Commentary
America once had a Department of War. From 1789 to 1949, under this name, America won its independence, preserved the Union, and emerged victorious from two world wars that defined the modern international order. Its existence made clear that the nation did not shy away from the hard truth that peace often depends on the credible ability and readiness to wage—and win—war. Reconsidering that legacy, along with the posture and policies it represents, could reinvigorate the U.S. approach to deterrence at a time when great power competition is intensifying.