Dwight David Eisenhower (1890–1969,) nicknamed Ike, was an American military general and political leader. He served as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe during World War II 1943–45 and as the 34th president of the U.S. 1953–61. His standing rests just as much on his achievements as a military leader as on his successes as president.
Born in Denison, Texas, Eisenhower attended the United States Military Academy (West Point) and had a thriving career in the U.S. Army. His strategic decisions and political acumen played a pivotal role in the conclusion in World War II. He directed the Allied invasion of German-occupied France on “D-Day,” June 6, 1944. The successful landings in Normandy were the start of the final campaign of World War II.
After the war, Eisenhower became the first Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and led the military arm of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO.) His immense popularity as the most successful military general won him a landslide victory as president in 1952, and got him reelected in 1956; he defeated Democratic-party candidate Adlai Stevenson in both those presidential elections.
As president, Eisenhower presided over eight years of peace and prosperity. He adopted a hard line toward communism in both his domestic and foreign policy, brokered the peace agreement to end the Korean War, and established the Interstate Highway System.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Dwight D. Eisenhower
Americans, indeed all free men, remember that in the final choice a soldier’s pack is not so heavy a burden as a prisoner’s chains.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Americans
When shallow critics denounce the profit motive inherent in our system of private enterprise, they ignore the fact that it is an economic support of every human right we possess, and that without it, all rights would soon disappear.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Criticism, Profit
Only Americans can hurt America.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: America
Worry is a word that I don’t allow myself to use.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Worry
The opportunist thinks of me and today.
The statesman thinks of us and tomorrow.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Posterity
Farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Farming, Nature
Pessimism never won any battle.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Pessimism, Battle
There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Battle
Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Biggest damfool mistake I ever made.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
I’m saving that rocker for the day when I feel as old as I really am.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Age, Aging
But I believe this: by and large, the United States ought to be able to choose for its President anybody that it wants, regardless of the number of terms he has served. That is what I believe. Now, some people have said You let him get enough power and this will lead toward a one-party government. That, I don’t believe. I have got the utmost faith in the long-term common sense of the American people. Therefore, I don’t think there should be any inhibitions other than those that were in the 35-year age limit and so on. I think that was enough, myself.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
There is, in world affairs, a steady course to be followed between an assertion of strength that is truculent and a confession of helplessness that is cowardly.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Diplomacy
So that here we have, really, the compound, the overall philosophy of Lincoln: in all those things which deal with people, be liberal, be human. In all those things which deal with the peoples money or their economy, or their form of government, be conservativeand don’t be afraid to use the word. And so today, Republicans come forward with programs in which there are such words as balanced budgets, and cutting expenditures, and all the kind of thing that means this economy must be conservative, it must be solvent. But they also come forward and say we are concerned with every Americans health, with a decent house for him, we are concerned that he will have a chance for health, and his children for education. We are going to see that he has power available to him. We are going to see that everything takes place that will enrich his life and let him as an individual, hard-working American citizen, have full opportunity to do for his children and his family what any decent American should want to do.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Truth
The best morale exists when you never hear the word mentioned. When you hear a lot of talk about it, it’s usually lousy.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Motivation, Motivational
Knowledge-full, unfettered knowledge of its own heritage, of freedom’s enemies, of the whole world of men and ideas-this knowledge is a free people’s surest strength.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Knowledge
I don’t think the United States needs superpatriots. We need patriotism, honestly practiced by all of us, and we don’t need these people that are more patriotic than you or anyone else.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: America
The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Defense, War
Through unity of action we can be a veritable colossus in support of peace. No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves. Every one of us must be guided by this truth.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Action, Pessimism, Cynicism, Failure
With a full century of contrary proof in our possession and despite our demonstrated capacity for cooperative teamwork, some among us seem to accept the shibboleth of an unbridgeable gap between those who hire and those who are employed. We miserably fail to challenge the lie that what is good for management is necessarily bad for labor; that for one side to profit, the other must be depressed. Such distorted doctrine is false and foreign to the American scene where common ideals and purpose permit us a common approach toward the common good.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Peace and justice are two sides of the same coin.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Peace
Some people wanted champagne and caviar when they should have had beer and hot dogs.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Desire, Desires
Whatever America hopes to bring to pass in the world must first happen in the heart of America. More than escape from death, it is a way of life. More than a haven for the weary, it is a hope for the brave.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: America
When you are in any contest, you should work as if there were—to the very last minute—a chance to lose it. This is battle, this is politics, this is anything.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Risk
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Weakness, Freedom
I would rather have a lucky general than a smart general in any battle. They win battles and they make me lucky.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Luck, Fortune
It is not a struggle merely of economic theories, or forms of government or of military power. At issue is the true nature of man. Either man is the creature whom the psalmist described as a little lower than the angels … or man is a soulless, animated machine to be enslaved, used and consumed by the state for its own glorification. It is, therefore, a struggle which goes to the roots of the human spirit, and its shadow falls across the long sweep of man’s destiny.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Man
In preparing for battle I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: Planning
The history of free men is never really written by chance but by choice—their choice.
—Dwight D. Eisenhower
Topics: History, Chance, Decisions
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