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How did the Cold War shape the U.S. Army War College's mission?
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war college
Stephen Luce, c. 1888.
The U.S. Army War College (AWC) underwent a significant evolution during the Cold War, which directly reshaped its educational mission. After reopening in 1950 at Fort Leavenworth and subsequently relocating to Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, the institution expanded its academic scope to address the complexities of the era.
To better prepare senior army officers for the challenges of the time, including the conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, the AWC broadened its curriculum to encompass:
- Global strategy
- National military strategy
- International security
This shift allowed the college to more effectively train its graduates for high-level command and staff positions within a geopolitical landscape defined by the East-West conflict.1