Overview

This volume examines the reserve Officers Training Corps program as a distinctively American expression of the social, cultural, and political meanings of military service. since 1950, ROTC has produced nearly two out of three American active duty officers, yet there has been no comprehensive scholarly look at civilian officer education programs in nearly 40 years. While most modern military systems educate and train junior officers at insular academies like West Point, only the United States has relied heavily on the active cooperation of its civilian colleges. The author argues that the creation of officer education programs on civilian campuses emanates from a traditional American belief (which he traces to the colonial period) in the active participation of civilians in military affairs. although this ideology changed shape through the 20th century, it never disappeared. During the Cold War military buildup, ROTC came to fill two roles: it provided the military with large numbers of well-educated officers, and it provided the nation with a military comprised of citizen-soldiers. even during the Vietnam era, officers, university administrators, and most students understood ROTC's dual role. The Vietnam War thus led to reform, not abandonment, of ROTC. Mining diverse sources, including military and university archives, this book provides an in-depth look at an important, but often overlooked, connection between the civilian and military spheres.

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9780674543126

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social history of ROTC from 1950 through 1980. interest audiences concerned about American culture and history. thorough... this is the source for information about the growth and development of ROTC. well-written history of an important program, it is also a revealing exposition of bedrock American ideals. Like all good historical works, Making Citizen-Soldiers is insightful and important. Neiberg's extensive archival research reveals the many conflicts among and within universities over the intellectual validity of ROTC...Neiberg does a commendable job of providing an institutional and social history of ROTC from 1950 through 1980.--Michael P. Noonan Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs Who is in charge of our military? Where did they come from? While these questions may not press daily on the minds of most Americans, Making Citizen-Soldiers does not merely ask and answer them--it convinces us that these questions are critical to American democracy. In a focused, well-researched history of the Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC), Michael Neiberg discusses the development of this program from 1950 to 1980. More importantly, he sets forth a convincing argument that ROTC, which populates the officer ranks of the military with graduates of civilian colleges, brings to fruition some of the most cherished ideas Americans have about how their military ought to be...So bravo to Neiberg for his success. I do hope a sequel is forthcoming, for he ended his study too soon. As it stands, Making Citizen-Soldiers is not only a well-written history of an important program, it is also a revealing exposition of bedrock American ideals. Like all good historical works, Making Ci Neiberg provides an absorbing examination of U.S. higher education's changing relationship with Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs, from their inception in 1916 to 1980...This thoughtful book will interest audiences concerned about American culture and history.--Steven Puro Library Journal In this detailed study, Michael S. Neiberg follows the shifts in the ROTC curriculum and the relationship of the academic leaders and military staffs on campuses...Neiberg's book is thorough...this is the source for information about the growth and development of ROTC.--John G. Westover Journal of Illinois History

Who is in charge of our military? Where did they come from? While these questions may not press daily on the minds of most Americans, Making Citizen-Soldiers does not merely ask and answer them--it convinces us that these questions are critical to American democracy. In a focused, well-researched history of the Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC), Michael Neiberg discusses the development of this program from 1950 to 1980. More importantly, he sets forth a convincing argument that ROTC, which populates the officer ranks of the military with graduates of civilian colleges, brings to fruition some of the most cherished ideas Americans have about how their military ought to be...So bravo to Neiberg for his success. I do hope a sequel is forthcoming, for he ended his study too soon. As it stands, Making Citizen-Soldiers is not only a well-written history of an important program, it is also a revealing exposition of bedrock American ideals. Like all good historical works, Making Citizen-Soldiers is insightful and important. -- David Maier Boston Book Review

In this detailed study, Michael S. Neiberg follows the shifts in the ROTC curriculum and the relationship of the academic leaders and military staffs on campuses...Neiberg's book is thorough...this is the source for information about the growth and development of ROTC.--John G. Westover Journal of Illinois History

"In this detailed study, Michael S. Neiberg follows the shifts in the ROTC curriculum and the relationship of the academic leaders and military staffs on campuses...Neiberg's book is thorough...this is the source for information about the growth and development of ROTC.--John G. Westover ""Journal of Illinois History "" Neiberg provides an absorbing examination of U.S. higher education's changing relationship with Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs, from their inception in 1916 to 1980...This thoughtful book will interest audiences concerned about American culture and history.--Steven Puro ""Library Journal "" Neiberg's extensive archival research reveals the many conflicts among and within universities over the intellectual validity of ROTC...Neiberg does a commendable job of providing an institutional and social history of ROTC from 1950 through 1980.--Michael P. Noonan ""Orbis: A Journal of World Affairs "" Who is in charge of our military? Where did they come from? While these questions may not press daily on the minds of most Americans, ""Making Citizen-Soldiers"" does not merely ask and answer them--it convinces us that these questions are critical to American democracy. In a focused, well-researched history of the Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC), Michael Neiberg discusses the development of this program from 1950 to 1980. More importantly, he sets forth a convincing argument that ROTC, which populates the officer ranks of the military with graduates of civilian colleges, brings to fruition some of the most cherished ideas Americans have about how their military ought to be...So bravo to Neiberg for his success. I do hope a sequel is forthcoming, for he ended his study too soon. As it stands, ""Making Citizen-Soldiers"" is not only a well-written history of an important program, it is also a revealing exposition of bedrock American ideals. Like all good historical works, ""Making Ci interest audiences concerned about American culture and history. social history of ROTC from 1950 through 1980. thorough... this is the source for information about the growth and development of ROTC. well-written history of an important program, it is also a revealing exposition of bedrock American ideals. Like all good historical works, ""Making Citizen-Soldiers"" is insightful and important."

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