Joseph Warren Stilwell (1883–1946) was a U.S. Army general, known for his leadership in the China-Burma-India theater during World War II. Nicknamed “Vinegar Joe” for his blunt style, he played a key role in U.S. strategy in Asia.
Born in Palatka, Florida, Stilwell graduated from West Point (1904) and served in World War I before becoming an expert in Asian military affairs. During World War II, he was Chief of Staff to Chiang Kai-shek, overseeing U.S. military aid to China. His efforts to train Chinese forces led to tensions with Chiang, who resisted American influence.
In the Burma Campaign, Stilwell aimed to reclaim territory from Japan. His 1942 retreat from Burma, leading troops on a grueling march to India, became legendary.
His publications include The Stilwell Papers (1948,) a posthumous collection of wartime diaries. Barbara Tuchman’s Stilwell and the American Experience in China, 1911–45 (1970) examines his complex relationship with China.
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Joseph Stilwell
Illegitimis non carborundum.
—Joseph Stilwell
Topics: Persistence
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