Old Men in Wars

1920

The World War has been called a young man's war because young men filled the ranks, but it was also an old man's war because old men were in command, hardly one of the distinguished military leaders having been under [45] while most of them were over 50. Foch, Joffre, Pershing, Haig and Hindenburg are all in the neighborhood of 60.

Among the government war leaders, Lloyd George, Clemenceau, Wilson and Orlando are all of mature or advanced age, Hoover alone among the great managers being as young as 45. The same was true of the Boer war, all of the distinguished Englishman in command at the front (with the exception of Kitchener), as well as in charge of the government at home, ranging in age from 60 to 70. On the Boer side Kruger was 70, the same age as Von Moltke when he won the Franco-Prussian war. The poet-warrior d'Annunzio is 56.

Going farther back, however, we find a different story, says the St. Joseph (Mo.) Gazette. Grant was most successful at 40, Sheridan at 33, Stonewall Jackson at 37, "Jeb" Stuart at 28, Lee being the chief exception, with 54 years to his credit when he took command. Nelson was 39 at the victory of the Nile, Wellington 34 at Assaye and the Duke of Cumberland only 25 when he became commander-in-chief.

Napoleon was a renowned military figure while yet in the 20's, as were Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great and other warriors of ancient times. Although the present is supposed to be preeminently the age of young men, the more recent wars have witnessed a majority of men of advanced age in supreme command both at home and in the field.

—The Saturday Blade, Chicago, Jan. 3, 1920, p. 6. Note: The "45" in brackets was supplied by me, since a number is missing in the original article. It's just a guess.