When will there be another Peacetime President?

[Bo]

Of all the presidents of the last 100 years, only Taft, the 1920's Republicans, and Carter saw no war durring their presidencies. Depending on how you count Vietnam, JFK and Ford could be added.

Will this ever happen again?

Which wars were Teddy Roosevelt, Reagan, and Clinton involved in? As to answer your question, either the next President after Obama or the President after that.

[Bo]

There won't be one in the near future. The United States intervenes in conflicts (Whether they are "peacekeeping" or taking action against a rogue state) quite often, and will continue to do so.

Of all the presidents of the last 100 years, only Taft, the 1920's Republicans, and Carter saw no war durring their presidencies. Depending on how you count Vietnam, JFK and Ford could be added.

Will this ever happen again?

Which wars were Teddy Roosevelt, Reagan, and Clinton involved in? As to answer your question, either the next President after Obama or the President after that.

Reagan had Grenada and Clinton had Gulf War 1. TR was more than 100 years ago.

Aren't you thinking of Bush Sr. in the middle of your post? He was president during the First Persian Gulf War.

Grenada wasn't a formal war. It was more of a military operation. Same with Panama (which could be what he is talking about with Bush Sr.). Clinton did not have any wars that occured his watch. (As NiK previously mentioned, the Gulf War of 1990-1991 occured under Bush Sr.

[Bo]

Well, some sources have Gulf War 1 ending in 1995, so I guess it's like Vietnam when it depends on where you place it.

Those sources are stupid. The U.S. removed most of its troops from the Persian Gulf in 1991.

[Bo]

1995 is the offical end date for Operation Desert Storm, so they probably counted that as part of it.

De facto, Operation Desert Storm ended in 1991. And all the sources I use show the Persian Gulf War lasting from 1990 to 1991.

[Bo]

Well, I guess you're right.

So Clinton is a peacetime president, but will it happen again?

I'd say Yes. Once the U.S. gets out of Afghanistan and Iraq, it will be cautious to avoid other conflicts. And I'm not sure I would count Grenada as a war--it was more of a small-scale military operation (similar to Clinton's bombings of Serbia).

[Bo]

If we're not counting stuff like the Kosovo conflict as a "war" from the US side, then it'll probably happen as soon as the US withdraws from Afghanistan.

Assuming the U.S. has withdrawn from Iraq before withdrawing from Afghanistan. When do you think the U.S. will withdraw from both those countries?

[Bo]

I don't think for a while. This country hasn't been at peace since the 1920's.

1930-1941, 1975-1990, 1991-2001.

You forgot 1946-1950 and 1953-1959/1961.

[Bo]

Like I said earlier, it kind of depends on how you count Vietnam. Reagan and Clinton were relativly peacetime too, as Grenada wasn't a true war and Desert Storm was De Facto over by the time Clinton showed up.

Clinton had Bosnia, Kosovo and Somalia, and attacks on Iraq continued throughout his presidency in enforcing the 'no-fly zone'.

Reagan had Grenada, Lebanon, Libya, and engaged in plenty of subversive activities around the world as part of the Cold War.

Those were more military operations than formal wars from the U.S. side.