Does the American army’s future lie in Europe or Asia?
It could not wage wars in both at the same time
THE YEAR 1973 was pivotal for America’s army. The force was battered and broken from Vietnam. In January the defence secretary announced the end of conscription; two months later the last combat troops left Vietnam. But the Arab-Israeli war which broke out on Yom Kippur in October planted the seeds of renewal. The lessons of that war, absorbed by American officers sent to Israel, helped reshape America’s army into the modern and professional force which would vanquish Iraq in 1991.
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “Mission in flux”
From the February 24th 2024 edition
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