Introducing 

Prezi AI.

Your new presentation assistant.

Refine, enhance, and tailor your content, source relevant images, and edit visuals quicker than ever before.

Loading…
Transcript

General "Bombs Away" Lemay

Emily Zirkelbach

Case Intro

"Bombs Away" or "Iron Ass"?

"Killing Japanese didn’t bother me very much at the time… I suppose if I had lost the war, I would have been tried as a war criminal” (Lemay, 1957)

Character Traits:

- Quick to assert dominance

- Controversial

- Feared Weakness

"Bombs Away" or "Iron Ass"?

Cases Studied:

- Incediary bombing strategies used against Japan in WWII

- Actions during Cuban Missile Crisis

"If you are going to use military force, then you ought to use overwhelming military force. Use too much and deliberately use too much; you'll save lives, not only your own, but the enemy's too” (Lemay, 1957)

Background

The Evolution of a Controversy

Bombing Japan

- March 10, 1945

- "X" Pattern: 100,000 people killed

- 363 major cities

- "Hap" Arnold mentorship

The Evolution of a Controversy

The Cuban Missile Crisis

- October 16, 1962

- Spy plane found missiles

- Quick to bomb

"You're in a pretty bad fix" (Lemay, 1962)

Context

General Curtis

Professional History

- 1906 - 1990

- OSU ROTC

- 1930 commission

- 1937 bombers

- 305th Bombardment Group

- Chief of Staff of Air Force until 1961

General Curtis

Family History

- Oldest child

- Role of father

- Abuse

- Context of the time: WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Cold War

“Along the way, LeMay’s life experiences shaped his cognitive processes, values, and worldview to such an extent that many of his most intriguing decisions later in his career come as little surprise” (McElvaine, 2011)

Leaders

Effects of a Leader

Insular?

- Goal of survival

- Disregard for people outside of his command

Rigid?

- Unwavering expectations

- Unwilling to adapt

Machiavellianism?

"His biggest fear was not death but failure. And no one in the Air Force worked harder to avoid it. He trained his crews relentlessly, stretching them, their airships, and himself to the limit” (Delleman, 1998)

Followers

Not the Followers You'd Expect

His men

- Perception

- Reality

Partnerships

- Air Marshal Harris

- The Objective

- Governor George Wallace

- Running for president

Recommendations

Where Did it Go Wrong?

Breakdown

- Childhood experiences

- Context of the time

What can you do?

Learn more about creating dynamic, engaging presentations with Prezi