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What did Robert McNamara do in Vietnam?
Robert Strange McNamara, one of the most recognizable and controversial figures of the Vietnam War, served as the Secretary of Defense under both John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. His policies changed the way that the military operated and also shaped the strategy of the Vietnam War.
Was McNamara responsible for the Vietnam War?
John F. Kennedy Jr. —the president’s son who died a year later in a plane crash—chose, somewhat surprisingly, Robert McNamara, best known as being the defense secretary responsible for the strategy in the Vietnam war that ended with American defeat.
What did McNamara decide to do in 1967?
McNamara’s plan, supported by requests from top U.S. military commanders in Vietnam, led to the commitment of 485,000 troops by the end of 1967 and almost 535,000 by June 30, 1968.
What was his objective in Vietnam according to McNamara?
“First, and most important, is the simple fact that South Vietnam, a member of the free world family, is striving to preserve its independence from communist attack. The Vietnamese have asked our help. We have given it. We shall continue to give it.
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.
Who took the blame for the Vietnam War?
After three decades of refusing to discuss publicly his central role in the Vietnam War, former Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara has written a brutally self-critical memoir assigning himself much of the blame for the most tragic international misadventure in U.S. history.
What policy did the US take in Vietnam?
The goal of the American military effort was to buy time, gradually building up the strength of the South Vietnamese armed forces, and re-equipping it with modern weapons so that they could defend their nation on their own. This policy became the cornerstone of the so-called Nixon Doctrine.
How does McNamara feel the United States can deter a first strike?
McNamara turned to “assured destruction,” which he characterized as the capability “to deter deliberate nuclear attack upon the United States and its allies by maintaining a highly reliable ability to inflict an unacceptable degree of damage upon any single aggressor, or combination of aggressors, even after absorbing …
Who supported the NVA?
The North Vietnamese were supplied and supported by China and the Soviet Union. A total of $2 billion was given in aid to the fight against America between 1965-1968. This included 8,000 anti-aircraft guns and 200 anti-aircraft missile sites.
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.
Did Russia help North Vietnam?
As the world’s largest communist powers, both the Soviet Union and China gave moral, logistic and military support to North Vietnam.