Dwight D. Eisenhower: An Effective Leader

June 6th, 1944 is a date that will be remembered until the end of time, thanks to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. With his careful planning and acquired leadership skills, Eisenhower conducted the attack that is now known as D-Day; one of the greatest amphibian attacks in the world. Not only was Eisenhower an exceptional general for the United States military, but he soon became the President of the United States. Furthermore, with his intense drive for success, Eisenhower managed to create great change for his country, thus becoming one of the most remembered presidents and war generals in both United States and world history. Born in Dension, Texas, Eisenhower was already living a poor man’s life. He was the third oldest out of seven sons …show more content…
While he was at Camp Colt, Eisenhower was put in charge of the tank training school. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel, but this was just a temporary rank. Although he did not have any actual tanks to teach with, Eisenhower did teach his students the theory of operating a tank. Transitioning into the Great Depression, Eisenhower was permitted to work as part of the staff for the Assistant Secretary of War. By 1932, he was Eisenhower was working with General Douglas MacArthur, who was the chief of staff for the U.S Army at the time. When Douglas was sent to the Philippines, Eisenhower tagged along to be his assistant. While there, Eisenhower was made the permanent lieutenant colonel. He was at this position for years, even after the United States had been forced to enter World War Two. Surprisingly, Eisenhower was made the Supreme Commander of Allied Expeditionary Forces in Europe in 1942. Many wondered why he was made the Supreme Allied Commander rather than his colleague; General Douglas MacArthur. The answer was quite simple as the U.S president, Franklin D. Roosevelt at the time, could not afford to lose MacArthur in battle. However, Eisenhower was also better for the job because he got along well with the other allied commanders, he knew much about good strategy and tactics, and he was never hesitant when it came to making important decisions. This important position was Eisenhower’s most important job …show more content…
This famous amphibian attack was called Operation Overlord, otherwise known as D-Day. Eisenhower and the other allied commanders wanted to take France back from Germany, but this required very careful planning and endless amounts of secrecy. After many months of outlining this complex mission, the allied commanders finally set a date for May 1st, 1944. However, after giving the plan more thought, Eisenhower decided that Operation Overlord was being devised on much too small of a scale. Eisenhower then debated with his colleagues on whether or not they should postpone the mission. Eventually, the allied commanders reached a final decision. Operation Overlord was to be postponed until June 6th, 1944. As the mission date got closer, the allied forces began to start sending out supplies for the military troops. By March of 1944, many eyewitnesses claimed that the England ship had so many supplies put onto her that only the barrage of balloons attached to her kept the ship above sea level. Roughly a week before the mission was scheduled to take place, Eisenhower and the other allied commanders were starting to have their doubts. A meteorologist had told them that on June 6th, the weather was supposed to be inadequate for their mission. Eisenhower was faced with a tough decision: postpone the mission again or execute it