In the course of more than 200 years, it has trained many American military talents, including 37 military strategists, and also trained and brought up many politicians, entrepreneurs, educators and scientists for the United States. In 20 14, USNews ranked 5 th in mechanical major in American universities.
National Defense University, founded in 1976, is a comprehensive military academy directly under the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States. The headmaster is usually a civilian appointed by the lieutenant general or the Ministry of National Defense.
The development of history
As early as 1776, the continental congress authorized a Committee to plan to establish a military academy. Washington, Knox and john adams are eager to eliminate the dependence of the United States on foreign engineers and artillery in wartime, and strongly advocate the establishment of an institution dedicated to the art and science of war. But out of fear of European professional officers and totalitarianism, this plan has never been realized. Only in 1794, a team of trainees was established among the engineers and artillery of the West Point Fortress. Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States, changed his original opposition after seeing that the establishment of a military academy could be used as a means to promote domestic engineering and scientific learning. On September 2 180 1 day, President Jefferson ordered formal guidance for those students, and Congress approved this order on March 1802. It also authorized the establishment of an engineering corps and a military academy controlled by Congress at West Point Military Academy. Subsequently, the president signed a bill to establish an "American military academy" after ensuring that those who attend the military academy will represent a democratic society. This day marks the birth of West Point Military Academy. The first president was Jonathan Wilhelms, the grandson of Benjamin Franklin, a famous American politician and scientist. There were only 10 students and 7 officers.
18 12 and18/6 West Point were reorganized and expanded before and after the 18 12 war, and the facilities were strengthened, the courses were expanded, the enrollment was fixed, and the board of supervisors was established.1.
18 17 in July, Colonel silvanus Thayer, the "father of West Point" (then the rank was Bvt. Maj: honorary promotion major), only nine years after graduating from West Point Military Academy, he became the principal of this struggling school. With the support of calhoun, the Secretary of War, he established strict discipline, emphasized honor and integrity, set up a student headquarters, and organized students from West Point to enter. The introduction of new teaching methods has made West Point a first-class engineering school in America. When he 1833 left school, West Point could already compete with its European counterparts. Thayer made civil engineering the main course of the school. In the first 50 years of the19th century, graduates from West Point Military Academy built most of the original railway lines, bridges, ports and highways in the United States.
After the Civil War, the United States began to establish other engineering colleges, and the courses of West Point Military Academy began to expand to areas other than civil engineering. In the First World War, General john D Pershing, commander-in-chief of the American Expeditionary Force (the first five-star general in the United States) and 34 commanders of 38 armies and divisions who participated in the war were all graduates of West Point Military Academy. After World War I, President douglas macarthur further increased academic courses. According to the requirements of modern war for physical fitness, he promoted physical fitness and sports. "Every cadet is an athlete" has become an important goal. At the same time, the traditional honor system of military students has become the official regulation of the school.
1964, President lyndon johnson signed a law to increase the number of students in West Point Military Academy from 2,529 to 44 17 (now it has dropped to 4,000). And in 1976, West Point Military Academy recruited female students for the first time. 18 10 and 18 16 years, there were no graduates in West Point Military Academy. 186 1 year, 19 15 years, 19 17 years, 19 18 years,18 years
1In the autumn of 946, among the 30 most outstanding American generals commended by British Prime Minister Churchill, 2 1 were graduates of West Point Military Academy.
After World War I, douglas macarthur, a graduate of 1903, became the president of West Point Military Academy. He put forward the principle of "focusing on the changing world, focusing on the complex future and focusing on the continuous modernization of military technology and equipment", which greatly broadened the vision of American military education, turned the practice of American military education from domestic problems to global problems, and brought the traditional West Point Military Academy into the modern 20th century. According to the statistics of 1993, more than 40% of the generals in the US Army are graduates of West Point Military Academy.
In the 1990s, when the beacon smoke rose again in the Middle East desert, General schwarzkopf, commander-in-chief of the US military in the Gulf, re-established the reputation of West Point Military Academy.
Foreign pastry wangshi
West Point Military Academy, where West Point Military Academy is located, was once an important military fortress in the American Revolutionary War. According to Dr. Stivin Grove, who studies the history of West Point Military Academy, West Point has always been a battleground for military strategists. This is mainly because the Hudson River is "S" shaped when it passes through West Point, and the bend is very steep, so the large ships passing by must slow down, and the invading enemy ships are also vulnerable to attack because of slowing down. More importantly, the highland on the west bank of the river has a commanding control function. If a military fortress is built here, it is equivalent to "one person defends it, and ten thousand people cannot do it."
General George Washington, commander of the Continental Army at that time, believed that West Point was the most strategic position in the United States and was "a key to open the United States". In view of this, 1778, Washington invited Colonel Thaddeus Kosciuszko, a Polish hero who had participated in the Battle of Saratoga, to help design the military fortress of West Point Military Academy. After some investigation, Koshuzko established the 14 stronghold here to control rivers and defend against amphibious attacks. Each stronghold echoes and supports each other, forming a reasonable and effective defense system. If the British attack by boat, it is tantamount to a trap.
Even today, its design idea is still considered to have modern consciousness. In memory of this Polish, the West Point Military Academy also made a statue for him at 1828.
Since then, Poles have looked down at the winding Hudson River. Washington himself moved his headquarters to West Point on 1779. In fact, West Point Fortress has been a military facility used by the United States and an important part of West Point Military Academy since it was stationed in 17781October 20th.