Overview Of The War
The Vietnam War was essentially the prevention of the spread of communism. Sticking to our Cold War policy of containment, the United Sates of America made preventing the spread of communism a first priority. They believed in the "domino effect" theory, which hypothesized that if one country in South East Asia fell to communism, the rest would follow.
It all started in 1941, when the communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh arrived back in his home country after many years of traveling the world. Ho despised the French colonial rule of Vietnam that had been in place for many decades. Attempting to overthrow the French rule and create an independent Vietnam, Ho announced the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. Ho had gained support in northern Vietnam, and established the Viet Minh, his loyal followers.
The United States refused an alliance with the Viet Minh, fearing the spread of communism. To help prevent the possibility of a communist Vietnam, in 1950 the United States decided to assist the French in defeating the Viet Minh rebellion by supplying military aid. However in 1954, after suffering a defeat at Diem Bien Phu, the French decided to withdraw from Vietnam. That same year, at the Geneva Conference, it was decided that upon French withdrawal the country would be split on the 17th parallel into two sections : Communist North and Non-Communist South. A general election was to be held in 1956 to unite the country again. The United states refused to support this election, fearing a communist victory.
The United States instead supported an election only in South Vietnam, in which Ngo Dinh Diem was elected. Turning out to be a horrible leader, he was killed by a coup in 1963 that was supported by the United States. Because of his horrible leadership, communist sympathizers in South Vietnam established the Viet Cong in 1960, a force that employed guerrilla warfare against the South Vietnamese. As the conflict between the South Vietnamese and the Viet Cong escalated, the United States reluctantly began to send more and more advisers to South Vietnam. After two U.S. ships were directly fired upon in 1964 by the Viet Cong, the United States Congress passed a resolution that expanded U.S. involvement in Vietnam. President Johnson used this power to land the first ground troops to Vietnam in 1965.
Johnson's plan was not to win a war against the Northern Vietnamese, but to strengthen the South until they could fend for themselves. However, his plan not to win the war foreshadowed public dissatisfaction when the troops in Vietnam found themselves at a stalemate with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese. The American troops fought a blind and frustrating war in the jungles of Vietnam. The Viet Cong would ambush and set booby traps, only to disappear into the dense jungle or a vast network of underground tunnels. The biggest challenge of the U.S. troops was simply finding the enemy. Allied and enemy patrols could come within yards of each other without knowing!
A turning point came in 1968, when the enemy forces surprised Americans and South Vietnamese with the massive "Tet Offensive." The coordinated strike surprised the anti-communist forces, who had underestimated their enemy. This was a turning point because combined with an unhappy public, the bad news from military commanders in Vietnam convinced President Johnson not to expand the war any further.
After being elected in 1969, President Nixon had his own plan to end the conflict. He began removing troops from Vietnam, and after another heavy assault from the enemy in 1972, peace talks in Paris finally produced a cease fire agreement in 1973. The last of the U.S. troops left Vietnam in March 29, 1973, fully aware that they were leaving behind a fragile and vulnerable South Vietnam. The Southern government was, as predicted, toppled in 1975. The country was reunited as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
It all started in 1941, when the communist revolutionary leader Ho Chi Minh arrived back in his home country after many years of traveling the world. Ho despised the French colonial rule of Vietnam that had been in place for many decades. Attempting to overthrow the French rule and create an independent Vietnam, Ho announced the creation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on September 2, 1945. Ho had gained support in northern Vietnam, and established the Viet Minh, his loyal followers.
The United States refused an alliance with the Viet Minh, fearing the spread of communism. To help prevent the possibility of a communist Vietnam, in 1950 the United States decided to assist the French in defeating the Viet Minh rebellion by supplying military aid. However in 1954, after suffering a defeat at Diem Bien Phu, the French decided to withdraw from Vietnam. That same year, at the Geneva Conference, it was decided that upon French withdrawal the country would be split on the 17th parallel into two sections : Communist North and Non-Communist South. A general election was to be held in 1956 to unite the country again. The United states refused to support this election, fearing a communist victory.
The United States instead supported an election only in South Vietnam, in which Ngo Dinh Diem was elected. Turning out to be a horrible leader, he was killed by a coup in 1963 that was supported by the United States. Because of his horrible leadership, communist sympathizers in South Vietnam established the Viet Cong in 1960, a force that employed guerrilla warfare against the South Vietnamese. As the conflict between the South Vietnamese and the Viet Cong escalated, the United States reluctantly began to send more and more advisers to South Vietnam. After two U.S. ships were directly fired upon in 1964 by the Viet Cong, the United States Congress passed a resolution that expanded U.S. involvement in Vietnam. President Johnson used this power to land the first ground troops to Vietnam in 1965.
Johnson's plan was not to win a war against the Northern Vietnamese, but to strengthen the South until they could fend for themselves. However, his plan not to win the war foreshadowed public dissatisfaction when the troops in Vietnam found themselves at a stalemate with the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese. The American troops fought a blind and frustrating war in the jungles of Vietnam. The Viet Cong would ambush and set booby traps, only to disappear into the dense jungle or a vast network of underground tunnels. The biggest challenge of the U.S. troops was simply finding the enemy. Allied and enemy patrols could come within yards of each other without knowing!
A turning point came in 1968, when the enemy forces surprised Americans and South Vietnamese with the massive "Tet Offensive." The coordinated strike surprised the anti-communist forces, who had underestimated their enemy. This was a turning point because combined with an unhappy public, the bad news from military commanders in Vietnam convinced President Johnson not to expand the war any further.
After being elected in 1969, President Nixon had his own plan to end the conflict. He began removing troops from Vietnam, and after another heavy assault from the enemy in 1972, peace talks in Paris finally produced a cease fire agreement in 1973. The last of the U.S. troops left Vietnam in March 29, 1973, fully aware that they were leaving behind a fragile and vulnerable South Vietnam. The Southern government was, as predicted, toppled in 1975. The country was reunited as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.