Has there ever been a generation of Americans that hasn't had to endure the sting of war?

Question

From the Revolution to present, it is my contention that every generation has had to deal with some major conflict...am i wrong?

Answer 1

It depends what you mean by generation, if your question is technical.

Here is a list of post-constitutional American wars; 33 years between 1865 and 1898 is the longest period of peace, with the second longest period of 31 peaceful years occuring between 1815 and 1846.

American Revolutionary War 1775 – 1783
Quasi-War 1798 – 1800
First Barbary War 1801 – 1805
War of 1812 1812 – 1815
Second Barbary War 1815
Mexican-American War 1846 – 1848
American Civil War 1861 – 1865
Spanish-American War 1898
Philippine-American War 1899 - 1902
World War I 1917 – 1918
World War II 1941 – 1945
Korean War 1950 - 1953
Vietnam War 1959 - 1975
Gulf War 1990 – 1991
Afghanistan War 2001 - present
Iraq War 2003 - present

So, basically your premise is entirely correct unless you count a generation as lasting only thirty years. And even if that were the case, the impact of a conflict has a much wider footprint than the mere space of time in which it occured - for instance, we are still 'dealing' with Vietnam today in the form of social and political repercussions.

War has been disturbingly universal in American history and experience.

Answer 2

Really interesting question.

I would say that there were only two major wars in the last century where all of the nations might was gathered. The rest of the fights were paltry in comparison, were called wars for more domestic consumption, and were attempts to achieve polical goals on the cheep.

I know I'm going to piss some people off with the next statement but I don't mean to demean the sacrifice of service-people. This generation doesn't really know what a hard fought, industrial war really means. The last generation of American that fought a real war was born in the 1910/20's--they raised and fought mass armies, navies and airforces; their parents might have all their sons drafted and several of them killed or wounded; and nearly all the industrial plant of the United States was employed to build war related material. Since the 1940's, we have not declared war, we haven't fielded mass armies, we haven't fought mass armies (some could argue that in Korea there were mass armies, but it doesn't compare with WW2) and our armed forces have been built around a staggering spasm capability--but not one sustainable over time.

The generations born after WW2 don't really know what an all out war is, they don't really understand war as a moral and political force, and they have come to look at such conflict like a sporting event where we are expected to have all the queens on the board and our adversaries are all pawns.

Answer 3

A short period after the Revolutionary war - to the to the war of 1812 - and just after the civil war until the Spanish American War (which lasted only 4 months) there has been a growing trend of being involved in greater periods as a national since the first world war - and many times as individuals or groups - for example the Abraham Lincoln Brigade during the Spanish Civil war - so the quest is more - why to we choose as a national or individuals to participate in armed conflict

Answer 4

If Obama wins the following election, the probability is that this may increasingly now not be the identical nation. By that point, so much international locations will likely be so interdependent upon each and every different and so filled with men and women from different components of the arena that the battle will likely be contained inside our borders if we nonetheless have borders by means of then. The identical might be actual of different international locations. Chaos will likely be a culture. Few men and women will likely be operating since the federal government is now controlling privately owned organizations. They is probably not in a position to make use of authorised industry practices that enable for enlargement and progress. He has us on a course to an overly unsightly long run.

Answer 5

None and from the looks of the situation around the world and the need of the American people to be the big brother of the other countries, it will be a lot more generations to come before the sting of war will not ever be felt.

Answer 6

Those born in the US just after the end of the Civil War had about 40 years without war.

Answer 7

The 1870's to the late 1890's were pretty quiet.

Answer 8

NO!