We’re coming back with the Vietnam War
series and today we need to cover political machinations behind the war.
Subject is interesting and necessary to understand the whole conflict and
reasons of the U.S.’ defeat. This outcome did not come out of nowhere. It has
been huge series of actions in the world politics which made U.S. unable to win
and unable to keep the war going on. I’ll try to keep it short and on topic,
but we will see how it goes ;)
Soon will be another article about strictly military point of view.
Soon will be another article about strictly military point of view.
As we all know at the very
beginning, in the 19th – 20th century, France took
control over Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. No one really could fight them back
(or rather: all resistant movements were arguing with each other and did not
achieve anything spectacular)… Beside, France back then still knew how to
fight… After a few decades (in 1930’s and 1940’s) everything started to change.
Japan woke up, marched through China (not exactly but China is not a country
that can be easily defeated) and started looking on the French Indochina. They
needed oil and other resources and, what is even more important, French
garrisons were already more like a joke than the real army. Here, in this
already complicated situation, America is coming in. They certainly don’t like
Japanese control over Asia, and without any other options to fight Japan, U.S.
starts helping Viet Minh in their fight for independence. As we all know, Japan
is defeated in 1945. Vietnam now expects U.S. to declare their independence and
to help Vietnam to rebuild after the war.
After the ending of the World
War II, however, starts another painful war – Cold War. United States needs
France like never before and is ready to help her no matter what. Even if U.S.
would have to sell its previous ally. France receives then money and diplomatic
help from America in order to once more take control over Indochina. Operation
ends with full success. Until 1946, when Viet Minh officially starts a war
against new occupant. Ho Chi Minh asks for help from other socialist countries
and when Communist China wins their civil war (in 1949), North Vietnam gets
wind in their sails. In 1954 new countries are born and three years later
communists are going south…
Here it is important to notice
what’s happening in the United States. Dwight D. Eisenhower (pr. 1953-1961)
forms “Domino Theory” in which he states that when one Asian country would fall
into communism, other would soon follow. That is why the United States need to
stop North Vietnam… However, Eisenhower didn’t see the need to send American
troops into Vietnam. Yes, in 1957 war between North and South already raged but
there was no decisive advantage on either of the sides. John F. Kennedy (pr.
1961-1963) was the first president to send American experts and training
officers into Vietnam in order to help the South win the war. In 1964, during
Lyndon B. Johnson presidency (1963-1969), North Vietnam attacked American
destroyer, USS Maddox. President Johnson during the election said that he will
never allow American boys to be send into Vietnam, however, now attack on USS
Maddox is mostly considered as U.S.’ provocation in order to start that war.
Well... no matter what we say, Johnson was the one to start war in Vietnam and
to push American soldiers inside that country…
Now let’s take a second to talk
about the South Vietnam. Ngo Dinh Diem was the president and by his
anti-communist attitude he received help from the U.S.A. He was a nationalist
and a catholic and the things he hated the most were communist (no surprise
here!) and Buddhists. While communists are fully expected to be hated,
persecution of Buddhists and restricting their rights was one of Diem’s worst
decisions ever made. Because of his actions all American attempts to win
“hearts and minds” of the South Vietnamese failed miserable. At the end Diem’s
allies (mostly U.S.) no longer wanted to make business with him and so, they overthrown
his government… the problem is, it even worsened whole situation. Southern
government lost last percent of trust among its people (needless to say, Diem
was the last competent politic of the South Vietnam?)
Later everything has been as
should be – Nixon (pr. 1969-1974) came in and said that the war should be over.
And beside the bombardment of Cambodia, he actually started ending the war.
Americans started going out, South started panicking, North was enthusiastic…
War ended in Saigon, in 1975…
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz