Eisenhower Warns: Military-Industrial Complex Rises
A five-star general warned America about itself. Eisenhower—the man who'd commanded D-Day—wasn't talking about foreign enemies, but a homegrown threat brewing right inside the nation's institutions. His farewell address dropped a bombshell: the military-industrial complex was quietly consolidating power, transforming war from a national necessity into a profitable machine. And he should know—he'd just spent eight years watching defense contractors and military leaders become uncomfortably cozy. "We must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence," he said, essentially telling a nation celebrating post-war prosperity that its own systems might become its greatest risk.
January 17, 1961
65 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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