cross (1949–1950), and Secretary of Defense (1950–1951). In 1953 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in proposing, encouraging legislative action, and supporting the European Recovery Program (known as the Marshall Plan). For nearly 20 years he was a major U.S. leader, militarily, politically and morally, and he is still widely admired today.

The legacy of his ideas, actions and initiatives shaped the modern world in ways that are still felt across the globe. To learn more about Marshall’s remarkable life of public service, explore our resources below.

General George C Marshall  ©Marshall was a United States military leader, chief of staff during World War Two and later secretary of state, whose policies financing the post-war reconstruction of Europe came to be known as the Marshall Plan.

George Catlett Marshall was born on 31 December 1880 in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1902 and began a career in the US Army. In World War One he served on the staff of General John J Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces sent to France in 1917. He continued to serve as an aide to Pershing on his return to the US. In the interwar years, he served with the US Army in China and taught in various army organisations.

On the day Germany invaded Poland, 1 September 1939, President Franklin D Roosevelt appointed Marshall army chief of staff. Marshall held this post until 1945. He oversaw the expansion of the US armed forces from a pre-war strength of under 200,000 to one of over eight million at its wartime peak. Marshall's task, ultimately, was to ensure that the army received vital supplies and was given strategic direction. Winston Churchill called Marshall the 'organiser of victory'.

After the war's end, in December 1945, President Harry Truman sent Marshall to China as the special ambassador of the US in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a civil war developing between nationalist and Communist forces there. In 1947, Truman recalled Marshall to the US to serve as secretary of state. Marshall gave his name to the policy, officially entitled the European Recovery Programme (ERP), to provide US aid for the economic revitalisation of war-devastated Europe. In total, the ERP paid out nearly $13 billion dollars in aid for Europe, laying the foundations for European post-war recovery.

Marshall was also influential in the negotiations and planning that culminated in 1949 in the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisa

American army officer and statesman (1880–1959)

"George Marshall" and "General Marshall" redirect here. For other uses, see George Marshall (disambiguation) and General Marshall (disambiguation).

George Catlett Marshall Jr.GCB (31 December 1880 – 16 October 1959) was an American army officer and statesman. He rose through the United States Army to become Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army under presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman, then served as Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense under Truman.Winston Churchill lauded Marshall as the "organizer of victory" for his leadership of the Allied victory in World War II. During the subsequent year, he attempted but failed to avoid the impending continuation of the Chinese Civil War. As Secretary of State, Marshall advocated for a U.S. economic and political commitment to post-war European recovery, including the Marshall Plan that bore his name. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953, the only Army general ever to receive the honor.

Born in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, Marshall graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in 1901. He received his commission as a second lieutenant of Infantry in February 1902 and immediately went to the Philippines. He served in the United States and overseas in positions of increasing rank, including platoon leader and company commander in the Philippines during the Philippine–American War. He was the top-ranked of the five Honor Graduates of his Infantry-Cavalry School Course in 1907 and graduated first in his 1908 Army Staff College class. In 1916 Marshall was assigned as aide-de-camp to J. Franklin Bell, the commander of the Western Department. After the nation entered World War I in 1917, Marshall served with Bell, who commanded the Department of the East. He was assigned to the staff of the 1st Division; he assisted with the organization's mobilization and training in the United States, as well a