"Give War a Chance" is the story of two American leaders whose lives and experiences reflect the Vietnam generation's conflicting views about the use of America's military might. It is the story of Richard Holbrooke, U.N. Ambassador-nominee, architect of the 1995 Bosnian peace accords, and ret. Admiral Leighton "Snuffy" Smith, a Vietnam war hero who became NATO's commander in Bosnia and whose mission was to enforce the Bosnia peace. Each man spent his formative years in Vietnam, but--some thirty years later--the Balkans crisis brought them into direct conflict over the role and responsibilities of today's military in securing and maintaining global peace.

smith & holbrooke + uses of military force + nation building + lessons of vietnam
chronology + discussion + synopsis + press + tapes & transcripts
frontline + pbs online + wgbh

web site copyright WGBH educational foundation

Give War A Chance

FRONTLINE explores the bitter divide between military and civilian attitudes about where, when,and why America employs military force. In examining the gulf between what American diplomats want and what the military is prepared to deliver, correspondent Peter J. Boyer follows the inevitable collision from Vietnam to the Balkans between diplomat Richard Holbrooke and Admiral Leighton Smith. Their careers, and ultimate clash, represent the most vivid example of this critical foreign policy dilemma

Special reports on FRONTLINE's web site include one examining the evolution of the doctrine on the use of military force and, a chronology of significant U.S. military interventions over the past 30 years. Also published on the site is an analysis of the new kind of diplomacy--'nation-building' backed by military might. Several top experts debate the pros and cons. The site also offers brief biographies of Holbrooke and Smith, parallel chronologies of their lives and careers, and, a selection of key readings on the issues examined in the FRONTLINE broadcast.

published may 1999

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