--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: President Eisenhower was a fine general…" description: "\"President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent man, but if he had fought World War II the way he fought for civil rights, we would all be s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg" --- # President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent… ![“President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent man, but if he had fought World War II the way he fought for civil rights, we would all be speaking German now.” quote by Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg) > “President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent man, but if he had fought World War II the way he fought for civil rights, we would all be speaking German now.” [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If Eisenhower had fought civil rights as he did wars, history would be drastically different. **In simple terms:** Different leadership could alter history. Key Takeaway Consider impact of leadership style. Themes leadership history civil rights Mood thoughtful serious inquisitive Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - social movements - military strategy - education curricula Key Concepts political science counterfactual analysis Questions to Reflect On - What values should leaders prioritize? - How does military experience shape civil rights advocacy? A Different Perspective Historical speculation is uncertain. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Civil Right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-right/) [Civil rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [President eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president-eisenhower/) [Rights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rights/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War of the worlds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-of-the-worlds/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war/) [World war ii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-war-ii/) ## Related quotes > [“In late September 1955, on vacation in Denver, President Eisenhower suffered a heart attack in the early hours of the morning. Speculation quickly arose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-matthews/in-late-september-1955-on-vacation-in-denver-president-eisenhower/) [Chris Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-matthews/) > [The first person who contacted us was the assistant to President Eisenhower... in the White House.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-hill/the-first-person-who-contacted-us-was-the-assistant-to-president/) [Betty Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-hill/) > [Even in the 1950s, President Eisenhower was concerned about what he called a campaign of hatred of the U.S. in the Arab world, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/even-in-the-1950s-president-eisenhower-was-concerned-about-what-he/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [President Eisenhower has given up golf for painting. 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This is something we're very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-r-chenevert/we-ve-flown-the-president-since-eisenhower-and-we-re-going-to/) [Louis R. Chenevert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-r-chenevert/) > [“President Eisenhower was fed up with the interservice rivalries. 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The country was very conservative. Although the liberals were allegedly in charge for a long time, there was a very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-feiffer/cartoons-were-very-conservative-the-country-was-very-conservative/) [Jules Feiffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-feiffer/) > [“It was nineteen fifty seven, the Little Rock nine were escorted to school by Federal troops under the order of President Eisenhower to counteract…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-niles/it-was-nineteen-fifty-seven-the-little-rock-nine-were-escorted-to/) [Sara Niles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-niles/) > [I think it is important that we go and bring both of the parties together. The more we go to the left, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/i-think-it-is-important-that-we-go-and-bring-both-of-the-parties/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [President Eisenhower saw it coming, and it is here. Patriotism no longer exists among many of these corporations. Some companies have more economic clout…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/byron-dorgan/president-eisenhower-saw-it-coming-and-it-is-here-patriotism-no/) [Byron Dorgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/byron-dorgan/) > [In 1953, after the armistice ending the Korean War, South Korea lay in ruins. President Eisenhower was eager to put an end to hostilities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-feldman/in-1953-after-the-armistice-ending-the-korean-war-south-korea-lay-in/) [Noah Feldman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-feldman/) ## More by Roy Wilkins > [Nothing is more important than a good education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/nothing-is-more-important-than-a-good-education/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [Muffle your rage. Get smart instead of muscular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/muffle-your-rage-get-smart-instead-of-muscular/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [. . . first in myth, later in reality, passion and violence watered my root soil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/first-in-myth-later-in-reality-passion-and-violence-watered-my-root/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [Nothing should be overlooked in fighting for better education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/nothing-should-be-overlooked-in-fighting-for-better-education/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [It would appear that the state of Mississippi has decided to maintain white supremacy by murdering children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/it-would-appear-that-the-state-of-mississippi-has-decided-to-maintain/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [Slowly we have lifeted ourselves by our own bootstraps. Step by halting step, we have beat our way back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/slowly-we-have-lifeted-ourselves-by-our-own-bootstraps-step-by/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) > [The talk of winning our share is not the easy one of disengagement and flight, but the hard one of work, of short as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/the-talk-of-winning-our-share-is-not-the-easy-one-of-disengagement/) [Roy Wilkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) [Explore all 8 Roy Wilkins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/) ## More Civil rights quotes > [Every one knows that the exercise of military power is forever dangerous to civil rights; and we have had recent instances of violences that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-adams/every-one-knows-that-the-exercise-of-military-power-is-forever/) [Samuel Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-adams/) > [I am for freedom of religion, and against all maneuvers to bring about a legal ascendency of one sect over another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/i-am-for-freedom-of-religion-and-against-all-maneuvers-to-bring-about/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [I speak not for myself, but so those without a voice can be heard. Those who have fought for their rights. Their right to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malala-yousafzai/i-speak-not-for-myself-but-so-those-without-a-voice-can-be-heard/) [Malala Yousafzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malala-yousafzai/) > [The Patriot Act is certainly a concern; all of those things are dangerous. I think more important than me preaching is that we as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-clooney/the-patriot-act-is-certainly-a-concern-all-of-those-things-are/) [George Clooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-clooney/) > [American civil rights leader, Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Lynching is a murder. For the past four hundred years our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/american-civil-rights-leader-where-do-we-go-from-here-chaos-or/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Why do we apologize for advocating for ourselves? Why do we apologize for taking up space that we are entitled to? Why do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-tambascio/why-do-we-apologize-for-advocating-for-ourselves-why-do-we-apologize/) Elizabeth Tambascio > [We are a nation of innovators and problem-solvers who sparked revolutions in democratic government, civil rights, communications, flight, rural electrification and technology. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-a-mcchrystal/we-are-a-nation-of-innovators-and-problem-solvers-who-sparked/) [Stanley A. McChrystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-a-mcchrystal/) > [“Mental illness is not something you misunderstand in this era. Get educated because bias is no different than racism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/mental-illness-is-not-something-you-misunderstand-in-this-era-get/) [Shannon L. Alder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shannon-l-alder/) > [Civil rights leaders are involved in helping poor people. That's what I've been doing all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-young/civil-rights-leaders-are-involved-in-helping-poor-people-that-s-what/) [Andrew Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-young/) > [I grew up in the early '60s, and there was a lot of civil rights, a lot of unrest in our country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herm-edwards/i-grew-up-in-the-early-60s-and-there-was-a-lot-of-civil-rights-a-lot/) [Herm Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herm-edwards/) > [The great paradox of the civil rights revolution is that instead of enforcing and expanding equality before the law, the revolution created differential rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-craig-roberts/the-great-paradox-of-the-civil-rights-revolution-is-that-instead-of/) [Paul Craig Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-craig-roberts/) > [The world - and America - has been defined by people who haven't necessarily abided by the laws and the rules. Civil disobedience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-world-and-america-has-been-defined-by-people-who-haven-t/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [I do not believe that defending traditional marriage between one man and one woman excludes anybody or usurps anybody's civil rights and denies anybody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-autry/i-do-not-believe-that-defending-traditional-marriage-between-one-man/) [Alan Autry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-autry/) > [Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/truth-is-on-the-side-of-the-oppressed-today-it-s-against-the-oppressor/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The notion of women being written out of history is as old as the Bible, but it always seems more galling when it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-thornberry/the-notion-of-women-being-written-out-of-history-is-as-old-as-the/) [Emily Thornberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-thornberry/) [Browse all 1,552 Civil rights quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/civil-rights/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent man, but if he had fought World War II the way he fought for civil rights, we would all be speaking German now.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Roy Wilkins" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general-and-a-good-decent-man-but-if/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Civil rights" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general-and-a-good-decent-man-but-if/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc8/roy-wilkins-48243_civil-rights_president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general_2814880.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“President Eisenhower was a fine general and a good, decent man, but if he had fought World War II the way he…” — Roy Wilkins", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Roy Wilkins", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-wilkins/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "President Eisenhower was a fine general...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general-and-a-good-decent-man-but-if/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-wilkins/president-eisenhower-was-a-fine-general-and-a-good-decent-man-but-if/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```