A Few More Good Men

Gen. Stanley McChrystal will soon hear word on 40,000 reinforcements for Afghanistan. But how have his predecessors fared? When they've asked for more troops, have they gotten them? And has fulfilling their requests made a difference? A look back:

Revolutionary War Washington called on the Continental Congress to beef up his army. But it had to rely on the states, which raised far fewer than the 88 battalions promised.

War of 1812 Generals were hesitant to attack the British in Canada without an influx of troops. More were OK'd, but logistics prevented ambitious operations, leading to a draw.

Mexican-American War Gen. Zachary Taylor had 7,000 men at the start of the war; President Polk got him 50,000 volunteers. Taylor's victory propelled him to the presidency.

Civil War General McClellan always thought he was outnumbered (he wasn't). After constant troop requests and a hesitation to attack, Lincoln fired him.

Spanish-American War General Miles wanted to use his core of 80,000 troops to retain mobility. Public outcry for the (successful) war effort forced him to take more volunteers.

WWI It wasn't how many men should go to Europe, it was how fast they could get there. The U.S. sent 4.5 million troops to war, at a rate of more than 300,000 per month in 1918.

WWII Europe-first approach left MacArthur, a top Pacific general, unhappy. He wanted more men—just 1.2 million of 5.4 million were in the Pacific in '45—but equipment was his big concern.

Korean War MacArthur wanted to escalate and invade China. President Truman refused, aiming to keep the Soviets out of the war. MacArthur was fired; the war ended in a stalemate.

Vietnam President Johnson let General Westmoreland raise troop levels from 184,000 to more than 500,000. He asked for 200,000 more after Tet, but Johnson cut him off.

Iraq War In 2007, as Iraq fell into near civil war, General Petraeus asked for 20,000 more troops. The "surge" that followed has been credited with helping to reduce violence.

© 2009