Skip to Main Content Skip to Header Menu Skip to Main Menu Skip to Category Menu Skip to Footer

GENERAL MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY - TYPESCRIPT SIGNED - HFSID 169064

Signed statement, in retirement, regarding necessary means of deterring the Soviet Union militarily. It can be read as a thinly veiled criticism of the Eisenhower administration's policies. Typescript signed: ""M. B. Ridgway", 1 page, 8½x11. Statement as a retired U.S.…"

Sale Price $425.00

Reg. $500.00

Condition: See item description Add to watchlist:
Chat now or call 800-425-5379

MATTHEW RIDGWAY
Signed statement, in retirement, regarding necessary means of deterring the Soviet Union militarily. It can be read as a thinly veiled criticism of the Eisenhower administration's policies.
Typescript signed: ""M. B. Ridgway", 1 page, 8½x11. Statement as a retired U.S. Army General. In full: "It is the world's longest battle line. No one nation can defend it. Planes alone cannot defend it. Atomic weapons alone cannot defend it, nor can it be defended by men alone. All must be employed, and in strength sufficient to meet the threat. If, in the present state of the world, we should forget this, if we should let our guard down, the Iron Curtain would clang down upon all Europe and that great rampart of the free world would be lost. One example of letting our guard down, to my mind, was the withdrawal of our troops from Austria, a move that hurt the Russians not at all, but greatly weakened us." Matthew Bunker Ridgway (1895-1993) planned and executed the Army's first major airborne assault in Sicily during WWII. In April 1951, he succeeded General of the Army Douglas MacArthur as Commander of United Nations forces in Korea and of allied occupying forces in Japan. In June 1952, Ridgway replaced General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower as Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe. He served as Army Chief of Staff from 1953-1955. Although this statement is undated, it probably dates from shortly after General Ridgway's retirement on June 30, 1955. The reference to Austria was no doubt inspired by the Austrian State Treaty of May 15, 1955, which ended US, Soviet, French and British zones of occupation in that country and re-established its full independence on the condition of neutrality, assuring the Soviet Union that Austria would not join NATO. Ridgway's words may also be read as criticism of President Eisenhower, who had declined to reappoint Ridgway to another term as US Army Chief of Staff in 1955. Ridgway had disagreed with Eisenhower's view that US conventional force strength could be reduced, replaced by greater reliance on air power and nuclear weaponry as deterrents to Soviet aggression. Fold creases through signature. Fine condition.

This website image may contain our company watermark. The actual item does not contain this watermark
See more listings from these signers
Make an offer today and get a quick response
Check your account for the status.

Following offer submission users will be contacted at their account email address within 48 hours. Our response will be to accept your offer, decline your offer or send you a final counteroffer. All offers can be viewed from within the "Offer Review" area of your HistoryForSale account. Please review the Make Offer Terms prior to making an offer.

If you have not received an offer acceptance or counter-offer email within 24-hours please check your spam/junk email folder.

 

Fast World-Wide Shipping

Fast FedEx and USPS shipping

Authenticity Guarantee

COA with every purchase

All Questions Answered

Contact us day or night

Submit an Offer Today

Get a quick response