U S War Plans

By the close of the 19th century, the United States was no longer a continental power, but had become a nation with interests that spanned the globe from the Caribbean to China. Consequently, the country faced a new set of strategic concerns, ranging from enforcing the Monroe Doctrine to defending the Philippines. As a result of the United States' new geostrategic environment, the armed services had to establish a system for the creation of war plans to defend the country's interests against possible foreign aggression. A Joint Army and Navy Board, established in 1903, ordered the creation of war plans to deal with real and potential threats to American security. Each major country was assigned a colour: Germany was Black, Great Britain Red, Japan Orange, Mexico Green and China Yellow. War plans were then devised in case Washington decided to use force against these or other powers.

In late 1945, it became clear that the Soviet Union was an aggressive power. American military planners began to develop strategies to deal with the frightening possibility of a war with the Soviet Union. This work examines those plans.

Based on twenty years of research in formerly secret archives, this book reveals for the first time the full significance of War Plan Orange—the U.S. Navy's strategy to defeat Japan, formulated over the forty years prior to World War II.

A humorous history of simmering tensions between the US and Canada from the War of 1812 to actual invasion plans drawn up by both sides. It’s known as the world’s friendliest border. Five thousand miles of unfenced, unwalled international coexistence and a symbol of neighborly goodwill between two great nations: the United States and Canada. But just how friendly is it really? In War Plan Red, the secret “cold war” between the United States and Canada is revealed in full and humorous detail. With colorful maps and historical imagery, the breezy text walks the reader through every aspect of the long-running rivalry—from the “Pork and Beans War” between Maine and Newfoundland lumberjacks, to the “Pig War” of the San Juan Islands, culminating with excerpts from actual declassified invasion plans the Canadian and US militaries drew up in the 1920s and 1930s.

This documentary sourcebook of actual U.S. war plans traces the nation's political and strategic goals from the contemplation of war against Japan and Germany in November of 1938 to Eisenhower's March 1945 plan for the defeat of Germany and the conquest of Japan. For the first time, the major strategic - e.g., ABC-1 and Rainbow 5 - and operational - e.g., Torch, Husky, Plan Dog, Fortitude, and Cartwheel - war plans of the U.S. military pertaining to WWII are presented in one volume. Ross sets each plan in its strategic and operational context with an explanatory and analytical introduction.

This is an examination of major American and Anglo-American war plans. Rather than discuss the history of planning, Ross considers the execution of the plans, compares the execution with the expectations of the planners and attempts to explain the differences.

This documentary sourcebook of actual U.S. war plans traces the nation's political and strategic goals from the contemplation of war against Japan and Germany in November of 1938 to Eisenhower's March 1945 plan for the defeat of Germany and the conquest of Japan. For the first time, the major strategic - e.g., ABC-1 and Rainbow 5 - and operational - e.g., Torch, Husky, Plan Dog, Fortitude, and Cartwheel - war plans of the U.S. military pertaining to WWII are presented in one volume. Ross sets each plan in its strategic and operational context with an explanatory and analytical introduction. For the first time, the major strategic and operational war plans of the U.S. military pertaining to WWII are presented in one volume.

Every major government’s military makes plans for waging wars, hoping that they never have to be employed. In the early part of the last century the US government prepared a number of war contingency plans for invading a number of nations—both hostile and friendly. These color-coded plans were designed for various political and military events, some of which actually unfolded in the Second World War. Never Wars: The US War Plans to Invade the World explores and provides details on a number of these key military invasion plans, their triggers, units involved, etc. Some of these plans, if executed, would have altered the globe or changed the events of the twentieth century and beyond. Included with this was the 1914 war plan against a triumphant Germany, a 1935 plan to attack Great Britain, the 1920s US plans to land forces in Mexico to topple their government, a plan for invading China and even a 1905 strike into the heart of Canada. From a plan to invade the Azores to an incursion into Cuba, Never Wars presents never before published plans for the US to strike out at the world.