The logic behind the strategy is commonly attributed[by whom? There may be advantages to keeping foes and opponents off … Synonyms . In 1517, Niccolò Machiavelli had argued that sometimes it is "a very wise thing to simulate madness" (Discourses on Livy, book 3, chapter 2). Definition of madman in the AudioEnglish.org Dictionary. | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Synonyms: daredevil, devil, madcap… Find the right word. Change the target language to find translations. Definition of madman in the Definitions.net dictionary. 3. Add new content to your site from Sensagent by XML. You can also try the grid of 16 letters. [2], The administration employed the "Madman strategy" to force the North Vietnamese government to negotiate a peace to end the Vietnam War. This suggests that the peculiar and discordant makeup of the U.S. national security team — traditionalist lieutenants, disruptive boss — might reproduce the old Nixonian “madman theory.” 150–183. In his 1962 book, Thinking About the Unthinkable, futurist Herman Kahnargued that to “look a little crazy” might be an effective way to induce an adversary to stan… Get XML access to reach the best products. A theory that regards thinking as a form of internal communication rather than an entirely different operation Letters must be adjacent and longer words score better. His administration, the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from 1969 to 1974, attempted to make the leaders of other countries think Nixon was mad , and that his behavior was … See also Thesaurus:mad person; Related terms . madman definition: 1. a man who behaves in a very strange and uncontrolled or dangerous way: 2. a man who is mentally…. We can't restrain him when he's angry—and he has his hand on the nuclear button" and Ho Chi Minh himself will be in Paris in two days begging for peace. ", Sagan, Scott D. and Jeremi Suri, "The Madman Nuclear Alert: Secrecy, Signaling, and Safety in October 1969,", Suri, Jeremi, "The Nukes of October: Richard Nixon's Secret Plan to Bring Peace to Vietnam,". English thesaurus is mainly derived from The Integral Dictionary (TID). His administration, the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from 1969 to 1974, attempted to make the leaders of other countries think Nixon was mad, and that his behavior was irrational and volatile. In the Nixon era, the logic of the madman theory, to the extent it was logical, was that a nuclear-armed superpower could effectively threaten a non-nuclear developing country. ○   Boggle. US President Richard Nixon is widely associated with his development and employment of the ‘madman’ theory of international diplomacy. A male of any age who continually rages in a social setting. See if you can get into the grid Hall of Fame ! He and his administration tried to make the leaders of hostile Communist Bloc nations think Nixon was irrational and volatile. Information about madman in the AudioEnglish.org dictionary, synonyms and antonyms. [6] Along the same lines, American diplomats, especially Henry Kissinger, portrayed the 1970 incursion into Cambodia as a symptom of Nixon's supposed instability. We can't restrain him when he's angry—and he has his hand on the nuclear button" and Ho Chi Minh himself will be in Paris in two days begging for peace. Eco, Cookies help us deliver our services. madwoman, madwomen; Translations . "[5], The madman strategy can be related to Niccolò Machiavelli, who, in his Discourses on Livy (book 3, chapter 2) discusses how it is at times "a very wise thing to simulate madness". The Madman Theory is a really interesting take on Richard Nixon's foreign policy as it might have been applied to the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tips: browse the semantic fields (see From ideas to words) in two languages to learn more. informal : a man who acts in a wild and uncontrolled way. [3] Along the same lines, American diplomats (Henry Kissinger in particular) portrayed the 1970 incursion into Cambodia as a symptom of Nixon's supposed instability. Nixon explained the strategy to his White House Chief of Staff, H. R. Haldeman: I call it the Madman Theory, Bob. To make squares disappear and save space for other squares you have to assemble English words (left, right, up, down) from the falling squares. The nuclear alert that Nixon attempted in … The Madman theory was the centerpiece of Richard Nixon's foreign policy The Madman theory was a primary characteristic of the foreign policy conducted by U.S. President Richard Nixon . C This article has been rated as C-Class on the project's quality scale. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer). According to the theory, those leaders would then avoid provoking the United States, fearing an unpredictable American response. Trump's use of the theory with North Korea has been similarly criticized, suggesting the chance of an accident arising from Korea's string of missile testing was also increased.[3][9]. During the height of the Vietnam War, U.S. president Richard Nixon confided in his chief of staff, H. R. Haldeman, that he had devised a special strategy to end the war: He was trying to convince his Communist Bloc enemies, the Soviet Union and the North Vietnamese, that he was insane. Information and translations of madman in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on … Kimball, in Nixon's Vietnam War, argues that Nixon arrived at the strategy independently, as a result of practical experience and observation of Eisenhower's handling of the Korean War. [4], In October 1969, the Nixon administration indicated to the Soviet Union that "the madman was loose" when the United States military was ordered to full global war readiness alert (unbeknownst to the majority of the American population), and bombers armed with thermonuclear weapons flew patterns near the Soviet border for three consecutive days. The SensagentBox are offered by sensAgent. ○   Wildcard, crossword  | Last modifications, Copyright © 2012 sensagent Corporation: Online Encyclopedia, Thesaurus, Dictionary definitions and more. Definition of "Madman Theory": The madman theory is a political theory commonly associated with U.S. President Richard Nixon's foreign policy. Although in Nixon's Vietnam War, Kimball argues that Nixon arrived at the strategy independently, as a result of practical experience and observation of Dwight D. Eisenhower's handling of the Korean War. Privacy policy Meaning of madman.  |  I want the North Vietnamese to believe I've reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war. This person tends to be extremely successful with members of both sexes and is often the life of the party wherever he goes. “Madman theory” is a political theory commonly associated with the U.S. President Richard Nixon. Lettris is a curious tetris-clone game where all the bricks have the same square shape but different content. Usage notes . All rights reserved. The Madman theory was a primary characteristic of the foreign policy conducted by U.S. President Richard Nixon. [1][2], In his 1962 book, Thinking About the Unthinkable, futurist Herman Kahn argued that to “look a little crazy” might be an effective way to induce an adversary to stand down.[3]. Furthermore it provides a fairly interesting portrait of President Nixon, though I am confused as to what the basis was for Simon's portrayal of the Nixons as a married couple. Digital object identifier: Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, History of the foreign relations of the United States, Foreign policy doctrines of the United States, https://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21730055-some-friction-between-president-and-secretary-state-normal-not-rex, "The Madness Behind Trump’s ‘Madman’ Strategy", https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/opinion/the-madness-behind-trumps-madman-strategy.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region®ion=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/14/nixons_madman_strategy/, https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/10/madman-theory-trump-north-korea/542055/, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/10/02/the-madman-theory-of-north-korea, "Did Thomas C. Schelling Invent the Madman Theory? Meaning of madman. madman (plural madmen) A male who is insane or mentally disturbed. Sagan, Scott D.; Jeremi Suri (Spring 2003). The wordgames anagrams, crossword, Lettris and Boggle are provided by Memodata. man. Contact Us The thematic focus of Nixon's Nuclear Specter is Madman Theory threat making, which culminated in the secret, global nuclear alert. The Madman Theory. Aug. 5, 2011; I had breakfast this week with one of Hollywood’s most ferocious, self-confident and successful … [3], The theory was criticized as “ineffective and dangerous,” by political scientist Scott Sagan and the historian Jeremi Suri, citing the belief that the Soviet leader Brezhnev did not understand what Nixon was trying to communicate and also the chance of an accident from the increased movements of U.S forces. An insane man. Most English definitions are provided by WordNet . The web service Alexandria is granted from Memodata for the Ebay search. ○   Lettris ), flew patterns near the Soviet border for three consecutive days, http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2005/06/14/nixons_madman_strategy/, http://www.wired.com/politics/security/magazine/16-03/ff_nuclearwar, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Madman_theory&oldid=491711892, History of the foreign relations of the United States, Kimball, Jeffrey, "Did Thomas C. Schelling Invent the Madman Theory? 2. The English word games are: Ellsberg’s original formulation of the Madman Theory deserves credit for proposing two distinct "First, while he would pretend to be willing to pay any price to achieve his goals, his opponents actually were willing to pay any price to achieve theirs. A man who behaves in an energetic, uncontrolled way: a madman on the drums; is a madman when driving during rush-hour traffic. Madman definition: A madman is a man who is insane. [7], The theory is believed by some to be a strategy used by U.S. President Donald Trump[2] in dealing with both allied and hostile nations. [9] The madman theory is a political theory commonly associated with U.S. President Richard Nixon's foreign policy. To apply some version of the Madman Theory to the North Korean problem, however, as Trump seems inclined to do, is foolish. We'll just slip the word to them that, "for God's sake, you know Nixon is obsessed about communism. Learn more. It is actually a signaling game in its simplest form. English Language Learners Definition of madman. Milbank wrote: “In Trump’s application of the Madman Theory there seems to be less theory than madman. madman: A regional slang term for phencyclidine (PCP), which refers to the frenetic response typically associated with its use. I want the North Vietnamese to believe I've reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war. Company Information [5], This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. : a man who has severe mental illness : an insane man. In 1517, Niccolò Machiavelli had argued that sometimes it is "a very wise thing to simulate madness" (Discourses on Livy, book 3, chapter 2). With a SensagentBox, visitors to your site can access reliable information on over 5 million pages provided by Sensagent.com. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Proper usage and audio pronunciation (plus IPA phonetic transcription) of the word madman. Fearing an unpredictable American response, leaders of hostile Communist Bloc nations would avoid provoking the United States. ‘The colossal irony is that a madman who rescued her from her folly was the same madman who later killed her.’ ‘Band members were flailing around like puppets under the control of a madman.’ ‘He has often been characterised as a madman or Satanic genius.’ Definition of madman noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. [1], On October 1969, the Nixon administration indicated to the Soviet Union that "the madman was loose" when the United States military was ordered to full global war readiness alert (unbeknownst to the majority of the American population), and bombers armed with thermonuclear weapons flew patterns near the Soviet border for three consecutive days. A man who behaves in a violently destructive way: a madman who stabbed several people on a bus. See the full definition for madman in … Find out more, an offensive content(racist, pornographic, injurious, etc. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. Although in Nixon's Vietnam War, Kimball argues that Nixon arrived at the strategy independently, as a result of practical experience and observation of Dwight D. Eisenhower's handling of the Korean War. Madman: a person who seeks out very dangerous or foolhardy adventures with no apparent fear. See more. English Encyclopedia is licensed by Wikipedia (GNU). Get XML access to fix the meaning of your metadata. A windows (pop-into) of information (full-content of Sensagent) triggered by double-clicking any word on your webpage. Featuring a new and exclusive documentary, Madman Across The Water - The Making Of Elton John, the night also includes Elton John - BBC Radio 2 Electric Prom recorded earlier in the month and finishes with Elton John At The BBC, a compilation of archives documenting the star's career. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. In his book The Ends of Power, Haldeman recalled Nixon saying: I call it the Madman Theory. [5], The administration employed the "madman strategy" to force the North Vietnamese government to negotiate an end to the Vietnam War. ○   Anagrams ][citation needed] to Thomas Schelling, whose books The Strategy of Conflict and Arms and Influence discuss "the rationality of irrationality"[full citation needed] and how useful "the threat that leaves something to chance"[full citation needed] can be. pp. We'll just slip the word to them that, "for God's sake, you know Nixon is obsessed about Communism. Give contextual explanation and translation from your sites ! Not a medical term. By Kurt Andersen. What does madman mean? At least nowadays such games are exemplified with a "crazy" (non-accommodating) player type among other scenarios. : This article has not yet received a rating on the project's importance scale. [4], Nixon's use of the strategy during the Vietnam War was problematic. Jump to: General, Art, Business, Computing, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Religion, Science, Slang, Sports, Tech, Phrases We found one dictionary with English definitions that includes the word madman theory: Click on the first link on a line below to go directly to a page where "madman theory" is defined. "The Madman Nuclear Alert: Secrecy, Signaling, and Safety in October 1969". What does madman mean? A man who is mentally deranged. Choose the design that fits your site. (măd′măn′, -mən) n. 1. Boggle gives you 3 minutes to find as many words (3 letters or more) as you can in a grid of 16 letters. Called the “madman theory,” it depended on possessing a massive nuclear arsenal, then simply acting sufficiently erratic and unbalanced to convince people that you were crazy enough to use it. Whereas the North Korean government is unlikely to believe that "Trump would do the same" because his threats are "standard operating procedure", not a temporary emotional reaction. [8] Jonathan Stevenson argues Trump's strategy may be even less effective than Nixon's because Nixon tried to give the impression that "he’d been pushed too far, implying that he would return to his senses if the Soviets and North Vietnamese gave in." Madman theory revolves around the idea of appearing more "crazy" than one actually is.. Nixon's Chief of Staff, H. R. Haldeman, wrote that Nixon had confided to him: I call it the Madman Theory, Bob. Each square carries a letter. Second, Nixon had the misfortune to preside over a democracy growing weary and increasingly critical of the struggle. Theory, most either leave the concept of madness vaguely defined or adopt a narrow definition without considering whether the results would be the same under a different definition. ", "The Nukes of October: Richard Nixon's Secret Plan to Bring Peace to Vietnam", https://www.wired.com/politics/security/magazine/16-03/ff_nuclearwar, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/Madman_theory?oldid=5276097. This article is part of WikiProject Vietnam, an attempt to create a comprehensive, neutral, and accurate representation of Vietnam on Wikipedia.If you would like to participate, please visit the project page. The madman theory was an important part of Richard Nixon's foreign policy. Madman definition, a person who is or behaves as if insane; lunatic; maniac.  |  He and his administration tried to make the leaders of hostile Communist Bloc nations think Nixon was irrational and volatile.