How Did America Become Increasingly Involved In Vietnam
How Did America Become Increasingly Involved In Vietnam ?
America - The major world power in the 1940's, unrivalled by nothing other than the expanding fog of Communism. The fog that had started in the USSR and had expanded across the world. America had devised a theory, 'The Domino Effect' this will be explained in detail later, but quite simply the Americans thought that if one country was to fall to communism then the adjoining countries will also turn communist, like dominos falling under the weight of each other. America believed in 'containing' communism and not letting it spread across the continents. They aimed to do this by effectively controlling a country with a steadfast democracy to stop the next 'domino' fall. Eastern Europe had come under the veil of Communism and was effectively under Russian rule. Communism was beginning to pressurize the Indo-Chinese country's into submission, the first country which was leaning towards Communist ways was that of Vietnam, the first domino. Internal parties, primarily the Vietminh who was under the control of Ho Chi Minh a Communist believer and a inspirational and influential person, were bringing pressure to the people of the country as well as outside pressure from the hulking Communist countries that were China and Russia, 'The Red Giants'. This relatively small country hadn't been independent since 1859, since the French captured Saigon after years of relentless fighting. Then, hope came through at a time of darkness, The Second World War was raging across Europe, France was falling underneath the waves of oppression from Germany. The French troops stationed in Vietnam were instantly recalled to their home country, leaving the country of Vietnam vulnerable to invasion and revolution, These two things were to happen in the years after the end of the Second World War.
The year was 1939, The Second World War Begins in Europe. France is invaded by German troops and is being crushed under the massive military firepower of their aggressors. French troops stationed in their colonies were withdrawn back to their falling country, Vietnam being one of these colonies. Japan instantly seized its chance and occupies the 'empty' country. They allowed the French administration to stay until they ousted it in the early months of 1945 and called Vietnam its own. This Japanese Vietnam was short lived as Japan was finally crushed by America. World War Two officially ends. ...
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The year was 1939, The Second World War Begins in Europe. France is invaded by German troops and is being crushed under the massive military firepower of their aggressors. French troops stationed in their colonies were withdrawn back to their falling country, Vietnam being one of these colonies. Japan instantly seized its chance and occupies the 'empty' country. They allowed the French administration to stay until they ousted it in the early months of 1945 and called Vietnam its own. This Japanese Vietnam was short lived as Japan was finally crushed by America. World War Two officially ends. This inadvertently involved America with Vietnam as they end Japanese rule in Vietnam. After Japan withdrew, the Vietminh established itself in Hanoi and made Vietnam into a Republic. At this time America is unaware of the danger of Communism and were sympathetic towards Ho because America did not believe in Empires and the French were moving back onto Vietnam as soon as the world war ended.
The French immediately tried to reassert itself in Vietnam after the Second World War, after a very short lived agreement which was signed by both France and Ho Chi Minh, which stated that France recognized Vietnam as a independent state in the Indochina federation. Peace did not last for long, fighting soon broke out. This conflict between France and the Vietminh lasted from 1946 to 1954, in which America became massively involved in French war efforts. The French formally asked America for financial support for the regime the French had imposed in Vietnam, America complied with obvious motives. Stopping the 'Domino Theory' in which it put forward the idea that if Vietnam falls under communism, the rest of Indo-China will be knocked over one by one like dominos, it was a frightening prospect if America aimed to stop communism in its tracks. They aimed to stop this from happening by halting the Communist party, the Vietminh, from taking control. In fact, during the French Indochina War, the war effort comprised of over 80 % of American financial support, America had a BIG agenda with military aid amounting to more than $500 million by 1951. They were using French military to do what THEY wanted. The French military efforts reached a eventual climax at the battle of Dien Bien Phu (1954). France was resolutely crushed and at the Geneva Conference. America had failed in stopping the Vietminh. Vietnam was split into separate countries on the 17th parallel, The Communist backed Ho Chi Minh regime in the north, and the French backed government of Bao Dai in the south.
At the same time of the partition, the President of the USA (President Eisenhower) sent the first U.S. advisors to South Vietnam to train the South Vietnamese Army (ARVN). A few months after the partition of Vietnam in 1954, South Vietnam withdrew from the French Union and attained complete sovereignty. In a referendum held in 1955, the electorate deposed Bao Dai as chief of state and approved a republic with Ngo Dinh Diem as president. The republic, was recognized as the legal government of South Vietnam by the United States and other western powers. North Vietnam, meanwhile, continued to be dominated by Ho Chi Minh, who maintained good relations with both China and the USSR, receiving enormous aid from both countries while skilfully protecting the independence of his country. Much national effort from North Vietnam was also devoted to the support of Communist insurgents in South Vietnam, The Vietcong.
By late 1961, the Viet Cong had control of virtually half of South Vietnam with little local opposition, basically controlling the countryside with the US and ARVN controlling the urban areas such as major towns and cities, much like the situation of the Vietminh fighting the French. The United States increased its military and economic aid to combat the Communist threat. This included the US aircraft carrier "Core" in Saigon, with 33 helicopters and 400 air and ground crewmen assigned to operate the aircraft for S. Vietnam.
In 1964 regular units of the North Vietnamese army began infiltrating into South Vietnam by way of what came to be known as the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. The guerrilla conflict expanded into open warfare. The United States, deeply committed to the support of the non-Communist government of South Vietnam, became increasingly involved militarily, sending troops, massive amounts of aid and billions of dollars. A announcement in 1964 by America stated that the US military presence in 'advisors' in Vietnam was increased from 5,000 to 21,000. America also got involved by coming up with 'Strategic Hamlets'. these were families from houses and towns from rural areas being relocated to more safer locations away from communist oppression, this did not work as they also moved communist sympathizers and actual VC members. It also made eth existing government less popular with the Buddhists who thought a house was sacred and wasn't to be moved out of.
Hostile actions took by America took place when there was a supposed attack by North Vietnam. The bombing of North Vietnam began after two U.S. destroyers (the USS Maddox and the USS C. Turner Joy) who were on routine patrol were reportedly attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin in 1964. The bombing of North Vietnam immediately followed suit and bombing was directed at military and industrial targets which extended to Hanoi and Haiphong. In 1965, the US Congress (A branch of the US government) provided $2.4 Billion for the Vietnam war effort, which is just a drop in the ocean compared to the final official estimate which was about $597 billion. Soon after the bombing American marines were dropped into south Vietnam, the war had become 'Americanised'
This 'timeline' shows very plainly that the US become increasingly involved in Vietnam beginning with political and financial aid to the French to halt the spread of the Vietminh communist ideas. Then, when the French were defeated, the US became militarily involved starting with 'advisors' and equipment to the South Vietnamese army. Two aircraft carriers are then reportedly attacked which then gives the 'green light' for bombing in North Vietnam. This triggered attacks from the NVA (North Vietnamese Army) all across the country of South Vietnam which leads the US to deploy the marines in South Vietnam. Simple logic would presume that the way to stop the spread of communism in South Vietnam was to 'cut the head off the beast' and land troops in North Vietnam. But the political implications would be enormous, as North Vietnam had Chinese and Russian backing, 'The Red Giants'. US money and men began to spill into the country, Which never came to no overall effect.
The statistics of the 'body-count' would show the US and South Vietnamese to be winning. Nothing was further from the truth ...
