Synopsis
"The cost of war is constantly spread before me, written neatly in many ledgers whose columns are gravestones. For that reason, I am constantly moved to find the means to prevent the calamity of war." - George Marshall He built the mightiest army in history and selected its leaders. Eisenhower, MacArthur and Patton all obeyed his commands. And, when victory was won, he bound up the world's wounds with a plan for European recovery that bore his name. The only soldier ever to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, he served during his long career as Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense and President of the Red Cross. Soldier and statesman, a powerful yet modest patriot, George Marshall is today an almost forgotten hero - a private and introspective man whose influential role in matters of war and peace helped determine the course of the twentieth century. George Marshall and the American Century features rare historical footage and recordings of Marshall and President Roosevelt and Truman, as well as exclusive interviews with General Matthew B. Ridgway, journalist Eric Sevareid, former Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford and many others. It brings to life the tenacious diplomat and strategist who won battles in both the European theater and on Capital Hill, and recalls the military leader who recognized the somber legacy of war.