Download An Inaugural Address in a Time of War

1/8/05
The Inaugural Address In A Time Of War
by
Francis J. Gorman
As President Bush prepares his second inaugural address, he must wrestle with
how to handle the 600-pound gorilla in his midst, the War in Iraq. He will be the 7th
President to give an inaugural address in a time of war.
War is a difficult subject for any President. It is made easier in an inaugural
address if he can say that war was forced upon a reluctant nation or that victory has been
achieved or is in sight.
No President faced a challenge greater than the break up of the Union that Lincoln
faced. In his first inaugural address in March 1861, Lincoln’s conciliatory tone
defending the Union did not bring back the seven Southern states that had seceded. But it
did demonstrate Lincoln’s reluctance to wage war against the South, which he did a
month later nevertheless. Today, many Americans doubt Bush had any reluctance to
invade Iraq.
At the time of Lincoln’s second inaugural address in 1865, victory was in sight,
and he delivered one of the most famous inaugural addresses. He called upon the nation
to act “with malice toward none and charity for all” as it healed the wounds of the Civil
War.
Victory was also in sight when Presidents Roosevelt and Eisenhower gave
inaugural addresses near the end of World War II and the Korean War. World War II had
been forced upon the nation after Pearl Harbor. As Germany’s military strength was
collapsing, Roosevelt delivered his
fourth and last inaugural address in January 1945. He called for a “just and honorable
peace” which came later that year. Likewise, Eisenhower gave his first inaugural address
in January 1953 when promising negotiations to end the Korean War were underway at
Panmunjom. He laid out the principles guiding the way to peace, and in July an armistice
was signed ending the fighting.
If President Bush were to say that the end of the War in Iraq is in sight or that
victory is certain, few would agree. Unlike his predecessors, he can point to no event that
forced the invasion of Iraq, like the secession of states for Lincoln or Pearl Harbor for
Roosevelt. Should President Bush argue for a connection between 9/11 and Saddam
Hussein, it will be an effort unbecoming an inaugural address.
Other Presidents have given inaugural addresses at times when future casualties
of war were inevitable. The War of 1812 was called “Mr. Madison’s War,” and President
Madison had to speak to that war in 1813 when it was going badly. So, in his second
inaugural address, he used just about all of it to justify the war.
President Wilson faced the uncertainty of committing combat soldiers to World
War I when he delivered his second inaugural address. Delivered in 1917 a month before
the declaration of war against Germany, the address was an exhortation for the nation to
take on “the great task to which we must now set our hand.” Wilson eventually sent two
million U.S. soldiers to Europe; and 116,000 of them did not return.
President Nixon gave two inaugural addresses during the Vietnam War, probably
the most unpopular war in our history. Nixon’s first address was in 1969 and offered the
American people an “era of negotiation.” Yet the fighting continued. By the time of his
second inaugural address in January 1973, the end of the war was in sight, and Nixon was
able to speak of “a new era of peace in the world.”
Like his predecessors, President Bush must state the reasons for the War in Iraq.
He must articulate the principles that guide his war policies. He may build on his first
inaugural address. The 2001 address called for promoting the spread of democracy
throughout the world, calling democracy “a seed upon the wind.” President Bush also
said he would confront problems rather than passing them on to future generations,
including confronting “weapons of mass destruction.” However he deals with the War in
Iraq, it will be no easy task.
Finally, in times of war, domestic policies take a back seat. President Bush’s first
inaugural address was surprisingly heavy on leadership in foreign affairs while light on
domestic policies. His only specific domestic goals were reclaiming America’s schools,
reforming Social Security and Medicare, and reducing taxes. For better or worse, reform
of Social Security is the only remaining specific domestic objective that is likely to make
it to Bush’s second inaugural address.
On January 20, 2005, President Bush will join six other Presidents who have
delivered an inaugural address while American military men and women are fighting and
dying. The nation and the world will be watching and listening.
Francis J. Gorman
© 2005 Francis J. Gorman