Diplomat in khaki : Major General Frank Ross McCoy and American foreign policy, 1898-1949

Hailed by the New York Times as "one of the best soldiers this country has produced," Frank Ross McCoy was, throughout his distinguished career, much more than just a good soldier. As friend and confidant to such leaders as Theodore Roosevelt, Leonard Wood, and Henry Stimson, he disproves the standard view of the military before 1940 as having no role in American foreign policy. Instead, as A. J. Bacevich ably demonstrates, McCoy was intimately involved in the development of U.S, foreign relations from McKinley's administration to Truman's. McCoy began his military career with Leonard Wood in Cuba during the Spanish-American War. After the war, he and Wood (who became military governor) worked together to establish democratic reforms in Cuba. There followed for McCoy a succession of difficult and sometimes dangerous the Philippines (during the Moro uprising), Mexico, France (as commander during World War I), Turkey and Armenia, the Philippines again, Nicaragua (during Sandino's guerrilla campaign), Bolivia and Paraguay, and China (with the Lytton Commission investigating Japan's invasion of Manchuria). Following a series of stateside appointments, McCoy served finally as chairman of the Far Eastern Commission, an international body created to determine the fate of postwar Japan. Based on exhaustive research in McCoy's personal papers and official records, Bacevich shows that McCoy's career provides a unique perspective both on American foreign policy and on civil-military relations. This book is part of the Modern War Studies series. Hailed by the New York Times as "one of the best soldiersthis country has produced," Frank Ross McCoy was, throughout hisdistinguished career, much more than just a good soldier. As friendand confidant to such leaders as Theodore Roosevelt, Leonard Wood,and Henry Stimson, he disproves the standard view of the militarybefore 1940 as having no role in American foreign policy. Instead,as A. J. Bacevich ably demonstrates, McCoy was intimately involvedin the development of U.S. foreign relations from McKinley'sadministration to Truman's. McCoy began his military career withLeonard Wood in Cuba during the SpanishAmerican War. After the war,he and Wood (who became military governor) worked together toestablish democratic reforms in Cuba. There followed for McCoy asuccession of difficult and sometimes dangerous assignments: ThePhilippines (during the Moro uprising), Mexico, France (as combatcommander during World War I), Turkey and Armenia, the Philippinesagain, Nicaragua (during the Sandino's guerrilla campaign), Boliviaand Paraguay, and China (with the Lytton Commission investigatingJapan's invasion of Manchuria). Following a series of statesideappointments, McCoy served finally as chairman of the Far EasternCommission, an international body created to determine the fate ofpostwar Japan. Based on exhaustive research in McCoy's personalpapers and official records, Bacevich shows that McCoy's careerprovides a unique perspective both on American foreign policy andon civilmilitary relations "McCoy is an important prism with which to view the purposes and frustrations of America's efforts to deal with the Latin world, Asia, and parts of the Middle East. He was at the epicenter of much of the diplomacy of the period with the underdeveloped world."—Allan R. Millett, author of For the Common Defense: A Military History of the United States of America, 1607-1983

"McCoy participated in major events at home and around the world from the l890s to the era of the Korean War. This gracefully written volume will be read by all serious military and diplomatic historians, as well as by military sociologists who wish to know more about the history of American military elites."—J. Garry Clifford, author of The First Peacetime Draft and The Citizen Soldiers

Author Biography: A. J. Bacevich, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army currently serves with the First Armored Division in West Germany. He is a National Security Fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and is the author of The Pentomic Era: The U.S. Army between Korea and Vietnam and the coauthor of American Military Policy in Small Wars.

Contents Preface 1 The Road to Kettle Hill 2 In Cuba with Wood 3 Pacifying the Moros 4 An Available Agent 5 Mexico and the Approach of War 6 World War and Its Aftermath 7 Return to the Philippines 8 Mission to Nicaragua 9 Troubleshooting for Stimson 10 The Lytton Commission 11 New Directions 12 The Far Eastern Commission 13 The End of the Day Notes Selected Bibliography Index