George C. Marshall
Military Leader / World War II Figure / U.S. Secretary of State
George Catlett Marshall served in the U.S. army in France during World War I, emerging as aide-de-camp to General John Joseph Pershing. Marshall rose through the administrative ranks and served as the army's Chief of Staff during World War II, then as U.S. ambassador to China. He returned to the U.S. to serve in President Harry Truman's cabinet, as Secretary of State and then Secretary of Defense. Beginning in 1948 General Marshall oversaw the implementation of the European Recovery Program, since called The Marshall Plan, an economic policy to help Western Europe recover from the devastation of World War II. For his efforts toward world peace, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1953.Other World War II figures include Audie Murphy, Chester W. Nimitz and Claus von Stauffenberg.
Four Good Links
The George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies
International policy think-tank with some background on Marshall
Soldier of Peace
Portraits and general career information
The George C. Marshall Foundation
Info on the museum, lectures and articles, plus a biography and slideshow of Marshall
The Fiftieth Anniversary of The Marshall Plan
Great online exhibit from the U.S. Library of Congress
Vital Stats
Birth
Birthplace
Death
16 October 1959
(age 78)
Best Known As
World War II-era U.S. General and Secretary of State
