From a US foreign policy statement made in 1952 it is clear why the US are involved in Vietnam. The statement says that “US foreign policy should prevent the countries of south east Asia from passing into communist influence” also to “assist them to develop the will and ability to resist communism and should help them to contribute to the strengthening of the free world.” This was also underlined by JFK in 1956, before his presidency “the independence of Vietnam is crucial to the Free World”.
Other than financial intervention it was Eisenhower who brought in the first US advisers, a “Cold War combat team”.
In 1959 the government of the Communist North decided to undermine Ngo’s government. This would be carried out by strengthening their Vietminh agents in the South. In December 1960 it was clear to the US that the communists intentions were to take over the South when the NLF was formed. This was a South Vietnamese resistance movement. For the funding for the NLF came from the North Vietnamese communist party. The NLF was formed to overthrow Ngo Dinh Diem and eventually unify Vietnam.
In 1961, Kennedy became president. During Kennedy’s presidency the nature of US involvement changed again. JFK brought in more and more advisers rather than give financial aid. The involvement was beginning to become more direct.
In Kennedy’s inaugural address in January 1961 he made a very bold statement: “Let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of liberty.” From this it seems that Vietnam to him was a trial of strength. Kennedy was clearly sure of victory for if they lose they were to be disgraced. Kennedy’s statement became the basis of all subsequent US policies. It is also clear that this war was for the liberty of South Vietnam in Kennedy’s eyes.
Some people advised Kennedy to increase military, technical and economic aid as well as a large-scale introduction of US advisers. They would help to stabilise Diem and his government to crush the NLF. Although others recommended for the US to pull out saying the war was a “dead end alley”. As is common with most of Kennedy’s policies he chose the middle route. The US would increase its military involvement through more machinery and advisers but not use whole-scale troops.
So between 1961 and 1963 US advisers increased from 800 to 16000. Kennedy said: “it is their war”, he made it clear they were not fighting the war for them: “They are the ones who have to win it or lose it”. Therefore under Kennedy the US were there to help and aid South Vietnam to fight off Communism. Although in November 1963 before Kennedy could get anything done he was assassinated. Also in that month Ngo Dinh Diem, was overthrown.
Following the assertive Kennedy in came the more aggressive Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ was strongly anti-Communist and believed in a more military intervention. LBJ’s aggressive action escalated the war from a relatively quiet counter-insurgency campaign into a fierce war. LBJ was clearly determined not to lose Vietnam to Communism. “I am not going to be the President who saw south east Asia go the way China went...I want to leave the footprints of America there. We’re going to turn the Mekong into a Tennessee Valley.” One clear reason behind US involvement and it also shows LBJ’s aggressive front. Although it was not until August 1964 when he would be justified in doing as he claimed. For at the Tonkin Gulf there was an alleged attack on a US destroyer on patrol of the North Vietnamese coast.
Following this attack LBJ said to Congress: “The threat to the free nations of south east Asia has long been clear. The North Vietnamese government has constantly sought to take over South Vietnam and Laos...The USA will continue its basic policy of assisting free nations of the area to defend their freedom.” there LBJ claims the US are helping gain freedom for the South Vietnamese.
Following an attack on two army installations in South Vietnam by the NLF in January 1965. LBJ felt himself justified to order sustained bombing missions, so in February operation “Rolling Thunder” was carried out. This bombing campaign was an attempt to halt the supply of men and munitions along the Ho Chi Minh trails. The US state departments attempts at justifying this act was: “The war in Vietnam is not a spontaneous and local rebellion against the established government. In Vietnam a Communist government has set out to conquer a sovereign people in a neighbouring state. North Vietnam’s commitment to seize control of the south is no less total than was the commitment of North Korea to take the South in 1950.” Although despite using record numbers of bombs this campaign failed to stop the supplies from the north. Therefore it became necessary to increase the number of US ground forces. Although US strategy was to have a limited war with minimal mobilisation of resources, material and human whilst causing as little disruption as possible to everyday lives in America. A goal which was never met. On March 7th 1965 the first two combat units landed in Vietnam.
In April of the same year LBJ reiterated the US’ selfless involvement in Vietnam. “We are there because we have a promise to keep” and “We want nothing for ourselves”. LBJ wanted the “quick kill”, to be able to go into Vietnam liberate the south and leave with few casualties. Although it did not go as planned. The US generals were confident that each new tactic or each new contingent of GIs would do the trick. The Johnson administration continued to say the war was justified due to the domino theory.
LBJ also looked back at how they stopped the march of fascism: “You will remember that we stood in Western Europe twenty years ago. Is there anyone in this chamber tonight who doubts that the course of freedom was not changed for the better because of the courage of that stand?” Now LBJ makes it clear that the US became involved in the war to stop another march, one of Communism: “The Asia of tomorrow will be far different because we have said in Vietnam, as we said 16 years ago in Korea: “This far and no further”.”
Although in January 1968 the NLF began to take the upper hand. At Khe Sanh the North Vietnamese army began an eleven week siege of the US military base. Here is an extract from a report made by Walter Kronkite, a very well respected reporter in the US. “Khe Sanh was designed to be a small border stronghold. For reasons of US pride it has been built up into a major fortress where 55000 marines are isolated.” This demonstrates how the war had began to lose its focus and pride was all that was left to fight for. The war was a military failure but caused havoc domestically. The people knew this and disagreed about this and the suffering of the US soldiers and the Vietnamese civilians caught in the cross fire.
Hence in March LBJ called a partial halt to the bombing. Also he decided not to run for a second term. As well as this he hinted negotiating with the Communists to end the war. So in May the Paris Peace Talks began.
In November Nixon became president, he was under intense pressure to stop the war but a lot of pride would be at stake if he did so. Therefore Nixon took steps to end the war but increased it as well. For in April 1969 the US forces reach their peak, 543000 and then the first GIs leave. This was counteracted by Vietnamisation. This involved rearming and training the South Vietnamese army. They would take over from the US soldiers. The war was also increased by an invasion of Laos in an attempt to destroy Communist sanctuaries and supply routes. Then in April 1970 this spread into Cambodia with intense bombing campaigns and intervention. In December 1972 the “Christmas Bombings” were carried out over the largest North Vietnamese cities, Hanoi and Haiphong. Although the war was tied up by January 1973 when the Paris Peace Agreements ended open hostilities between the two nations. In March all of the US combat troops had left Vietnam. This was only the end of the war for the US, the South Vietnamese army fought on till the fall of Saigon on April 30th 1975.
The US became involved in the war for a variety of reasons. Originally due to the domino theory and defending a nation that could lose its liberty. Although as the war progressed the reason changed. As the presidents came and went their policies towards the war changed. The nature of Truman and Eisenhower’s intervention was financial. Although under Kennedy it was advice and advisors. LBJ was most aggressive and involved heavy military action. Nixon was military yet also wanted peace. All through the conflict the justification came from the domino theory. It was always claimed that the fall to Communism of Vietnam would cause other countries to fall to it. Although the domino theory became obsolete as the Cold War became detente during Nixon’s presidency which meant the US had to accept the fact Communism exists.