IN THE UNITED STATES
On November 29, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson announces that Secretary of Defense McNamara will resign to become president of the World Bank. As head of the defense establishment since January 1961, Robert McNamara’s aggressive managerial style and his involvement in foreign affairs make him one of the era’s more polarizing figures. By 1966, McNamara publicly supports the administration’s conduct of the war, though he doubts the effectiveness of ongoing U.S. military efforts, particularly the bombing campaign in North Vietnam. His opinions increasingly diverge from those of Johnson and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In a May 1967 memo from McNamara to the President, the Secretary asserts that the war is unwinnable and he urges military de-escalation. Their relationship continues to deteriorate until McNamara’s resignation. He remains in office until February 1968.