Caspar Weinberger
Caspar Weinberger | |
---|---|
George Shultz | |
Succeeded by | Roy Ash |
Chair of the Federal Trade Commission | |
In office December 31, 1969 – August 6, 1970 | |
President | Richard Nixon |
Preceded by | Paul Dixon |
Succeeded by | Miles Kirkpatrick |
Director of the California Department of Finance | |
In office March 1, 1968 – December 31, 1969 | |
Governor | Ronald Reagan |
Preceded by | Gordon P. Smith |
Succeeded by | Verne Orr |
Chair of the California Republican Party | |
In office 1962–1964 | |
Preceded by | John Krehbiel |
Succeeded by | Gaylord Parkinson |
Member of the California State Assembly from the 21st district | |
In office January 5, 1953 – January 5, 1959 | |
Preceded by | Arthur H. Connolly Jr. |
Succeeded by | Milton Marks |
Personal details | |
Born | Caspar Willard Weinberger August 18, 1917 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Died | March 28, 2006 Bangor, Maine, U.S. | (aged 88)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | |
Children | 2 |
Education | Harvard University (BA, LLB) |
Military service | |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1941–1945 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | 41st Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Caspar Willard Weinberger
Weinberger was a member of the
Weinberger's tenure as Secretary of Defense was marked by his
Early life
Weinberger was born on August 18, 1917, in
Weinberger's paternal grandparents had left
Education
Weinberger attended San Francisco Polytechnic High School. He was academically gifted and gained admission to Harvard University, graduating in 1938 with a B.A., magna cum laude. Weinberger was offered a scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge but instead attended Harvard Law School, graduating in 1941 with a Bachelor of Laws.[4]
Career
Military service
After graduating from Harvard Law School, Weinberger enlisted in the U.S. Army as a private. He was sent to the Army's Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia (now Fort Moore), where he was commissioned a second lieutenant. During World War II, he served with the 41st Infantry Division in the Pacific; by the war's end, he was a captain on the intelligence staff of General Douglas MacArthur. Early in life, Weinberger developed an interest in politics and history, and, during the war years, a special admiration for Winston Churchill, whom he would later cite as an important influence in his life. From 1945 to 1947, Weinberger was a law clerk for U.S. circuit judge William Edwin Orr of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He then entered private practice at a San Francisco law firm.
California politics
In 1952, Weinberger entered the race for
Governor Ronald Reagan named him chairman of the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy in 1967 and appointed him State director of finance early in 1968. Weinberger moved to Washington in January 1970 to become chairman of the Federal Trade Commission. He is credited for having revitalized the FTC by enforcing consumer protection.[9]
Nixon cabinet
Weinberger subsequently served under President
Relf v. Weinberger
In 1973, the
The SPLC's complaint shows that the O.E.O. recently began providing funding for such sterilization procedures, while top OEO personnel intentionally did not distribute a medical memo containing guidelines on obtaining patient consent for such operations.
Secretary of Defense
Weinberger was vying for Reagan to appoint him as Secretary of State but was given the position of Secretary of Defense instead.[12]
Weinberger took the lead in implementing a rollback strategy against Soviet communism. In 1984, journalist Nicholas Lemann interviewed Weinberger and summarized the strategy of the Reagan administration to roll back the Soviet Union:
Their society is economically weak, and it lacks the wealth, education, and technology to enter the information age. They have thrown everything into military production, and their society is starting to show terrible stress as a result. They can't sustain military production the way we can. Eventually it will break them, and then there will be just one superpower in a safe world – if, only if, we can keep spending.[13]
Lemann notes that when he wrote that in 1984, he thought the Reaganites were living in a fantasy world. But in 2016, he says, that passage represents "a fairly uncontroversial description of what Reagan actually did".
Although not widely experienced in defense matters, Weinberger had a reputation in Washington as an able administrator; his powers as a cost cutter earned him the sobriquet "Cap the Knife". He shared President Reagan's conviction that the Soviet Union posed a serious threat to the United States, and that the defense establishment needed to be modernized and strengthened. Belying his nickname, at the Pentagon Weinberger became a vigorous advocate of Reagan's plan to increase the Department of Defense budget. Readiness, sustainability, and modernization became the watchwords of the defense program. In his early years at the Pentagon, Cap Weinberger was known as "Cap the Ladle" for advocating large increases in defense spending.
As Secretary of Defense, Weinberger oversaw a massive rebuilding of US military strength. Major defense programs he championed included the
The same study points out the key reason for the economic decline of the USSR was relying on
I do not believe it possible that the thirst for freedom and decency in the countries of the Soviet Empire can remain much longer unslaked, and that any attempt ... to satisfy it by real reforms, will be cataclysmically destructive of the eroded foundations of the entire State system. ... there will be no stopping the tide once the first sluice has been opened. Memories of the Czech tragedy of 1968 will still be fresh ... the most significant element of the Prague Spring was the way in which, once Mr Dubcek had shown that he supported the Czech desire for liberation, no attempt by him and his equally brave colleagues to go slowly proved availing — the scent of freedom in the nostrils of his people was too strong.
better source needed]
These events came at the cost of helping to triple the US
Weinberger was reluctant to commit the armed forces, keeping only a token force of American marines in Lebanon that then became victims in the October
Unlike President
Weinberger resigned as Secretary of Defense on November 6, 1987.[23][24]
Iran–Contra affair
The Iran–Contra affair concerned the selling of US missiles to Iran. The funds received from Iran were then channeled to guerilla rebels known as Contras, who were fighting the socialist government of Nicaragua.[25] Such funding had been specifically denied by the US Congress.
Though he claimed to have been opposed to the sale on principle,[citation needed] actually Weinberger participated in the transfer of United States Hawk and TOW missiles to Iran at that time.
Iran–Contra resulted in a major scandal with several investigations which resulted in fourteen Reagan administration officials being indicted.[26][27][28]
After his resignation as Secretary of Defense, legal proceedings against Weinberger were continued by
Prosecutors brought an additional indictment just four days before the 1992 presidential election. This was controversial because it cited a Weinberger diary entry contradicting a claim made by President George H. W. Bush. Republicans claimed that this action contributed to President Bush's later defeat. On December 11, 1992, Judge Thomas F. Hogan threw out this indictment because it violated the five-year statute of limitations and improperly broadened the original charges.[31]
Before Weinberger could be tried on the original charges, he received a pardon on December 24, 1992, from then President Bush, who had been Reagan's vice president during the scandal.[27][32]
Later career
External videos | |
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Booknotes interview with Weinberger on Fighting for Peace, July 15, 1990, C-SPAN |
Weinberger had been Secretary of Defense for six years and ten months, longer than anyone except for Robert McNamara and more recently Donald Rumsfeld. After Weinberger left the Pentagon, he joined Forbes, Inc., in 1989 as publisher of Forbes magazine. He was named chairman in 1993. Over the next decade, he wrote frequently on defense and national security issues. In 1990, he wrote Fighting for Peace, an account of his Pentagon years. In 1996, Weinberger co-authored a book entitled The Next War, which raised questions about the adequacy of US military capabilities following the end of the Cold War.
He was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford.
Personal life
In 1942, Weinberger married
Death
While residing on Mount Desert Island, Maine, Weinberger was treated for and died from complications of pneumonia at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine, aged 88. He was survived by his wife, their two children, and several grandchildren.
He was buried in Section 30, Grave 835–1 at Arlington National Cemetery on April 4, 2006.
Shortly after his death President George W. Bush in a public statement said:
Caspar Weinberger was an American statesman and a dedicated public servant. He wore the uniform in World War II, held elected office, and served in the cabinets of three Presidents. As Secretary of Defense for President Reagan, he worked to strengthen our military and win the Cold War. In all his years, this good man made many contributions to our Nation. America is grateful for Caspar Weinberger's lifetime of service. Laura and I send our condolences and prayers to the entire Weinberger family.[33]
Then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld stated:
Cap Weinberger was a friend. His extensive career in public service, his support for the men and women in uniform and his central role in helping to win the Cold War leave a lasting legacy ... He left the United States armed forces stronger, our country safer and the world more free.[34]
Awards
- Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987.
- Honorary UK and the US, particularly during the Falklands Warof 1982.
- Weinberger was awarded the Gold Star Award by the International Strategic Studies Association for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Progress Through Humanitarian Achievement.
- Weinberger was inducted into the United States Army Officer Candidate SchoolHall of Fame in 1981, the highest honor that can be bestowed on any graduate from the school.
- The Walter F. Patenge Medal of Public Service from the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1975.
- Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement in 1975.[35]
See also
- List of people pardoned or granted clemency by the president of the United States
- List of former FTC commissioners
References
- ^ "The Political Graveyard: Phi Beta Kappa Politicians in Maine". politicalgraveyard.com.
- ISBN 978-0-89526-103-8. Retrieved 2010-09-18.
- ^ Stout, David (March 29, 2006). "Caspar W. Weinberger, Who Served 3 Republican Presidents, Is Dead at 88". The New York Times.
- ^ Jackson, Harold (29 March 2006). "Obituary: Caspar Weinberg". The Guardian.
- ^ "Caspar Weinberger (1981–1987)". Miller Center, University of Virginia. Archived from the original on 2016-09-23.
- ^ a b c Woo, Elaine (2009-07-15). "Jane Weinberger dies at 91; author, publisher and wife of Defense secretary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-07-24.
- ^ a b Martin, Douglas (2009-07-15). "Jane Weinberger, Author Who Became Publisher, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-07-27.
- ISBN 978-0201442137.
- S2CID 154923896.
- ^ "RELF V. WEINBERGER". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
- ^ Levin, Dees, Palmer, Jospeh, Morris, Frederick. "Relf V. Weinberger Complaint" (PDF). Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved January 2, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Denton, Sally (2016). The Profiteers: Bechtel and the Men Who Built the World.
- ^ Nicholas Lemann, "Reagan: The Triumph of Tone" The New York Review of Books 10 March, 2016
- ^ Owens, Mackubin Thomas (June 5, 2004). "The Reagan of History: Reflections on the death of Ronald Reagan". National Review Online. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2006.
- ^ a b Dale, Reginald (June 17, 1994). "Many Can Learn From Soviet Downfall". The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2010.
- ^ Knopf, Jeffrey W. (August 2004). "Did Reagan Win the Cold War?". Strategic Insights, Volume III, Issue 8. Center for Contemporary Conflict at the Naval Postgraduate School. Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2006-04-19.
- ^ Levin, Bernard (August 1977). "The Most Accurate Prediction in History". The Times (London). Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 2013-01-14.
- ^ Weinberger, Caspar W. (February 26, 1987). "Weinberger: No Division On SDI". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2013-01-13.
- ^ "Ronald Reagan Award Winner". February 24, 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-02-24.
- ^ "Weinberger Reluctant On Bigger Beirut Force". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times Company. October 29, 1982. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
- ^ "Weinberger's Six Tests". Air Force Magazine. 87 (1). January 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-12-12. Retrieved 2013-06-20.
- ^ S2CID 57565605. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ Brinley, Joel (November 6, 1987). "Weinberger, As Expected, Resigns". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ Gerstenzang, James (November 6, 1987). "Weinberger Quits With Call for Strong Defense". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "Understanding the Iran-Contra Affairs - The Iran-Contra Affairs". www.brown.edu.
- ^ Dwyer, Paula. "Pointing a Finger at Reagan". Business Week. Archived from the original on 2008-04-16. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ a b McDonald, Dian (24 December 1992). "Bush Pardons Weinberger, Five Others Tied to Iran-Contra" (Press release). Washington: United States Information Agency. Retrieved 29 December 2018 – via GlobalSecurity.org.
- ^ "Pardons and Commutations Granted by President George H. W. Bush". United States Department of Justice. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
- ^ Brinley, Joel (June 17, 1992). "Weinberger Faces 5 Counts In Iran-Contra Indictment". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
- ^ "Weinberger charged in Iran-Contra matter" (Press release). United States Information Agency. 16 June 1992. Retrieved 29 December 2018 – via GlobalSecurity.org.
- ^ Johnston, David (December 12, 1992). "Charge in Weinberger Case That Caused Furor Before Election is Thrown Out". The New York Times.
- ^ Johnston, David (25 December 1992). "Bush Pardons 6 in Iran Affair, Averting a Weinberger Trial; Prosecutor Assails 'Cover-Up'". The New York Times (National ed.). p. A00001. Retrieved 29 December 2018.
- ^ "Statement by the President on the Death of Caspar Weinberger". georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov.
- ^ "U.S. Department of Defense". U.S. Department of Defense. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
- American Academy of Achievement.
Further reading
- Culliton, Barbara J. "Caspar Weinberger: Beware of an 'All-Pervasive' Federal Government" Science 189#4203 (1975), pp. 617–619 Online
- Granieri, Ronald J. "Beyond Cap the Foil: Caspar Weinberger And the Reagan-Era Defense Buildup," in Coleman, Bradley Lynn et al. eds. Reagan and the World: Leadership and National Security, 1981–1989 (2019) ch 3.
- Powaski, Ronald E. "Ronald Reagan, George Shultz, and Caspar Weinberger: Winding Down the Cold War, 1984–1988." American Presidential Statecraft (Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2017) pp. 175–223.
- Preston, Andrew. "A Foreign Policy Divided Against Itself: George Shultz versus Caspar Weinberger." in Andrew L. Johns, ed. A Companion to Ronald Reagan (2015): pp 546–564. online
- Williams, Phil. "The Reagan Administration and Defence Policy." in Dilys M. Hill and Raymond A. Moore, eds The Reagan Presidency (Palgrave Macmillan, 1990) pp. 199–230.
- Yoshitani, Gail E. S. Reagan on War: A Reappraisal of the Weinberger Doctrine, 1980-1984 (Texas A&M UP, 2011).
Primary sources
- Weinberger, Caspar W. Fighting for peace: Seven critical years in the Pentagon (Warner Books, 1990)
- Weinberger, Caspar W. and Peter Schweizer. The next war (Regnery, 1998).
- Weinberger, Caspar W., and Gretchen Roberts. In the Arena: A Memoir of the 20th Century (Regnery Publishing, 2001).
- Weinberger, Caspar W. "Report on Allied Contributions to the Common Defense" (Department of Defense: April 1987) Online
External links
- Obituary in Fortune magazine
- An interview with Caspar Weinberger (MP3)
- Interview about the MX missiles for the WGBH series
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- BBC News obituary
- Baltimore Sun obituary
- Caspar Weinberger at IMDb
- Oral history interview on California politics [1]