# Russell Maxwell

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{{short description|United States Army general}}

{{more citations needed|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox military person
| honorific_prefix    = 
| name                = Russell L. Maxwell
| honorific_suffix    = 
| image               = Russell L. Maxwell.jpg
| image_upright       = 
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| native_name         = 
| native_name_lang    = 
| birth_name          = 
| other_name          = 
| nickname            = 
| birth_date          = {{birth date|1890|12|28|df=yes}}
| birth_place         = [Oakdale, Illinois](/source/Oakdale%2C_Illinois), United States
| disappeared_date    = 
| disappeared_place   = 
| death_date          = {{death date and age|1968|11|24|1890|12|28|df=yes}}
| death_place         = [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), United States
| death_cause         = 
| burial_place        = [West Point Cemetery](/source/West_Point_Cemetery), [New York](/source/New_York_(state)), United States
| burial_label        = 
| burial_coordinates  = <!--{{coord|LAT|LONG|display=inline,title}}-->
| allegiance          = {{flag|United States|1946}}
| branch              = {{army|United States}}
| branch_label        = <!--"Branch" or "Service"-->
| service_years       = 1912–1946
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| rank                = 25px [Major General](/source/Major_general_(United_States))
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| unit                = 25px [Ordnance Corps](/source/United_States_Army_Ordnance_Corps)
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| battles             = {{tree list}}
*[World War I](/source/World_War_I)
*[World War II](/source/World_War_II)
{{tree list/end}}
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| alma_mater          = [United States Military Academy](/source/United_States_Military_Academy)<br/>[United States Army Command and General Staff College](/source/United_States_Army_Command_and_General_Staff_College)<br/>[Army Industrial College](/source/Dwight_D._Eisenhower_School_for_National_Security_and_Resource_Strategy)<br/>[United States Army War College](/source/United_States_Army_War_College)
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}}
[[File:Richard Casey arrives at Cairo, 4 May 1942, IWM E 11301 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Maxwell shaking hands with [Richard Casey](/source/Richard_Casey%2C_Baron_Casey) in 1942]]
'''Russell Lamonte Maxwell''' (28 December 1890 – 24 November 1968) was an officer in the [U.S. Army](/source/United_States_Army).

==Military career==
Born in [Oakdale, Illinois](/source/Oakdale%2C_Illinois),<ref name="NYT obit"/> and raised in [Modesto, California](/source/Modesto%2C_California),<ref name=tribute/> Maxwell graduated 10th in a class of 95 from the [United States Military Academy](/source/United_States_Military_Academy) in June 1912 where he was classmates with several men who later reached the rank of [general officer](/source/general_officer), such as [Walter M. Robertson](/source/Walter_M._Robertson), [Walton Walker](/source/Walton_Walker), [Wade H. Haislip](/source/Wade_H._Haislip), [John Shirley Wood](/source/John_Shirley_Wood), [Robert McGowan Littlejohn](/source/Robert_McGowan_Littlejohn), [Gilbert R. Cook](/source/Gilbert_R._Cook), [Raymond O. Barton](/source/Raymond_O._Barton), [Charles C. Drake](/source/Charles_C._Drake), [Millard Harmon](/source/Millard_Harmon), [Harry J. Malony](/source/Harry_J._Malony), [Stephen J. Chamberlin](/source/Stephen_J._Chamberlin), [Franklin C. Sibert](/source/Franklin_C._Sibert), [Albert E. Brown](/source/Albert_E._Brown), [Archibald Vincent Arnold](/source/Archibald_Vincent_Arnold), [Davenport Johnson](/source/Davenport_Johnson) and [Bradford G. Chynoweth](/source/Bradford_G._Chynoweth) and [William H. Wilbur](/source/William_H._Wilbur).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/100289|title = Russell Maxwell - Recipient -}}</ref>

Commissioned as a field artillery officer, Maxwell transferred to the Ordnance Department and became an expert on military explosives. He graduated from the [Command and General Staff School](/source/United_States_Army_Command_and_General_Staff_College) in 1924, the [Army Industrial College](/source/Dwight_D._Eisenhower_School_for_National_Security_and_Resource_Strategy) in 1925 and the [Army War College](/source/United_States_Army_War_College) in 1934.<ref name=tribute>{{cite news |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WFV5U3QUbLwC&pg=RA2-PA112 |title=Russell Lamonte Maxwell |date=Fall 1969 |volume=XXVIII |issue=3 |page=112 |magazine=Assembly |access-date=2022-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/download/officialarmyregi1947unit/officialarmyregi1947unit.pdf |title=Official Army Register |date=1 January 1947 |volume=I |page=1512 |publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office |access-date=2022-08-12}}</ref> By February 1941, Colonel Maxwell was the Administrator of Export Control.

Shortly before United States entry into World War II, Maxwell was promoted to brigadier general and sent to North Africa as head of the US Military North African Mission.  He was the [Lend Lease](/source/Lend_Lease) coordinator in the area. Maxwell became the Commanding General [U.S. Army Forces in the Middle East](/source/U.S._Army_Forces_in_the_Middle_East) (USAFIME) which consisted largely of Army Air Forces units.

On 4 November 1942, Lieutenant General [Frank M. Andrews](/source/Frank_M._Andrews) replaced Maxwell as commander of USAFIME.

A German merchant ship, the [Liebenfels](/source/List_of_Empire_ships_(N)), salvaged at [Massawa](/source/Massawa), [Italian Eritrea](/source/Italian_Eritrea) by Navy Commander [Edward Ellsberg](/source/Edward_Ellsberg) working under Maxwell's direction was named for General Maxwell.<ref name=Ellsberg>{{cite book |title=Under the Red Sea Sun |last=Ellsberg |first=Commander Edward |author-link=Edward Ellsberg |year=1946 |publisher=Dodd, Mead, and Company |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/underredseasun00ells|url-access=registration }}</ref>  The General Maxwell was later renamed Empire Nile by the British.

From 30 September 1943 to 14 March 1946, Maxwell served as the Assistant Chief of Staff, G-4, in the [War Department](/source/United_States_Department_of_War) General Staff.

He served as a major general from 9 March 1942 to 30 September 1946.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://generals.dk/general/Maxwell/Russell_Lamonte/USA.html|title=Biography of Major-General Russell Lamonte Maxwell (1890 – 1968), USA}}</ref>

Maxwell died at his home in [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), and was buried at the [West Point Cemetery](/source/West_Point_Cemetery) on 27 November 1968.<ref name="NYT obit">{{cite news |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/11/25/76972303.pdf |title=Maj. Gen. Russell Maxwell Dies; Pioneer in Economic Warfare |date=25 November 1968 |page=47 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=2022-08-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/143397164 |title=Gen. Russell Maxwell Dies; Marshall, Eisenhower Aide |date=26 November 1968 |page=C4 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2022-08-12|id={{ProQuest|143397164}} }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://ancexplorer.army.mil/publicwmv/index.html#/search-all/results/1/CgdNYXh3ZWxsEgdSdXNzZWxsGgFM/ |title=Maxwell, Russell L |website=Army Cemeteries Explorer |publisher=U.S. Army |access-date=2022-08-12}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Russell L.}}
Category:1890 births
Category:1968 deaths
Category:People from Washington County, Illinois
Category:People from Modesto, California
Category:United States Military Academy alumni
Category:United States Army personnel of World War I
Category:United States Army Command and General Staff College alumni
Category:Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy alumni
Category:United States Army War College alumni
Category:United States Army generals of World War II
Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (US Army)
Category:United States Army generals
Category:Military personnel from Washington, D.C.
Category:Burials at West Point Cemetery

{{US-army-bio-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Russell Maxwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Maxwell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russell_Maxwell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.