Interbellum Generation

Interbellum Generation is a term (derived from the Latin inter "between" and bellum "war") that is sometimes used to denote people born in the United States during the first decade of the 20th century, often expressed specifically as the years 1901 to 1913. The name comes from the fact that those born during this time were too young to have served in the military during World War I, and were generally too old to serve as enlisted personnel in World War II, although many of them could indeed be found in the armed forces in some capacity during the latter conflict or were working behind the scenes.^[1]

Members of this generation came of age either during the Roaring Twenties or the initial phase of the Great Depression, prior to the election of Franklin D. Roosevelt and the promulgation of the New Deal. This fact contributed to the core of this generation holding lifelong left-liberal views in politics, especially on economic issues, although a few prominent dissenters (such as Barry Goldwater) do stand out. Most of their children belong to the Silent Generation.

The four Presidents of the United States of the Interbellum Generation were Lyndon B. Johnson (born in 1908), Ronald Reagan (born in 1911) and Richard M. Nixon and Gerald Ford (both born in 1913). (However, all four served in World War II with members of the Greatest Generation.)

Two Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom were also members of the Interbellum Generation, Alec Douglas-Home (born in 1903) and James Callaghan (born in 1912). Like their US Counterparts, they along with Greatest Generation members also served in World War II.

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