What I Watched: The sixth episode of Crusade in Europe, a documentary series adapted from Dwight Eisenhower’s book of the same name. The adaptation was done by Fred Feldkamp, and narrated by Westbrook van Voorhes. This episode aired at 9:00 PM on ABC on June 9, 1949, and is available on DVD and Amazon Prime.
What Happened: We begin where we left off, with Ike briefly musing on the strange diplomatic status of the African campaign. We hear about Marshall Petain’s great influence over French citizens, and their lack of respect for General Giraud, who the US had imagined as their man. Eisenhower flies into Algiers and meets with the Vichy minister Darlan, aware of the distaste this might create among his British allies.
Meanwhile, the Allies push east, working in concert with British forces to pin down Rommel’s outpost in North Africa. This involves another “engineering miracle”, in which Allied forces hastily assemble communication centres in the Saharan desert. The Nazis, in turn, send reinforcements to Tunis. Eisenhower strikes a deal with Darlan, avoiding war with the 200, 000 French troops. We hear about how people at home were confused, but in another cheesy scripted scene a handy officer gives an angry lament of how they just can’t appreciate Eisenhower’s diplomatic coup. Darlan is assassinated shortly afterwards, with Ike’s narration giving him an ambivalent obituary.
The British keep pressing on, and we see some nice footage of the battles, with lots of explosions. The campaign initially doesn’t go well, with supply lines in disarray and the British force too small to be effective. Tunisia’s rainy winter sets in, and morale begins to sink. Roosevelt and Churchill meet in Casablanca, the spectacle of which apparently energizes the troops. Giroud and de Gaulle, French war heroes both trying to position themselves as the future leader of liberated France, also meet amidst tension. In the first months of 1943, the Allies prepare for a renewed push on German North Africa.
What I thought: This episode doesn’t cover a very scintillating stretch of the war, so I’d like to focus on the character of Dwight Eisenhower as depicted in Crusade in Europe. In previous installments, Ike’s personal experiences of the war have only briefly interrupted the general sweep of history. But in “The Campaign” Eisenhower emphasizes his own role, stating that decisions were ultimately up to him, and essentially taking responsibility for the whole waging of the war. (Which is not that much of an exaggeration, considering the concept of “supreme command” he pushed for.) Much of the episode concerns Eisenhower’s direct actions, specifically his controversial negotiations with the Vichy government. It is here, then, that we begin to see the profile Eisenhower cut in the lead-up to his presidential campaign.
On the most basic level, Crusade in Europe seeks to establish Eisenhower as a supremely capable general with tremendous insight into both international politics and the human psyche. In the matter of dealing with Vichy, he stresses the wisdom of his own position over the moral outrage of the general public, while still respecting their right to know what was going on. Ike is thus a paternal figure, one who knows better than you but can be trusted to act out of love for his inferiors.
-At several times Eisenhower tries to create the impression of selflessness, saying how he’s willing to risk his job and face criticism if it means helping the war effort. By stressing that Eisenhower never thought about his reputation when making his decisions, Crusade of Europe works to dispel the idea that this whole thing is an overblown publicity tour.
The series also humanizes the general by having him talk about the dampening of his spirit and health, although the allusion to sickness is very vague. Eisenhower comes across as a Capra-esque hero, who has a plain-speaking wholesomeness and allows himself to be discouraged only momentarily, so as better to stress his ultimate resolve. We even get a shot of Ike eating with the soldiers, expressing his concern for the common man.
Scenes such as this are critical to Eisenhower’s argument, both implicit and explicit, about the importance of maintaining an affective relationship between the highest and lowest branches of the military. There’s a lot of talk about the importance of trust between generals and the soldiers, as well as the general public. Eisenhower depicts these relationships as not as one of obedience but as something akin to a contract, with the soldier’s knowledge that he is getting a “square deal” allowing him to keep up his morale. This echoes Roosevelt “New Deal” in both language and conception of the relationships between elite and rank and file. Under this schema, hierarchy is inevitable, but those in power must be careful not to abuse their power or be overly harsh to their inferiors.
What’s remarkable is how Eisenhower’s narration acknowledges his dispassionate, even cynical motives for spending time with soldiers and making sure they are treated well. The argument is purely one of utility, not morality: a disenchanted soldier is less effective. Eisenhower makes no attempt to convince the audience of how much he cared for and empathized with the common soldier, instead simply arguing for the importance of convincing said soldier that this is so. Perhaps, in addition to pitching himself to a mass audience, Eisenhower was also pitching himself to the elites by explaining how his approach helped to maintain social control and effective production. When I say these things, I sound like the most vulgar Marxist — but it’s right there, in Ike’s own words.
Coming Up Next: Otto Kruger goes on an a perilous job hunt on the season finale of Suspense!
The Eternal Couch Potato 