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Military & National Security

All Presidents Political Leaders & Statecraft Law & the Judiciary Military & National Security

Role: Any Military Commander 22 Cabinet Official 4

Order: Most notable By term A–Z Born earliest Born latest Longest lived Shortest lived

4 people

George C. Marshall 1880–1959Military & National SecurityArmy chief of staff who organized U.S. victory in World War II and later designed the Marshall Plan.

Colin Powell 1937–2021Military & National SecurityGeneral, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and secretary of state who shaped post-Cold War military and diplomatic policy.

Robert McNamara 1916–2009Military & National SecuritySecretary of Defense who applied systems analysis to the Pentagon and escalated the Vietnam War.

Donald Rumsfeld 1932–2021Military & National SecurityTwice Secretary of Defense who directed the Afghanistan and Iraq wars and pushed military restructuring.