A Brief History of America at War

Nothing divides the American people like war. From its inception as a nation, the prospect, and in two or three cases the reality, of war has usually been a source of damaging division in the United States. The period prior to the recent conflict in Iraq was no different. How does this historic theme fit into America's divine destiny?

by John Ross Schroeder

As American schoolchildren, my generation was often treated to an idyllic vision of national harmony concerning the Revolutionary War and its resulting independence from Great Britain in 1776. It was only later in life, perhaps while attending university, that many of us discovered that a substantial minority of colonists were deeply divided over whether or not to go to war with England.

Even a few of the nation's chief founding fathers were very reluctant to embark on a conflict with the parent country and did not fully make up their minds for independence until late in the day. There was a strong sense of brotherhood with Britain.

George Washington's advice

We were also taught almost from infancy to greatly respect George Washington and his enormous contribution to American nationhood. Our national capital and one of our northwestern states are both named after him. Humanly speaking, he is truly the father of our country, our first president and the chief architect of the victory over England in the Revolutionary War.

So great was his popularity that his contemporaries wanted to make him a king, but he wisely rejected that notion and set a precedent by choosing not to run again after two terms as president. When that precedent was eventually broken, a two-term limitation was added as an amendment to the Constitution.

Most Americans have the deepest respect for this great man—one of the seven founding fathers who shaped our national destiny. Not fully foreseeing conditions that the 20th-century world would bring, George Washington sternly warned the nation not to get involved in European wars. These words sank very deeply into the American national psyche—penetrating down through the generations.

Twice during the 20th century Britain found itself engaged in Herculean wars with Germany. The United States only entered both world wars well after they had begun. If you were to go to a large library in any American city and page through the newspapers of both eras just prior to these two wars, you would find public opinion in the country deeply divided over whether or not to enter these giant conflicts. President Franklin Roosevelt experienced great difficulty in trying to get the nation to see the enormous dangers posed by the Nazis prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Of course, crucial events and circumstances virtually forced the United States to enter both World War I and World War II. In retrospect, there is very little doubt that without American intervention both wars would have been lost.

The American Civil War

As bad as these two world wars were, no war in the history of the nation was more divisive and damaging than the American Civil War (1861-1865). The casualties on both sides reached enormous numbers. Most Americans know how bad it was, for example, at Gettysburg.

Families were fighting on the northern side against literal blood brothers in the South and vice versa. Particularly south of the Mason-Dixon Line, the nation has still not fully recovered from the wounds and scars from this, the most damaging war in American history.

Enter the Far East. The American General "Old Vinegar Joe" Stilwell, U.S. military representative in China prior to World War II, wisely warned the country not to get involved in land wars in Asia. We were to cast aside his sage advice at our peril.

The side effects of the Korean War (1950-1953) are still with us today with South Korea and North Korea still divided and the latter nation posing a nuclear threat. Japan is actually considering rearming with thermonuclear weapons because of North Korea.

Reaction to the Vietnam War of the late '60s and early '70s sent our college youth into the streets in many antiwar protests. Remember the tragic shooting of several students at Kent State University? Many movies have examined the tragic spinoffs of this war inside and out. So unpopular was the Vietnam War that an American president was virtually prevented from running for the Oval Office again.

In more recent times, both Gulf Wars have produced much better outcomes for America than the two Asian wars. Still, at least a small minority of the citizenry supported neither Gulf conflict.

So why remind our readers about these wars and our reaction to them? Because America, like most nations, has the habit of forgetting the source of its blessings. Yet the spiritual lessons of our national history are so important to our continued survival as a country.

Pax Americana

Notwithstanding its internal divisions, particularly during the period before any war, the United States has to be given a lot of credit for helping keep the peace in the world for the last 100 years. Historically, the nation has gone to war to rescue underdog countries from conquering nations saddled with demented dictators like Hitler and Mussolini. Saddam Hussein is the most recent example.

Many are quick to point out American mistakes—and we have made our share—but somehow lack the spiritual overview to see the divine destiny behind U.S. dominance on the world scene today. The whole story is told in our 40-page, full-color brochure The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy. Without this knowledge you cannot understand what is really happening politically on earth today.

Just over 400 years ago this land from the Atlantic to the Pacific was populated with some 6 million native Americans of whom the outside world had virtually no knowledge. Now the United States of America is over 280 million strong in population and by far the only superpower in today's world—a national force that must be reckoned with whether other nations consider it friend or foe. You may ask: How and why did this happen? The intriguing brochure The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy will tell you. Please write for your free copy.

Recommended Reading

Where do such nations as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia appear in Bible prophecy? Does the Bible neglect to mention them? This thoroughly researched, eye-opening brochure, The United States and Britain in Bible Prophecy, will help answer these questions. It's provided free of charge. Contact any of our offices or request or download it from our Web site at www.ucg.org—WNP

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