Contents
Did McNamara regret Vietnam War?
“… I’m very proud of my accomplishments, and I’m very sorry that in the process of accomplishing things, I’ve made errors.” McNamara expressed regret, but never made a formal apology for his central role in stoking the conflict in Vietnam.
What did McNamara say about the Vietnam War?
Robert S. McNamara could give duplicity a bad name. In his new memoir, In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam, he says that the Vietnam War was a mistake and that he knew it all along. We should have gotten out in 1963, when fewer than 100 Americans had been killed.
What did William Westmoreland do in the Vietnam War?
William Westmoreland commanded U.S. forces in the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1968. He treated the conflict as a war of attrition, which diminished domestic support. In December 1956 he was promoted to major general; at 42 years old, he was then the youngest person holding that rank in the U.S. Army.
What did the Pentagon Papers reveal about the Vietnam War?
The Pentagon Papers revealed that the U.S. had secretly enlarged the scope of its actions in the Vietnam War with coastal raids on North Vietnam and Marine Corps attacks—none of which were reported in the mainstream media.
Is McNamara still alive?
Deceased (1916–2009)
Robert McNamara/Living or Deceased
What is McNamara known for?
Robert S. McNamara was an American business executive and the eighth U.S. Secretary of Defense. He is best known for helping lead the United States into the Vietnam War.
Why did McNamara support the Vietnam war?
He argued that the U.S. was vastly superior to the Vietnamese communists in terms of technology and military might, and strongly urged the President to take a hard line. Johnson did just that: in 1965, at McNamara’s urging, he ordered the first U.S. combat troops to protect South Vietnam from communist incursions.
Who was General Westmoreland What were his thoughts on Vietnam?
For the remainder of his life, Westmoreland maintained that the United States did not lose the war in Vietnam; he stated instead that “our country did not fulfill its commitment to South Vietnam. By virtue of Vietnam, the U.S. held the line for 10 years and stopped the dominoes from falling.”
Was Westmoreland a failure?
Westmoreland was on a treadmill. And the number one reason why Westmoreland lost the war in Vietnam: With his unavailing approach to conduct of the war he squandered four years of support by much of the American people, the Congress, and even the media.
Who exposed the Pentagon Papers?
| Daniel Ellsberg | |
|---|---|
| Employer | RAND Corporation |
| Known for | Pentagon Papers, Ellsberg paradox |
| Spouse(s) | Carol Cummings (divorced) Patricia Marx ( m. 1970) |
| Children | Robert and Mary Ellsberg (1st marriage) Michael Ellsberg (2nd marriage) |
What did the Pentagon Papers Reveal quizlet?
The Pentagon Papers study was ordered by Robert McNamara, the U.S. The Pentagon papers revealed that 4 successive presidents had essentially lied about America’s involvement in Vietnam.
What was Robert S McNamara’s thoughts on the fire bombings of Japan?
McNamara claims that the bombing campaign killed 50 to 90 percent of the people in 67 Japanese cities. This, of course, was followed by the dropping of two nuclear bombs. He concedes that this is not proportional in the minds of some people to the objectives we were trying to achieve.
What was McNamara’s role in the Vietnam War?
And McNamara cashed the check, flooding Vietnam with U.S. troops — 535,000 by 1968 — and bringing tens of thousands of those young soldiers home dead or horribly wounded. The Secretary of Defense had tried to fight a war with statistical theories and anti-communist, Domino-theory fantasies. And the project failed.
Why was Robert s.mcnamara chosen as Secretary of Defense?
President-elect Kennedy, very much concerned with defense matters although lacking Eisenhower’s mastery of the issues, first offered the post of secretary of defense to former secretary Robert A. Lovett. When Lovett declined, Kennedy chose Robert S. McNamara on Lovett’s recommendation.
What did Robert s.mcnamara do for a living?
Although not especially knowledgeable about defense matters, McNamara immersed himself in the subject, learned quickly, and soon began to apply an “active role” management philosophy, in his own words “providing aggressive leadership–questioning, suggesting alternatives, proposing objectives and stimulating progress.”
Why did McNamara use low IQ troops in Vietnam?
According to Hamilton Gregory, author of McNamara’s Folly: The Use of Low-IQ Troops in the Vietnam War: McNamara was a lover of technology… McNamara believed he could win the war in Vietnam through the use of advanced technology and computerized analysis… And he believed he could raise the intelligence of men through the use of video tapes.