Vietnam War policies

Ho with OSS 6/45

OSS helped Ho Chi Minh and his Vietnam Independence League (Vietminh, f. 5/41) fight the Japanese and Vichy French
Vietminh and Gen. Giap trained in China, supported by Koumintang, led units into North Vietnam in 1943 to fight Japanese 21st Division
OSS gave assistance, rescued pilots, provided intelligence
Vietminh encouraged by Atlantic Charter's promise of self-determination
Japan on 3/9/45 imprisoned all French, took complete control of Vietnam, on 3/11/45 declared Vietnam independent under emperor Bao Dai (who had been emperor under French since 1935)
Ho Chi Minh declared the independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam 9/2/45
Potsdam agreement allowed British to occupy the south and Chiang to occupy the north
In the south, Brit Gen. Douglas Gracey rearmed French troops who reclaimed Saigon from the Vietminh
In the north, Chinese troops looted the country, then withdrew and allowed Ho Chi Minh to rule from Hanoi
Asia after WWII map - SE Asia map

map 1954 - topo '51

US supported French in 1st Indochinese War 1946-54
The "10,000 Day War" will last 27 years, from 1946 to the 1973 treaty
US aid to the French reached $1 billion by 1954, 80% of the cost of the war
Eisenhower policy of disengagement opposed military intervention
no Op. Vulture to relieve siege of Dienbienphu in 1954, captured by Vietminh May 8, 1954
Ike and Dulles not satisfied with the 1954 Geneva Conference that divided the country at the 17th parallel with elections planned for 1956
Ike included South Vietnam in SEATO Sept. 8, 1954
Ike pledged US support in letter to Ngo Dinh Diem Oct. 1, 1954, and his Catholic Saigon government imposed on 6 million Buddhists
Ho Chi Minh began the 2nd Indochinese War 1956-75 against Diem and the Americans
Ike supported Diem's opposition to elections, reunification, infiltration of communists from North Vietnam to assist southern National Liberation Front (NLF f. 1960)

Buddhist monk '63 - map '64

Kennedy in 1961 sought partnership with Diem, increased US advisors to 16,000, developed methods of a flexible response using counterinsurgency and defoliation and strategic hamlets

Johnson in 1964 began an escalation of direct US involvement in the war, introducing Plan 34A covert operations near North Vietnam's coast, air strikes by US fighter planes and bombers, increasing US ground forces to 500,000

Nixon in 1969 began to withdraw US ground forces and followed the new policies of detente and Vietnamization
Peace Treaty signed Jan. 27, 1973 in Paris by Kissinger and Le Duc Tho
POWs return but South Vietnam refused the treaty, bombing continued
War Powers Act passed Nov. 7, 1973
3rd Indochina War began Jan. 1975, with North Vietnam invasion of South Vietnam
Saigon fell Apr. 29, and the last Americans were evacuated Apr. 30, 1975

Communist victory resulted in the creation of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in 1976 and alliance with Russia in 1978.
In 1978, over 500,000 boat people began fleeing Vietnam, and were granted refuge in the U. S. by Jimmy Carter.
In 1979, Vietnam invaded Cambodia and defeated the Khmer Rouge, ended the terror reign of Pol Pot, and occupied the country until 1989.
China invaded Vietnam in Feb. 1979 but was halted by the Vietnamese army; by 1991 China established normal relations with Vietnam.
In 1994, The U.S. ended its embargo of Vietnam and in 1995 established formal diplomatic relations.
In 2000, Bill Clinton visited Vietnam and pledged help to remove land mines that had killed 40,000 people.
In 2001, the U. S. and Vietnam signed a trade agreement.
In 2007, Vietnam joined the World Trade Organization.

revised 5/1/07 by Steven Schoenherr | Songs & Films | TV and Vietnam | Cold War Policies