The War in Vietnam, political part

                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.

                As we all know at the very beginning, in the 19^th – 20^th 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…