President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense to revert to its old title of Department of War and for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s title to be changed to secretary of war. The order states that the name change is aimed at emphasizing the armed services’ dynamic offensive capabilities with the goal of “projecting power and resolve,” as well as their role in defending the United States and its interests.

“The name ‘Department of War’ conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve compared to ‘Department of Defense,’ which emphasizes only defensive capabilities,” the text of the order states. The change is necessary to “sharpen the focus of this Department on our national interest and signal to adversaries America’s readiness to wage war to secure its interests.”

However, the Pentagon will only be able to use the new title as a “secondary” name for the time being because creating new Cabinet-level departments is a power reserved for Congress, although the administration can make the switch for official communications. The order directs Hegseth to initiate legislative and executive actions to formalize the renaming in law.  

It is important to understand that the old Department of War was very different from the new one. In 1789, Congress established the Department of War during the presidency of George Washington. The War Department originally supervised the Army and the Navy until Congress established a separate Navy Department in 1798.

During the 19th century, the U.S. Army fought four wars: the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War (although this conflict was the “War of the Rebellion”; for a variety of reasons, it was conducted as though the Confederacy was a foreign foe), and the Spanish-American War. But despite the name, the War Department carried out many tasks besides warfighting over the years. From 1824 to 1849, the War Department was responsible for Indian affairs. During the 19th century, the Army administered territories gained during the Mexican-American War, managed the states of the Southern Confederacy during Reconstruction, and did the same in Cuba and the Philippines after the Spanish-American War. It supported white settlement in the West and mediated between settlers and Indians. It was involved in domestic labor disputes.

The Department of War was not involved in developing strategy. Warfighting remained the domain of generals in the field. Americans rejected the creation of a general staff along Prussian lines, deeming it too militaristic. Although the U.S. prevailed in the war against Spain, many recognized the necessity of reforms in response to serious operational and logistics failures.

Influenced by the brilliant Army officer and innovative Civil War leader Emory Upton, Secretary of War Elihu Root began the long-overdue process of reforming the Army. He created an Army staff with a chief of staff responsible for war plans. During these years,........

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