Dr. Hasim Turker
The idea of renaming the US Department of Defense back to the “Department of War” is, in fact, a return to the original nomenclature rather than a brand-new invention. The United States originally maintained a War Department from the nation’s founding through World War II, led by a Secretary of War. In the aftermath of WWII, however, American leaders deliberately shifted away from the blunt War label. In 1947, President Harry Truman urged that US military power be seen as a force for peace, not for conquest, which was one reason the old War Department name was dropped.
Congress reorganized the military under the 1947 National Security Act, initially calling it the “National Military Establishment.” That unwieldy name (unintentionally abbreviated as “NME,” sounding like “enemy”) was quickly changed in 1949 to the more reassuring “Department of Defense.” This rebranding reflected the post-WWII ethos: America’s armed forces were to be guardians of peace and stability, part of a new international order aimed at preventing another global war. The shift from “War” to “Defense” signified an emphasis on deterrence and collective security, in line with the founding of the United Nations and NATO as institutions to uphold peace. Even during the ensuing Cold War, US leaders often spoke of “peace through strength,” maintaining massive military capabilities (including a nuclear arsenal) ostensibly to deter war rather than to wage it. In short, the post-1945 world saw defense and deterrence rhetorically prioritized over overt references to waging war.
The Post-Cold War “Security” Era
When the Cold War ended in 1991, the United States found itself without a peer competitor. This brief unipolar moment ushered in optimistic talk of a “liberal world order” and a broadened concept of global security. The triumph of liberal democracy was proclaimed, and some even argued we had reached the “end of history” – a future where major wars between great powers would no longer occur. Indeed, in the 1990s, international discourse shifted toward security in comprehensive terms: collective security arrangements, peacekeeping missions, and humanitarian interventions took center stage. US foreign policy focused on concepts like global security, human rights, and stability, often assuming that outright war between nations was a fading threat.
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