Weinberger Doctrine

The Weinberger Doctrine is a set of rules and principles created by the United States Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger in 1984. The doctrine states that before the U.S. military engages in a conflict, all of the following conditions must be met: 1) there must be a clear strength of U.S. interests involved, 2) there must be a clear risk of military action and clear political and military objectives, 3) the use of force must be a last resort, 4) there must be a clear an ample probability of success, and 5) there must be strong support from the American people and Congress. This doctrine is meant to ensure that the U.S. military is only used when absolutely necessary and that a clear path to victory is laid out before any confrontation.