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Why did Robert McNamara escalate the Vietnam War?
His conviction that the US only needed to apply massive military power to defeat communists in North Vietnam led to the rapid escalation of the war after 1965, notably with the bombing raids of Operation Rolling Thunder.
What stance did McNamara take on Vietnam?
McNamara initially advocated the deepening military involvement of the United States in Vietnam.
How did McNamara feel about the Vietnam War?
Despite his later-in-life regrets, McNamara was initially a proponent of the U.S. intervention in Vietnam, and in 1964, he pronounced himself pleased to have the Vietnam War tagged as "McNamara's War."
What did Robert Kennedy do for the Vietnam War?
Senator Robert Kennedy (D-New York) proposes a three-point plan to help end the war. The plan included suspension of the U.S. bombing of North Vietnam and the gradual withdrawal of U.S. and North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam with replacement by an international force.
What year did McNamara know the US couldn't win in Vietnam?
Robert McNamara became a deep skeptic of the Vietnam War. On this day in 1966, Defense Secretary Robert McNamara sent a top-secret memorandum to President Lyndon B. Johnson expressing his disillusionment with the war effort in Vietnam.
Who was the US commander in Vietnam?
William WestmorelandWilliam Westmoreland, in full William Childs Westmoreland, (born March 26, 1914, Spartanburg county, South Carolina, U.S.—died July 18, 2005, Charleston, South Carolina), U.S. Army officer who commanded U.S. forces in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968.
Who ruled South Vietnam during the Vietnam War?
Ngo Dinh DiemAs president of South Vietnam (1955–63), Ngo Dinh Diem assumed dictatorial powers. Diem's heavy-handed tactics against the Viet Cong insurgency deepened his government's unpopularity, and his brutal treatment of the opposition to his regime alienated the South Vietnamese populace, notably Buddhists.
How do you pronounce McNamara?
0:040:30How to Pronunce Mcnamara in English - Voxifier.com - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMcNamara McNamara McNamara this is the English pronunciation of the name.MoreMcNamara McNamara McNamara this is the English pronunciation of the name.
Who ruthlessly ruled South Vietnam?
Duong Van Minh In 1963, he became leader of South Vietnam after a coup in which Diem was murdered. Duong's rule lasted after only two months, but he briefly led South Vietnam again in 1975 before surrendering the nation to Communist forces.
Was Robert Kennedy against the Vietnam War?
Kennedy delivered a speech in Chicago, declaring that the war in Vietnam could not be won militarily: “Our enemy, savagely striking at will across all of South Vietnam, has finally shattered the mask of official illusion with which we have concealed our true circumstances, even from ourselves.
Did JFK start the Vietnam War?
Despite his caution when dealing with international crises and his refusal to send combat troops to South Vietnam, Kennedy did escalate American involvement there. Around 700 US military personnel were in South Vietnam when he was inaugurated; on his death there were roughly 16,000.
What were Robert Kennedy's last words?
After several minutes, medical attendants arrived and lifted Kennedy onto a stretcher, prompting him to whisper, "Don't lift me", which were his last words; he lost consciousness shortly after.
Who served as the top US negotiator in Vietnam?
U.S. National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger and North Vietnamese Politburo member Le Duc Tho served as the dominant negotiators. 5 These secret negotiations ultimately produced the substantive breakthroughs that led to the Paris Peace Accords. (See Table 1 for a schematic of the public and secret talks.)
Who ruthlessly ruled South Vietnam?
Duong Van Minh In 1963, he became leader of South Vietnam after a coup in which Diem was murdered. Duong's rule lasted after only two months, but he briefly led South Vietnam again in 1975 before surrendering the nation to Communist forces.
What is unique about the media coverage of the Vietnam War?
Reporting from Vietnam was indeed uncensored, but during the entire war period there were only a handful of instances in which the MACV found a journalist guilty of violating military security. In any case, American disillusionment with the war was a product of many causes, of which the media was only one.
Who ruled South Vietnam during the Vietnam War?
Ngo Dinh DiemAs president of South Vietnam (1955–63), Ngo Dinh Diem assumed dictatorial powers. Diem's heavy-handed tactics against the Viet Cong insurgency deepened his government's unpopularity, and his brutal treatment of the opposition to his regime alienated the South Vietnamese populace, notably Buddhists.
What did McNamara do for the military?
In his new post he successfully gained control of Pentagon operations and the military bureaucracy, encouraged the modernization of the armed forces , restructured budget procedures, and cut costs by refusing to spend money on what he believed were unnecessary or obsolete weapons systems. McNamara was also at the centre of a drive to alter U.S. military strategy from the “massive retaliation” of the Eisenhower years to a “flexible response,” emphasizing counterinsurgency techniques and second-strike nuclear-missile capability.
Who was Robert McNamara?
McNamara, in full Robert Strange McNamara, (born June 9, 1916, San Francisco, California, U.S.—died July 6, 2009, Washington, D.C.), U.S. secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 who revamped Pentagon operations and who played a major role in the nation’s military involvement in the Vietnam War. After graduating from the University of ...
What did McNamara advocate for?
McNamara initially advocated the deepening military involvement of the United States in Vietnam. On visits to South Vietnam in 1962, 1964, and 1966, the secretary publicly expressed optimism that the National Liberation Front and its North Vietnamese allies would soon abandon their attempt to overthrow the U.S.-backed Saigon regime. He became the government’s chief spokesman for the day-to-day operations of the war and acted as Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson ’s principal deputy in the war’s prosecution.
What was Robert McNamara's role in the Eisenhower years?
McNamara was also at the centre of a drive to alter U.S. military strategy from the “massive retaliation” of the Eisenhower years to a “flexible response,” emphasizing counterinsurgency techniques and second-strike nuclear-missile capability. Robert S. McNamara, 1963.
Why was McNamara disqualified from combat duty?
Disqualified from combat duty during World War II by poor vision, he developed logistical systems for bomber raids and statistical systems for monitoring troops and supplies. After the war, McNamara was one of the “Whiz Kids” hired to revitalize the Ford Motor Company.
When did McNamara leave the Pentagon?
He initiated a top-secret full-scale investigation of the American commitment to Vietnam (later published as The Pentagon Papers ), came out in opposition to continued bombing of North Vietnam (for which he lost influence in the Johnson administration), and in February 1968 left the Pentagon to become president of the World Bank.
Who was the secretary of defense in the 1960s?
defense secretary, Robert S. McNamara (1961–68), in the resource allocation process. A unified defense planning–programming–budgeting system provided for five-year projections of force, manpower, and dollar requirements for all defense activities, classified into eight or nine major programs (such as strategic forces) that cut across the lines of…
What did McNamara do as the US military?
As defence secretary, McNamara overhauled the US military’s budgeting, spending and planning systems. He also reorientated the military focus back onto conventional forces and implemented tighter controls on nuclear weapons.
Who was Robert McNamara?
Robert McNamara (1916-2009) was the United States secretary of defence between January 1961 and February 1968. US military involvement in Vietnam increased significantly during his tenure at the Department of Defence.
What was McNamara's position on Indochina?
With regard to Indochina, McNamara adopted a hawkish position, recommending US policies and aid to defend South Vietnam from communist aggression and infiltration. In September 1963, McNamara visited South Vietnam on a fact-finding mission. While in Vietnam, he became more aware of the complexities and considerable difficulties, leading to a softening of his position. Numbers of US military advisors increased from 900 to 16,000 under McNamara’s oversight.
When did McNamara resign?
McNamara resigned as defence secretary in November 1967. It is uncertain whether he did so at Johnson’s request or on his own initiative.
When did McNamara recommend the deployment of additional 200,000 men?
In early 1966, McNamara recommended the deployment of an additional 200,000 men to press home the advantage. By the middle of 1967, however, McNamara determination was wavering and he was providing president Lyndon Johnson with uncertain and even contradictory advice.
What did McNamara do to the military?
To revitalize the military, he emphasized the need for traditional troops and military hardware as well as improved weapons systems.
Who Was Robert McNamara?
Robert McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth U.S. secretary of defense, serving under presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. He is best known for helping lead the United States into the Vietnam War during the Kennedy Administration, an act for which he spent the remainder of his life wrestling with the moral consequences.
What was the book that McNamara wrote?
He wrote several books, most notably In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam (1995). In it, McNamara stated that he had sought to get the United States to withdraw from Vietnam beginning in 1966. According to the book, he was at odds with President Johnson over this issue.
What was the Vietnam War?
involvement after the Gulf of Tonkin incident in 1964, during which U.S. ships were allegedly attacked by the communist North Vietnamese. President Lyndon B. Johnson retaliated with air strikes against the northern targets.
What was McNamara's most difficult challenge?
But perhaps his most complicated crisis was the conflict in Vietnam.
Where did Robert McNamara go to school?
An excellent student, McNamara went to study at Harvard Business School where he earned his master's degree in 1939.
Which group opposed the U.S. government in South Vietnam?
Supporting the North Vietnamese was the Viet Cong, a militant communist group that opposed the U.S.-backed government in South Vietnam. Employing guerilla warfare tactics, the group began engaging in more military actions in 1965.
What did McNamara say about the war?
McNamara wrote in a 1995 memoir that his own behavior in shaping the war was “wrong, terribly wrong,” but, to many—including then-editor of the Times Howell Raines—that confession was too little, too late. “His regret cannot be huge enough to balance the books for our dead soldiers, ” Raines wrote in an editorial.
Who said "Do whatever I can to win it"?
Robert McNamara himself, in the middle of his tenure as defense secretary, embraced the moniker, wrote Tim Weiner for the New York Times on the occasion of McNamara’s death in 2009. “I am pleased to be identified with it,” he said, “and do whatever I can to win it.”.
Did the architect of the Vietnam War apologize?
The ‘ architect of the Vietnam war’ never formally apologized, but struggled with its consequences for the rest of his life
Was Robert McNamara frank about his career?
Even if insufficient, Weiner writes that his contrition appeared sincere. McNamara was frank about his career in The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert McNamara, and in his autobiography.
