Strategy and Doctrine
Flexible Response
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Flexible response was the defense strategy advocated by President John F. Kennedy and implemented by his Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara from 1961, replacing the Eisenhower administration's massive retaliation with a doctrine that could answer aggression at any level the aggressor chose, from a conventional skirmish up to full nuclear exchange, rather than being limited to an all-or-nothing nuclear reply.
Facts
Core ClaimA power facing aggression should be able to answer at any level of force the aggressor chooses, from conventional skirmish to nuclear exchange, rather than being limited to an all-or-nothing nuclear reply. 1 Cross-Tradition Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Flexible Response
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Flexible response was a defense strategy advocated by John F. Kennedy and implemented by his Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara in 1961 to address the Kennedy administration's skepticism of Dwight Eisenhower's New Look and its policy of massive retaliation.
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