A political general is a term used by historians and most often applies to the American Civil War. In this context, it means a General officer who does not have formal military training or experience and who gained his position through political influence. To a lesser degree, it can also mean generals who engaged in politics during or after their time as a general. A "political general" can seem to be a contradiction in terms in a country such as the United States where by law the military is under civilian authority. An example was Dwight D. Eisenhower, who graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in the class of 1915. He was an experienced staff officer who commanded the invasions of North Africa and Western Europe. Eisenhower developed the political skills to deal with his British and American officers as well as political leaders. He later became President of the United States. 