Strategy of Revolutionary War

Lesson Objectives Understand the Vietnam War as part of the Cold War. Be able to describe the evolution of U.S. policy toward Indochina from Presidents Roosevelt to Eisenhower. Understand and describe the challenges posed by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) against the south. Understand and describe the situation in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) after 1959 and the RVN reaction to the challenge from the north. Understand the doctrine of limited war and counterinsurgency as espoused by the Kennedy Administration. Understand the timeline of events that led to U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.

The Vietnam War

To understand the Vietnam War, you only need two books: Both are available online Link

The Vietnam War Technically, The Second Indochina War or The Southeast Asia War

French Indochina

Southeast Asia Central Highlands The Delta

Terms Viet Minh: Communist independence movement in Vietnam, founded 1941 VC: Viet Cong, political/military insurgent group in South Vietnam ( ) NLF: National Liberation Front, formal name for Viet Cong DRV: Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) PAVN: Peoples Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese Army, also NVA) RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam COSVN: Central Office for South Vietnam, US term for NLF HQ

Surrender Ceremony Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945 Newsreel - 8:36

First Indochina War Viet Minh France vs. Ho Chi Minh Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR) Declared September 2, 1945

Vietnamese Declaration of Independence "All men are created equal. They are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." This immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America in In a broader sense, this means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free. The Declaration of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the Citizen also states: "All men are born free and with equal rights, and must always remain free and have equal rights." Source Hanoi - September 2, 1945

Ho Chi Minh George Washington or Joe Stalin?

Ho Chi Minh Born Nguyen Sinh Cung Adopted name “Ho Chi Minh around 1940 in China Chi = spirit Minh = light => “~ enlightened spirit” (May 19, 1890)

Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh with American OSS* agents * Office of Strategic Services (forerunner of CIA) Fought against French, then Japanese in WW II Formed Viet Minh in 1941 as an independence movement

Indochina Truman pledged to return Indochina to France after WW II

First Indochina War Viet Minh France vs. Ho Chi Minh Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR) Declared September 2, 1945 Viet Minh began a long, bitter war with French US supported France Chinese Communists, USSR supported Viet Minh Was fought as a guerilla war … A war of national liberation

What if … HANOI FEBRUARY TELEGRAM PRESIDENT HOCHIMINH VIETNAM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC HANOI TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON DC ON BEHALF OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE I BEG TO INFORM YOU THAT IN THE COURSE OF CONVERSION BETWEEN VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND FRENCH REPRESENTATIVES THE LATTER REQUIRE THE SECESSION OF COCHINCHINA AND THE RETUN OF FRENCH TROOPS IN HANOI STOP MEANWHILE FRENCH POPULATION AND TROOPS ARE MAKING ACTIVE PREPARATIONS FOR A COUP DE MAIN IN HANOI AND FOR MILITARY AGGRESSION STOP I THEREFORE MOST EARNESTLY APPEAL TO YOU PERSONALLY AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO INTERFERE URGENTLY IN SUPPORT OF OUR INDEPENDENCE AND HELP MAKING THE NEGOTIATIONS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ATLANTIC AND SAN FRANCISCO CHARTERS. RESPECTFULLY HOCHIMINH

Viet Minh Strategy Strategy of Revolutionary War Objective: The seizure of power in a nation-state … Characteristics: Integrated military conflict and political conflict War on multiple fronts Geographical Programmatic … by any means possible

Strategy of Revolutionary War Characteristics of Political Conflict Political, diplomatic, psychological, ideological, sociological, economic components Mobilize people into conflict Undermine morale, loyalty of population Undermine morale, loyalty of state military Three programs

Strategy of Revolutionary War Phase I: Targeted state stronger militarily Phase II: Rough military parity Phase III: Revolution stronger than targeted state Revolutionaries avoid combat Guerrilla war: raids, ambushes, sabotage, terrorism Political conflict predominant Combined guerrilla and conventional war Military and political conflict equally important Revolutionary forces go to totally conventional war “General Offensive” linked to political “Great Uprising”

Strategy of Revolutionary War General Characteristics It is a total war It is waged with total unity of effort It is, by necessity and choice, a protracted war It stresses gaining and keeping the initiative It is a changing war (shift between phases) It is a mosaic war (different phases, different areas) Davidson

First Indochina War Viet Minh France vs. War ended with defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954) * After end of Korean War (July 1953), China funneled aid to the Viet Minh Conflict transitioned to Phase III revolutionary war

Dien Bien Phu “ … greatest defeat in French history.”

Significance: First Indochina War Did not settle principle issues over which it was fought: Political unity of Vietnam Vietnam's independence from foreign influence George Herring Lecture: First Indochina War   (55:37) Created basis for second war Dictated the way that war would be fought Strategy that worked against French would work against US - First Indochina war judged insignificant by US military - - Only after US was bogged down was there an interest in this war

Geneva Accords April 27, 1954 Viet Minh State of Vietnam Divided Vietnam into two independently administered parts Unification to follow elections in July 1956 US did not support the accords

Geneva Accords April 27, 1954 Viet Minh State of Vietnam "In connection with the statement in the Declaration concerning free elections in Vietnam, my government wishes to make clear its position which it has expressed in a Declaration made in Washington on June 29, 1954, as follows: 'In the case of nations now divided against their will, we shall continue to seek unity through free elections, supervised by the United Nations to ensure they are conducted fairly'" The elections never occurred U.S. Under-Secretary of State Walter Bedell Smith

17th parallel Vietnam

So why did we get involved in Vietnam?

Munich Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War

Legacy of Munich No historical event has exerted more influence on post-World War II U.S. use-of-force decisions than the Anglo-French appeasement of Nazi Germany that led to the outbreak of the Second World War. Jeffrey Record “Appeasement Reconsidered: Investigating the Mythology of the 30’s” US Army Strategic Studies Institute, August 2005

Legacy of Munich ( 31:01 ) DoD Orientation Film (1965 )

Munich Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War Truman Doctrine (Containment)

Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947 US foreign policy designed to stop spread of Communism Pledged to provide economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey US foreign policy transitioned from détent to   (2:30) containment

Munich Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War Truman Doctrine (Containment) Chinese Intervention in Korea

Korean War Approaching the Yalu River October-November 1950

Korean War China Enters the War November January 1951

Munich Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War Truman Doctrine (Containment) Chinese Intervention in Korea Domino Theory

Term coined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower ( April 7, 1954) Described how, if one country in Asia fell to Communism, others would follow in succession.

Munich Truman Doctrine (Containment) Chinese Intervention in Korea Domino Theory Cuban Missile Crisis

What were the U.S. objectives in Vietnam? Stated: Preserve a non-Communist government in South Vietnam Why Vietnam? Understood: Containment

Nuclear weapons nullified all previous military theory U.S. Post-WW II Attitude Problem: Total war (nuclear) unthinkable Future wars would be limited One country’s limited war = Another country’s total war

U.S. Attitude Toward Vietnam Eisenhower ( ): US Military Assistance Trained ARVN to resist cross-border invasion Kennedy ( ): Counterinsurgency Resisted by US military leaders Johnson ( ): Limited War Attempted to force North Vietnam to negotiate Nixon ( ): Vietnamization Increased pressure on North Vietnam to negotiate

South Vietnam The Republic of Vietnam

Ngo Dinh Diem President of Republic of Vietnam (RVn)

Ngo Dinh Diem Led effort to establish RVn after Geneva Accords Elected president in 1955 Catholic in a majority Buddhist nation Staunchly anti-Communist Supported by US in early years

Ngo Dinh Diem Took a hard line against Buddhist majority Protests put down violently World-wide attention from monk’s self-immolation (June 1963) This plus growing insurgency caused US to lose faith in Diem Instituted unpopular strategic hamlet program (1961)

Ngo Dinh Diem Toppled by US-sanctioned coup (November 2, 1963) He and his brother assassinated by generals Not US intention RVn plagued by series of coups over next few years Counterinsurgency effort faltered Cronkite, Vietnam War Seeds of War - 14: :38 US reconsidered its strategy in Vietnam

Viet Cong National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (NLF) “Vietnamese Communists” Local insurgent forces fighting against the Republic of Vietnam Founded 1960 (some mark this as start of 2nd Indochina War)

North Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam ( DRV )

Timeline The Stage is Set Mar 59Ho Chi Minh declares People’s War to unite Vietnam May 59DRV establishes Central Office of South Vietnam (COSVN)  Oversee coming war in South Vietnam May 59 NVA* unit established to construct, maintain Ho Chi Minh Trail Apr 60DVR establishes universal conscription “for the duration” * North Vietnamese Army

References Col. Harry G. Summers, USA (Ret) On Strategy: A Critical Analysis of the Vietnam War Interview with Harry Summers: Lt. Gen. Phillip B. Davidson, USA (Ret) Secrets of the Vietnam War

Vietnam: In Search of a Strategy

Lesson Objectives Understand the timeline of events that led to the decision for major U.S. troop deployments to Southeast Asia in Be able to articulate the issues and discussions surrounding the 1965 decision to escalate the war in Vietnam. Understand the evolution of U.S. objectives and strategy for the Vietnam War.

End

Terms Viet Minh: Communist independence movement in Vietnam, founded 1941 VC: Viet Cong, political/military insurgent group in South Vietnam ( ) NLF: National Liberation Front, formal name for Viet Cong DRV: Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) PAVN: Peoples Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese Army, also NVA) RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam COSVN: Central Office for South Vietnam, US term for NLF HQ