'If This Be Treason' - Defending the U.S. Naval Service in the Early Cold War, 1945-1950 5 views

In August 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear weapons on the country of Japan, forever changing the doctrinal concepts of conventional military forces within the United States. In the years immediately following the end of World War II, the U.S. military faced a crisis of identity – how would it employ such awesome weapons in the future, and were conventional ground and naval forces now a thing of the past? That crisis of identity hit hardest in the U.S. Navy and culminated in the event known as the “Revolt of the Admirals” in 1949, during which senior Navy leadership presented their case to Congress, arguing that, while the U.S. Air Force surged to claim primacy over the delivery mechanisms for future nuclear weapons, the nation’s armed forces still required aircraft carrier platforms and naval aviation to defend the nation. The Revolt of the Admirals is well known as a struggle over defense unification and over the roles and missions of the United States military services. The historical study of postwar demobilization, the unification debates, and U.S. Navy restructuring from 1945-1950 has largely focused on those more traditional hallways of government. However, its legacy runs deeper. Those officers who spoke out publicly on behalf of the naval service, against politically appointed civilian leadership, faced massive professional repercussion, yet some were still willing to do so. In particular, Navy Rear Admiral Daniel Gallery’s published articles, especially in the Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s magazine in 1949 and 1950, attempted to affirm for the American populace the importance of the Navy as a strategic offensive force rather than merely as a transportation and escort service. Admiral Gallery, who at the time was filling the newly created position as Assistant Chief of Naval Operations for Guided Missiles, became infamous for his sharp words, provocative language, and polemical comments about defense unification policies. His public intervention into this political debate nearly cost him his career.

MA (Master of Arts)

War & Society; Revolt of the Admirals; Civil-Military Relations; Maritime Strategy; Military History; Defense Unification; Periodicals

English

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2026-04-22