• + The Case for Combat: How Presidents Persuade Americans to Go to War

  Page I

  • Contents

    Page V

  • Preface

    Page VI

  • 1. Presidential War Rhetoric: An Overview

    Page 1

  • 2. The War of 1812 (1812–1815)

    Page 17

  • 3. The Mexican-American War (1846–1848)

    Page 37

  • 4. The Civil War (1861–1865)

    Page 65

  • 5. The Spanish-American War (1898)

    Page 103

  • 6. World War I (1914–1918)

    Page 125

  • 7. World War II (1941–1945)

    Page 149

  • 8. The Korean War (1950–1953)

    Page 171

  • 9. The Vietnam War (1964–1973)

    Page 199

  • 10. The Persian Gulf War (1991)

    Page 221

  • 11. The War on Terror (2001–?)

    Page 263

  • 12. Conclusions

    Page 289

  • Notes

    Page 301

  • Index

    Page 313

In the United States, the decision to use military force typically is made by the president, even though it is actually Congress that has the authority to commit the nation to war. It is also the president's job to inform the American people when that decision has been madeÑand to attempt to convince the citizens to support their government in the decision to go to war.||The book traces the development of the rhetoric used by presidents to convince Americans to go to war, from the earliest days of the nation to the latest conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. After an overview of the governmental issues related to committing to combat, the author evaluates presidential speeches over the course of ten American conflicts to determine how effectiveÑand ethicalÑpresidents have been in communicating with various publics. Taking neither a pro- nor antiwar stance, this text focuses entirely on the period leading up to the announcement of a formal conflict.