PresidentYears Cold War Policy Decisions in Vietnam and events
Truman Eisenhower JFK LBJ Nixon Ford 1945- 1952 1953- 1960 1961-
1963 1963- 1969 1969- 1974 1974- 1975 Containment Diplomacy,
Brinksmanship, Covert operations Flexible Response Escalation
Vietnamization, Detente Detente
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(SEPTEMBER 2, 1945) "All men are created equal. They are
endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, among
these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" This
immortal statement was made in the Declaration of Independence of
the United States of America m 1776. In a broader sense, this
means: All the peoples on the earth are equal from birth, all the
peoples have a right to live, to be happy and free. The Declaration
of the French Revolution made in 1791 on the Rights of Man and the
Citizen also states: "All men are born free and with equal rights,
and must always remain free and have equal rights." Those are
undeniable truths. Nevertheless, for more than eighty years, the
French imperialists, abusing the standard of Liberty, Equality, and
Fraternity, have violated our Fatherland and oppressed our
fellow-citizens. They have acted contrary to the ideals of humanity
and justice. In the field of politics, they have deprived our
people of every democratic liberty.
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Should the United States support the French?
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1954 Geneva Accords- divided French Indochina into 4
nations.
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Hanoi Saigon 17th North Vietnam South Vietnam
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Hanoi Saigon 17th North Vietnam South Vietnam Ho Chi Minh Ngo
Dinh Diem
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American Planes Hit North Vietnam After Second Attack on Our
Destroyers; Move Taken to Halt New Aggression The New York Times.
New York, Friday August 7 th, 1964 President Johnson request broad
Military Powers 98 senators say yes, 2 senators say no, 435 reps
vote yes. Congress votes YES to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution.
Escalation and Rolling Thunder to follow. Can the enemy be worn
down? The Congress approves and supports the determination of the
President, as Commander in Chief, to take all necessary measures to
repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States and
to prevent further aggression. Is he telling the whole story?
According to Gulf of Tonkin Resolution:
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536,000
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The Tet Offensive In December of 1967, LBJ and General
Westmoreland stated that the end was near and that the enemy
couldnt threaten the South any longer. From 1964 to 1967 the war
was mostly supported by Americans. In January 1968, the NVA
attacked the northern base of Khe Sahn, this forced the US to
concentrate their attention and troops at this location. On January
31 st, 1968 during the Tet New Year celebration, the NVA and
Vietcong orgainized a surprise attack on every major South
Vietnamese town and city. Including the American Embassy in
Saigon.