Origins of the Vietnam War 29.1

America and the War in Indo China Americas involvement in Vietnam had roots in European colonialism, Cold War politics, and Vietnamese calls for national independence.

France Rules Indo China in Southeast Asia In 1800s French military forces established control over Indochina, peninsula in Southeast Asia that includes Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. Transplanted French laws into Vietnam and imposed high taxes. Wealth Vietnamese benefited from western culture and technology others however were impoverished by colonialism. Ho Chi Minh demanded independence for Vietnam. Anti French organizations Fled in 1912, traveled the world Ho traveled the world trying to gain support for Vietnamese independence Embraced communism and eventually Soviet communists rallied to his cause.

The French Battle Nationalism and Communism WWII had strengthened nationalist movements political, social, and economic system characterized by promoting the interests of a particular nation, particularly with the aim of gaining and maintaining self-governance, or full sovereignty, over the group's homeland. The political ideology therefore holds that a nation should govern itself, free from unwanted outside interference, and is linked to the concept of self-determination. while weakening the economic and military positions of traditional European powers.

U.S. supported decolonization however on the other hand Ameriacn wanted France as an ally in its Cold War effort to contain the Soviet Union. President Truman believed that if he supported Vietnamese independence he would weaken anticommunist forces in France. To ensure France support in Cold War, Truman agreed to aid France’s effort to regain control over Vietnam. Truman did not want to see another communist victory in Asia To ensure a strong anticommunist Western Europe, Truman sacrificed his own anticolonial sentiments.

To ensure French support in the Cold War, Truman agreed to aid France’s efforts to regain control over Vietnam. After communist forces won the civil war in China in 1949, the U.S. contributed $2.6 billion dollars to France’s war efforts. Containing Ho Chi Minh’s communist Vietminh became a national priority.

The Domino Theory and Dien Bien Phu When Eisenhower took office in early 1953, he continued Truman’s policies toward Vietnam. He sent financial aid to France. Eisenhower believed in the domino theory. •A premise that if Vietnam fell to communism, its closest neighbors would follow. •This in turn would threaten Japan, the Philippines, and Australia. •In short, stopping the communists in Vietnam was important to the protection of the region. •However Eisenhower did not give military aid to the French because he did not want to give military aid to colonialism.

In 1954, France lost their eight year struggle to regain Vietnam when the French garrison fell at Dien Bien Phu (military base in northwest Vietnam) A peace treaty in Geneva called the Geneva Accords led to France granting independence to Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. The accords also divided Vietnam at the seventeenth parallel into two countries; North and South Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh’s communist forces ruled the North while an anticommunist government governed the south and supported by the U.S. The accords also called for free elections in 1956 to unify Vietnam.

The United States Aids South Vietnam United States and 7 other countries fomed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization. (goal to contain the spread of communism to only Southeast Asia) The U.S. provided economic and military aid to the South Vietnamese government led by Ngo Dinh Diem. Diem was an ardent nationalist and anticommunist who was unpopular with the Vietnamese people. U.S. Intelligence predicted that Diem would lose the 1956 elections to Ho Chi Minh and the U.S. approved Diem cancelling the elections.

Communist Opposition Grows By 1957, a communist rebel group in the South, known as the National Liberation Front (NLF) formed to overthrow Diem and unite Vietnam under Communism. NLF guerrilla fighters called Vietcong. The Vietcong launched insurgency in which they assassinated government officials and destroyed roads and bridges. Supplied by communist North Vietnam, the Vietcong employed surprise hit and run tactics to weaken Diem’s hold on South Vietnam. Diem (Roman Catholic) alienated the Buddhist majority signing anti- Buddhist legislation and refused to enact reforms for the people.

Kennedy Sends American Troops to Vietnam After Kennedy was elected, he sent special forces military advisers to help the South Vietnamese Army. By 1963, more than 15,000 American “advisers” were fighting in Vietnam. (Advise the Army of Republic of Vietnam) Diem continued to alienate South Vietnamese citizens. Buddhists protested his restrictive policies and some protested by setting themselves on fire. Americans worked with anti-Diem generals to overthrow Diem’s government and Diem was removed from power on 1963 November 1 and was later assassinated.

Johnson Leads the Nation into War Three weeks after Diem’s fall, an assassin’s bullet struck down President Kennedy. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the new President. Johnson thought all Communists were the same not recognizing the subtle differences.

North Vietnamese and U.S. Forces Clash On August 2, 1964 an American destroyer off the Gulf of Tonkin was allegedly attacked by Vietnamese torpedo boats. Johnson responded by ordering an airstrike on North Vietnam.

Congress Gives Johnson Broad Military Powers The President next asked congress to authorize the use of force to defend American troops. Congress overwhelmingly supported Johnson’s request. The resolution authorized the President tremendous war powers. It allowed him to commit U.S. troops to South Vietnam and fight a war against North Vietnam without ever going back to Congress to ask for a declaration of war.

Questions??? President Truman opposed colonialism but decided to support France in Vietnam because he wanted their support in the Cold War. If you were in Truman’s situation, would you sacrifice your personal convictions to get something you wanted? How do you feel that America supported the stop of elections in Vietnam when it realized that the Communist would win? Was it hypocritical?