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Joseph W(arren) Stilwell (March 19, 1883 - 1946) was an American Army general known for his service in China.
Vinegar Joe, as he was called, famously lacked tact and a capacity for conventional diplomacy. In spite of this, he convinced Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek to cede command of his armies to the American military. He intensely hated the Generalissimo, a feeling which was reciprocated, and only managed to keep working together through the tireless diplomacy of Chiang's wife, Soong May-ling. Like many other Americans involved in Chinese affairs, Stilwell's posthumous reputation suffered with the rise to power of the Communist Party of China and retreat of the Kuomintang government to Taiwan in the Chinese Civil War.
He was the subject of a noted biography by Barbara W. Tuchman.
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