Military Proconsuls: The Army and Its Role in Military Governance

In an era of U.S. military dominance, rogue, failed, and failing states present a challenge to American national power that can not be met by force alone. As America is discovering in Afghanistan and Iraq, the burden of victory lies in building an enduring peace, a task suited more to the statesman than the warrior. While somewhat at odds with our national values of military subservience to governmental rule, historically, it has been the American soldier's responsibility to gain the fruits of victory by continuing the military operation beyond the battle, following battlefield victory with military government to achieve the stability and conditions necessary to build a successful society in a conquered country. This paper examines America's previous applications of military government from the war with Mexico in 1846 through Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as recent governmental initiatives, to conclude that the military and the nation would do well to relearn the role of military government and the military proconsul.