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Historians have long contended that Emory Upton (1839-81) was a "militaristic zealot" whose anti-democratic ideas caused generations of U.S. Army officers to sink into "Uptonian pessimism," a belief that democracies were unable to manifest a coherent military policy. This essay argues otherwise. First, it contends that Upton was not a militarist and that he intended his reforms to protect democracy, not undermine it. Second, it argues that the U.S. Army officer corps in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was not mired in pessimism, Uptonian or otherwise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on the attacks of critic Emory Upton on the role of citizen soldier in the United States military. Information on the academic historians who criticized Upton's evaluation of citizen soldiers; Value of Upton's emphasis on discipline and training; His involvement in military reform efforts; Discussion on the books he has written.