Ira Chernus

is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Colorado. He is the author of several books, including Dr. Strangegod: On the Symbolic Meaning of Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Ma...

General Eisenhower
Ideology and Discourse

Ira Chernus

During the Second World War, Dwight D. Eisenhower formulated an ideology that encompassed deeply held ideas about human nature, society, and political life. From the day the war ended, Eisenhower promoted this ideology; he considered the production of words as an end in itself,essential to the real business of governing. During his years as Army Chief of Staff, president of Columbia University, Allied Commander in Europe, and candidate for President of the United States, Eisenhower continuously emphasized the inspirational value of the spoken word. Ira Chernus has created one of the first detailed studies of the ideology and rhetoric of a U.S. leader in the formative years of the Cold War, showing how words and ideas fostered a conservative culture of nationalism and fear. Eisenhower’s use of language fulfilled consciously manipulative ends while also reflecting sincerely held ideas. General Eisenhower: Ideology and Discourse reveals how one man helped construct the sense of national and global insecurity that pervaded American life for decades.

"Creating one of the first detailed studies of the ideology and the rhetoric of a U.S. leader in the formative years of the Cold War, this study shows how words and ideas fostered a conservative culture of nationalism and fears.” —Public Administration Review

Rhetoric & Public Affairs Series