Robert McNamara and the Vietnam War Research Paper

Robert McNamara and the Vietnam War - Research Paper Example He took a number of steps to reform the military strategy and capabilities, for instance, by lessening the vulnerability of missile attacks in addition to the establishment of the United States Strike Command which was mandated to draw forces when necessary from the military services. The United States Strike Command was to report to the Joint Chiefs of Staff who would, in turn, report to the secretary of defense. â€Å"Other major reforms on the military service include an increase of long-range airlift and sealift capabilities, consolidation of military functions to have all the powers center on the secretary of defense.†1 During the War, McNamara gradually doubted whether the war was in a real sense necessary. â€Å"He objected the idea posed by the military commanders to increase troops to South Vietnam as well as the intensifying bombing of northern Vietnam.†2, McNamara’s declaration that he had supported Vietnam War strategy out of his loyalty to the admini stration complicated matters with President Lyndon Baines Johnson who later announced that McNamara was to leave the secretary of defense job to join the world. ... The speculations and rumors came to pass later in November 1967, after McNamara gave a recommendation to President Lyndon Baines Johnson to stop attacks on North Vietnam, lessen the size of troops and hand over ground fighting to South Vietnam, this idea was immediately rejected by President Johnson. According to his belief, the military strategy in the Vietnam War had failed. From the reasons for objection as presented by McNamara, it almost became apparent that Vietnam War lacked the necessary support to achieve its objectives as stated in his documentary ‘the Vietnam war’, â€Å"None of our allies supported us†¦if we can’t persuade these nations with comparable values of the merit of our cause, we’d better re-examine our reasoning.†3 According to him, the war would have had a justified reason had it been fully supported by America’s close allies such as Japan, Germany, Britain, and France. He later announced his resignation in November the same year and joined the World Bank. After his departure, a number of questions arose on what actually compelled him to leave the defense job with some like Baral in his book The Pentagon and the making of U.S. foreign policy alleging that McNamara was fired by President Lyndon Baines Johnson.4 This paper seeks to look at McNamara’s life and the war’s moral consequences and the reason behind his haunting after he was fired. It seems from history that McNamara was up to a different agenda from that held by President Lyndon Baines Johnson and the military chiefs during the Vietnam War.