"The present study is an analysis of the Secretary of War during the tenure of Henry L. Stimson, undertaken by the writer during his assignment to the Office of the Chief of Military History, for the purpose of contributing to filling the void which this lack of volume on the Secretary of War has left. ..The present study is a study in political science rather than in history, and as such it is expected to be only contributory to the eventual definitive history of Stimson's Secretaryship of War -- which is still waiting to be written. This study moreover is largely exploratory in nature, having as one of its principal objectives simply to find out exactly what Secretary Stimson did during his five years in office -- a matter of much importance to which almost no scholarly attention has been paid. This is a study of the official acts of the Secretary of War as reflected in his correspondence, his official papers and in his confidential diary. It is set, insofar as possible, in the historical context described in published and some unpublished secondary works." -- Preface.

Dissertation submitted to the Department of Politics, Princeton University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, July 1960. Microfilm paper print.

Abstract -- Preface -- Part One. Introduction -- The Office of Secretary of War in the United States -- The Historical Background 1789-1940 -- Stimson and the War Department 1940-1945 -- Stimson's Position in the Executive Branch 1940-1945 -- Part Two. The Defense Period: June 1940-December 1941 -- Reacting to Aggression: Defending the United States -- Mobilizing for Defense -- Building an Army and an Air Force -- Part Three. The War Period: December 1941-Spring 1945 -- Switching to the Offensive -- Mobilizing for the Offensive: January 1942-Summer 1943 -- Mobilization Continued: The End of Unlimited Manpower Autumn 1942-Spring 1945 -- Part Four. The Approach of Peace - Summer 1944-September 1945 -- Ending the War and Winning the Peace -- Part Five. Conclusions -- The Roll of the Civilian Secretary in Times of War and Tension -- Bibliography.