Date of Completion
2025
Thesis Type
College of Arts and Science Honors
Department
History
First Advisor
Susanna Schrafstetter
Keywords
World War II, US Soldier, Policymakers, Postwar Planning, Nation Building, United Nations
Abstract
This paper examines if US soldiers and US policymakers had similar or different visions for postwar Western Europe during WWII. The purpose of this study is to not only examine the interests and visions between these two actors, but to incorporate the voice and opinions of the US soldier in the ETO into the story of US postwar planning for Europe’s ‘postwar miracle’. The paper argues that the US soldier’s perspective should not be seen as the "arm and aims" of the state but instead may be a crucial factor for the future of effective US military interventions. Using both quantitative data from the American Soldier Project, and qualitative data from declassified documents from Foreign Relations of the United Sates Diplomatic Papers, this study argues that US soldiers and US policymakers shared more similar than different visions for the postwar order in Western Europe.
Recommended Citation
Lekkas, Nikolaos Brian, "US Government Planning and US Soldiers’ Opinions at the End of the Second World War: Different Visions for a Post-War Order?" (2025). UVM College of Arts and Sciences College Honors Theses. 155.
https://scholarworks.uvm.edu/castheses/155