US Policy of Containment in Vietnam Vietnam was originally a colony of the French Empire. During...

US Policy of Containment in Vietnam

Vietnam was originally a colony of the French Empire. During WWII, Japan invaded Vietnam, and the country was occupied by Japanese forces.

A strong anti-Japanese movement named the Viet Minh was set up, under a leader named Ho Chi Minh. He inspired the Vietnamese to fight for an independent Vietnam. He became hugely popular, and when the war with Japan ended, Ho Chi Minh controlled the North and was ready to assume control of the South.

However, after Ho Chi Minh had fought off the Japanese, the French wanted to reclaim control of its former colony. Ho had not fought off the Japanese just for the French to take the country back, and so, in 1946, war broke out between France and Vietnam.

The USA then decided to become involved in the War. At first they felt that the Vietnamese were oppressed peoples fighting against colonial rulers, and supported Ho Chi Minh in his fight for independence.

But, in 1949, China became communist, and started to give money to the Viet Minh movement. The Americans saw this as Communism trying to take over Asia, and because of their policy of containment and their Domino theory, began to support France, by giving $500 million per year and setting up a Non-Communist government in the South.


The war lasted 8 years. The Vietnamese used the same guerrilla warfare that they had to defeat the Japanese, and eventually, they defeated the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

The peace deal was that temporarily, the country would be split into two, a communist North, led by Ho Chi Minh, and a non-communist South, lead by Ngo Dinh Diem. Both parts would, in the future, hold free and fair democratic elections to decide who ruled the whole country.

However, the USA blocked these elections. Ho was hailed a hero after defeating the French and the Japanese. It was clear that Ho would win any election, and then, Vietnam would become communist.

US HYPOCRISY

After WWII, the USA criticised Stalin for not holding free and fair elections in Poland. Now the US are doing the same in Vietnam. This suggests that self determination is US policy when it suits them.


Vietnam was divided along a line of latitude known as the 17th Parallel. After the French had been driven out at Dien Bien Phu, it was decided at the Geneva Conference to implement this as a temporary peace-keeping measure.

North Vietnam

South Vietnam

Leader? Ho Chi MInh Ngo Dinh Diem

Politics? Communist Non-Communist

Popularity & Personality?

Hugely popular, seen as war hero

Very unpopular. Restricted all civil liberties, treatred opponents brutally, placed restrictions on Buddhist church, leading to self-immolation

Support? North Vietnamese Army (NVF) & Viet Cong (South Vietnamese Communists)

South Vietnamese Army, USA

The USA get involved for two reasons. Their “South East Asian Domino Theory” and the Truman Doctrine. USA felt compelled to act on Vietnam once the North became communist along with China in 1949. After what happened in Eastern Europe, they had to act on their policy of containment and fight to stop communism spreading.


USA has little involvement:

JFK was president and

would not send troops to

Vietnam because he

knew they had little chance of

winning.

USA involvement escalates: JFK assassinated in Nov 1963, Lyndon Baines Johnson becomes

president. Johnson agrees with CIA to send lots of troops at a huge cost – he is determined to contain

communism.

US Withdrawal: Johnson and CIA realises there is little

hope of winning the

war, and begin to bring troops

out.


He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day.

Principles of

Retreat when the enemy attacks, raid when the enemy camps, attack when the enemy tires, pursue when the enemy retreats.

This is the most sensible tactic for the Viet Cong to use. It uses the jungle to their advantage, because the US troops are completely out of their comfort zone. The US had far more advanced weapons than they did, so this was their only option.

The Vietcong could be courteous and helpful to local communities, helping peasants in the rice fields. Ho knew this was important to maintain popularity. However, if villagers were cooperating with the USA, they would be killed. The VCs also launched attacks on police, tax collectors and employees of the South Vietnamese government. 27,000 civilians were killed by the Viet Cong between ‘66 and ‘71.

Psychological War – wearing the enemy down, wrecking their moral, making them believe that they cannot win.


US Tactics in VietnamUS Tactics in Vietnam

Tactic One: Operation Rolling Thunder

•7th February 1965 – 1972

•Bombed anywhere in Vietnam, but Vietcong had no military bases, no industry, no cities – so really there was nothing to bomb.

•The aerial bombardment only slowed the Viet Cong down, it did not stop them. It disrupted their supply routes, but they still managed to operate and launch a major assault on the South.

•Bombing raids cost USA hugely; 14,000 US/SVA planes were shot down.

Tactic Two: Search and Destroy

Developed by US Commander General Westmoreland

•Targeted bombing from planes and helicopters, followed by an attack on foot.

•Troops would enter a village and kill any suspected Viet Cong. For every VC captured, 6 innocent people were killed.

•Search and destroy missions drove peasants to support the Viet Cong. The survivors of attacks were so horrified, that they became VC for revenge. USA was creating more and more enemies.

•Inexperienced US troops often walked into booby traps


US Tactics in VietnamUS Tactics in Vietnam

Tactic Three: Chemical Weapons

•“Agent Orange” developed by USA. Highly toxic weed killer, as part of the US policy of defoliation. To destroy trees and crops. Agent orange is tetragenic and carcinogenic (causes birth defects and cancer)

•Napalm was originally used as an “incendiary device” to start fires in jungle. It was then filled with polystyrene and used as an anti-personnel device. It would stick to the skin and burn at 800 degrees Celsius.

•The use of chemical weapons shows the US desperation for victory. However, it turned many Vietnamese against them, because after seeing such horrendous scenes, they wanted revenge.

US Difficulty in VietnamUS Difficulty in Vietnam

Jungle Terrain - US troops were completely unfamiliar with this terrain, and their tanks and armoured vehicles were no use to them. Malaria and trench foot killed many soldiers.

Training and Experience – Army filled with new recruits, who had just 6-8 weeks training. They did not understand why they were fighting. A soldier’s tour was 12 months long, and just as he was gaining experience, he would be sent home. Most troops died in their first 6 months of duty.

Booby Traps – Viet Cong often set booby traps in villages like bombs and mines. Soldiers lived in constant fear of steeping into the traps.

“The invisible enemy” – Viet Cong looked the same as all other villagers. Troops faced with the decision to kill all of them (safe, but many civilians would be killed) or kill just suspects (and risk some VCs getting away). Soldiers would always be terrified that a VC would jump out at them because it was impossible to see in the dense jungle.


In 1968, the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong launched a major attack. It was during the Tet New Year celebrations, and USA thought they would not attack – so they did. VC and NVA forces attacked over 100 cities, and one commando unit took control of the US Embassy in Saigon. US forces had to regain control room by room. Around 4500 communists tied down a much larger force of South Vietnamese/US soldiers for 2 days.Disaster for

CommunistsDisaster for USA

• The people of South Vietnam did not ‘rise up and join them’ as hoped.•10,000 experienced Viet Cong fighters killed•Forces were severely weakened, and were eventually defeated.

• The fact that it actually happened made them believe they could not win the war.•500,000 troops spending $20 billion every year were challenged by a small army with few resources•US forces had to use huge amounts of artillery and air power to reclaim towns captured by the communists. This killed many civilians and destroyed the town of Hue.


On 16th March 1968, Charlie Company entered the village of My Lai. They were under the impression that they were to kill everyone. In 4 hours, 300-400 civilians were killed. Women and girls were raped. Civilians were rounded up and shot down with machine guns into a ditch.

This happened because…

It was just like a training exercise – they were trained to kill and in My Lai, they just carried out the orders.

They were frustrated with the invisible enemy, and had an attitude of self preservation.

Soldiers felt that they needed revenge on those who had killed their friends.

The consequences were…

In September 1968, Lieutenant William Calley of Charlie Company was convicted of 109 murders. He was sentenced to 20 years hard labour, and released after just 3.

Revelations of events at My Lai deeply shocked US public. Life magazine published photos which triggered the largest political protest in US History.

Army superiors placed all of the blame on Calley, insisting that no order to kill everyone in the village had come form them.

USA pulls out of Vietnam…

Vietnam QuagmireVietnam QuagmireIt became increasingly apparent that the war was unwinnable. More troops in

Vietnam meant more deaths, because the troops were creating their own enemies. The war was costing $billions and 50,000 US soldiers had been killed.

International Moral PressureInternational Moral PressureAmerica was occupying Vietnam against the wishes of its own people. Other

countries began to condemn America which made the USSR look better. The war was morally unjustifiable.

Deterioration of relationship between USA and South VietnamDeterioration of relationship between USA and South VietnamThe South Vietnamese government realised that it was hated by its own

people because it was so corrupt. The US found it more difficult to support Vietnam.

Opposition in the USOpposition in the USUS people were opposed to the war, and a country cannot fight a war without the support of its own people. The length of the war, extension of the draft and reports

of atrocities like My Lai caused this opposition.

Vietnam was the first Media War, when almost all had televisions in their homes. Video footage of the My Lai massacre was delivered straight to the homes of US citizens, and they were horrified.

The Draft was hugely unpopular. It was meant to be random, but rich white families could send their sons to university, or another country to dodge the draft, and so it was poor black Americans who were recruited. Mohammed Ali famously refused to go, and after that, increasing numbers of Americans refused. This made it really difficult for the army to recruit.

Huge peace demonstrations were held across America. In 1967, the Woodstock Rally was held. Songs like “Feel like I’m fixing to die” by Country Joe and the Fish, and “Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie were written, and phrases such as “Hey Hey LBJ, How many kids have you killed today?” were chanted.

Kent State University Massacre, Ohio, 1971. Students were protesting peacefully. They were told to disperse and didn’t, and so they shot dead 4 unarmed protesters. The government had to threaten people with death to maintain support for the war.

US Policy of Containment in Vietnam After the Tet Offensive, it was clear that the USA could not win the War.

In March 1968, the first peace conference was held. Johnson announced he would not be seeking re-election (because he knew he had no chance of winning)

Nixon was elected in Nov. 1968. The challenge was not to win the war, but to get out of it with least embarrassment possible.

USA did not want to be discredited by other countries; US had gone from being a world super power to an embarrassing defeat by a small country.

American Policy to disengage from

Vietnam

Peace Negotiations with Vietnam – Henry Kissinger (National Security Advisor) held meetings with Le Duc Tho (chief negotiator, Vietnam)

Pressure from USSR and China on North Vietnam – Nixon improved relations with the two largest communist countries. “Détente” (being nice to USSR) and “Ping Pong Diplomacy” (table tennis competitions with China).

Bombing – Nixon increased bombing campaigns to prove that the USA had not given up.

Vietnamisation – phased handover of the war to South Vietnamese control between 1969-71. This meant training the South Vietnamese to fight their own war. The USA knows that this will mean the North will easily win, and so this is them giving up in disguise, hiding the fact that they are admitting defeat.

1972 – North Vietnam launch major offensive on South Vietnam but failed to conquer.

Paris 1973 – Le Duc Tho, Nixon, and leader of South Vietnam, Thieu, signed a peace agreement. Nixon called it “peace with honour”.

29th March 1973 – last American Forces left Vietnam.

December 1974 – North Vietnam saw a final opportunity for victory

April 1975 – North Vietnam conquered South Vietnam, and renamed Saigon Ho Chi Minh City in recognition to the man who started them on the road to independence 30 years before.

US Policy of Containment in Vietnam Vietnam was originally a colony of the French Empire. During...

Documents

Transcript of US Policy of Containment in Vietnam Vietnam was originally a colony of the French Empire. During...