Andrew O. Pace
Historian of Moral Dilemmas of US Foreign Relations
Welcome! I am a historian of the United States in the world, and I specialize in the moral dilemmas of U.S. foreign relations or what I call the moral fog of war.
In 2003, former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara reflected on his own participation and America’s role in World War II and the Vietnam War and stated, “I think the human race needs to think more about killing. How much evil must we do in order to do good?” This profound question lies at the heart of my research and the future of U.S. foreign policy. Through my work on American attitudes, values, and ethics amidst the fog of war, I continue to try to answer McNamara's haunting question.
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Featured Research & Current Projects
My doctoral dissertation explained the remarkable reversal in U.S. foreign policy from victory at all costs in World War II to peace at any price in the Vietnam War. I am currently working on a book proposal for my dissertation and an article about moral inflation -- the process by which Americans became less tolerant of victory and the human costs of war during the 20th century.
