Line drawing of the Department of War's seal.

The emblem of the Department of the Army for comparison.

The United States Department of War, sometimes also called the War Office, was the department of the United States government's executive branch responsible for the operation and maintenance of land (and later air) forces from 1789 until September 18, 1947, when it became part of the National Military Establishment, renamed on August 10, 1949 the Department of Defense. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the War is an international relations Dispute, characterized by organized Violence between National Military units The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The federal government of the United States is the central United States Governmental body established by the United States Constitution. The United States Armed Forces are the overall unified military forces of the United States Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government Events 612 BC - Killing of Sinsharishkun, King of Assyrian Empire Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States Department of Defense ( DOD or DoD) is the federal department charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government The department had responsibility for the young nation's naval affairs until the establishment of the Navy Department in 1798. The United States Department of the Navy was established by an Act of Congress on April 30 1798 to provide administrative and technical support and civilian leadership

The War Department was headed by the Secretary of War, who was also a member of the President's Cabinet. The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington 's administration The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by The United States Cabinet (usually simplified as "the Cabinet" is composed of the most senior appointed officers of the Executive branch of the Federal government

Upon becoming a part of the National Military Establishment, the War Department was renamed the Department of the Army and became one of the three military departments of the Federal government. The Department of the Army is one of the three Service departments in the United States Department of Defense. At the same time, the Army Air Forces were separated from the Army and became the U.S. Air Force under the newly-formed Department of the Air Force. The United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF) was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II.

Prior to World War II, many countries had a Ministry of War which was responsible for national defense. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including However, in the aftermath of the carnage of WW II, governments came to the conclusion that the use of the word “war” added, if not assumed, a bellicose attitude towards military preparedness. Thus, the late 1940s and 1950s witnessed the renaming from “War” to “Defense” in most countries around the globe. One vestige of the former nomenclature is War College, where military officers of the United States are still trained in battlefield strategy.

The seal of the department

Main article: Department of the Army Seal and Emblem

The date "MDCCLXXVIII" and the designation "War Office" are indicative of the origin of the seal. The Department of the Army Seal and the Department of the Army Emblem are respectively the official seal and Emblem of the Headquarters U The date (1778) refers to the year of its adoption. The term "War Office" used during the Revolution, and for many years afterward, was associated with the Headquarters of the Army. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots"

Description: In the center is a Roman cuirass below a vertical unsheathed sword, point up, the pommel resting on the neck opening of the cuirass and a Phrygian cap supported on the sword point, all between on the right an esponton and on the left a musket with fixed bayonet crossed in saltire behind the cuirass and passing under the sword guard. Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather from corium, the original breastplate being of Leather) the The Phrygian cap is a soft red conical cap with the top pulled forward worn in antiquity by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia A musket is a muzzle -loaded Smoothbore Long gun, which is intended to be fired from the shoulder A bayonet (from French baïonnette) is a Knife - Dagger - or spike-shaped Weapon designed to fit on or over the muzzle St Andrew's Cross redirects here For the item of BDSM furniture see Saint Andrew's Cross (BDSM A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross To the right of the cuirass and spontoon is a flag of unidentified designs with cords and tassels, on a flagstaff with spearhead, above a cannon barrel, the muzzle end slanting upward behind the cuirass, in front of the drum, with two drumsticks and the fly end of the flag draped over the drumhead; below, but partly in front of the cannon barrel, is a pile of three cannon balls. A Spontoon is type of European Lance that came into being after the pike, becoming widely used by the middle of the 17th century | NOTE Throughout this article "cannon" is used as BOTH the || singular and plural The drum is a member of the percussion group technically classified as a Membranophone. To the left of the cuirass and musket is a national color of the Revolutionary War period, with cords and tassels, on a flagstaff with spearhead, similarly arranged above a mortar on a carriage, the mortar facing inward and in front of the lower portion of the color and obscuring the lower part of it; below the mortar are two bomb shells placed side by side. Cuirass ( French cuirasse, Latin coriaceus, made of leather from corium, the original breastplate being of Leather) the In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" A mortar is a muzzle-loading Indirect fire weapon that fires shells at low velocities short ranges and high-arcing ballistic trajectories Centered above the Phrygian cap is a rattlesnake holding in its mouth a scroll inscribed "This We’ll Defend. " Centered below the cuirass are the Roman numerals "MDCCLXXVIII. Roman numerals are a Numeral system originating in ancient Rome, adapted from Etruscan numerals. "

Symbolism: The central element, the Roman cuirass, is a symbol of strength and defense. The sword, esponton (a type of half-pike formerly used by subordinate officers), musket, bayonet, cannon, cannon balls, mortar, and mortar bombs are representative of Army implements. The drum and drumsticks are symbols of public notification of the Army’s purpose and intent to serve the Nation and its people. The Phrygian cap (often called the Cap of Liberty) supported on the point of an unsheathed sword and the motto "This We’ll Defend" on a scroll held by the rattlesnake is a symbol depicted on some American colonial flags and signifies the Army’s constant readiness to defend and preserve the United States. Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous Snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus.

Current Usage: This "War Office" seal continues to be used to this day when legal certification is necessary to authenticate as "official" documents and records of the Department of the Army. The Department of the Army is one of the three Service departments in the United States Department of Defense. The Army's "emblem" as depicted above, which is based on this seal, is preferred for public display.

See also

• United States Secretary of War
• United States Assistant Secretary of War
• Commanding General of the United States Army
• Chief of Staff of the United States Army

External links

• Works by United States Department of War at Project Gutenberg
• Reconstruction of War Department Records from 1784-1800