Why did the USA become increasingly involved in Vietnam?

History Coursework- Question 1

The Vietnam War, which was bound to erupt at some point. The build up began in 1946, when war broke out between France and Viet Mingh. The US, because of recent increase in Communism in China, poured $500 million a year into French war effort and into a non-Communist government in Southern Vietnam. The war continued until 1954 until a peace conference in Geneva divided Vietnam into North and South until the next elections.

In Vietnam, in 1954, the USA decided that elections would not be held as it was petrified that the Communists would win. At this time, President Eisenhower and his Secretary of State JF Dulles were convinced that China and the USSR were planning to spread Communism throughout Asia. The idea was often referred to as ‘the Domino Theory.’ The Americans believed that if Vietnam became a Communist state, then Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and possibly India might follow, like a row of dominoes. The US government saw this as justification to begin a war and used this excuse in their defence against anti-war protesters. The Americans saw Vietnam as the first domino, which could fall quickly, but the way the Americans approached the situation showed ignorance towards the Vietnamese people.

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In 1955, a fierce anti-Communist Ngo Dinh Diem was supported by the US to begin a Republic of South Vietnam. He was of the landlord class and treated Vietnamese peasants with no respect, nor did he to the country’s religion, Buddhism. Diem was an unfair leader, he appointed members of his family to high positions of power and did not hold elections. Vietnam was on the borders of being under a dictatorship. The USA began to get worried. In 1950s the USA supported Diem with $1.6 billion. There was a conference in 1954 where all the main powers were called, this included Britain, France, USSR, China and of course, the USA. In 1953, there had been a Korean war which American troops were fighting on behalf of the UN. This had cost much money and many lives. It was not easy to find a solution which suited everyone, but eventually the powers decided that a temporary division of Vietnam would be set up to base the areas controlled by the Communist north and ex French and US backed south. Free and fair elections were also decided upon. This however, scared the US, as they knew that Ho Chi Minh would be voted as their leader. Once the US started backing Ngu Dinh Diem from 1955, after the Geneva Conference, they had no intention of holding free elections. Ho Chi Minh was happy enough to go along with the free election idea, he knew he would get power, however what he did not know was that by 1955, the Americans would be backing Diem in the south. Diem even rigged the plebiscite in 1965, which replaced the national elections. According to this plebiscite, Diem was to win an unlikely 98% of the votes including 200,000 of those from Saigon.

In November 1963, Diem was overthrown by his own army leaders. The US however continued to support the corrupt leaders, which followed. However, in December 1960, a Communist-led National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam was set up, known as the Viet Cong. The Viet Cong was supported by both the South and the North Vietnamese and meant taking orders from Ho Chi Minh. Intimidation and violence was issued to any peasant who did not support them.

A guerrilla war was soon started in the early part of 1965, this was when the Viet Cong had roughly 170,000, and were supported by fellow communists China and the USSR.

However, the US allies and the South Vietnamese fighters heavily outnumbered them. Ho Chi Minh, however believed that guerrilla tactics were the answer, the tactics were as follows; retreat when the enemy attacks, raid when the enemy camps; attack when the enemy tires; pursue when the enemy raids. This made the battle very hard for the US soldiers, the Viet Cong did not wear any uniform and worked in small numbers, this made it hard for the US to know whether they were civilians or not. Their morale was soon ruined especially when the Viet Cong introduced booby traps and ambushes. They became very selfish towards the peasants and were willing to kill anyone who co-operated with the South Vietnamese government. Teachers, lawyers, doctors and other occupations which were employed by the state were often executed by the ruthless side. Overall, between 1966 and 1971, the Viet Cong killed an estimated 27,000 civilians. Their greatest strength was their ability to not give in. As the Viet Cong were very much relying on the Ho Chi Minh trail to transport supplies and other needs, the US continued to bomb it for as long as possible, however, the Viet Cong made 40,000 people work hard to keep it going, this meant unlimited amount of losses for the Vietnamese. The US were not expecting this war to be hard to win, their technology was very superior, admittedly, but it was not a match compared to the Viet Cong’s guerrilla tactics.

American air force and supply bases were attacked and the countryside soon became unsafe for government forces. In 1962, military personnel was sent to fight the Viet Cong. In 1963 and 1964, there was great tension between the North and South of Vietnam, and the American military involvement increased, more than double the size of troops were sent over.

In 1963, President Kennedy was assassinated Lyndon Johnson who was his successor was more determined to begin a full-blown war to prevent any risk of Communism.

In 1964, the North Vietnamese patrol boats opened fire on US ships in the Tonkin Gulf Resolution. This made him more powerful than ever. He was now able to begin a serious was against Vietnam, if necessary. This soon became the case in 1965, 3500 US Marines came ashore at Da Nang.

America was now at war with Vietnam.