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Vietnam 1954 - 1964Vietnam
1954 - 1964
O Ngo Dinh Diem, a French-educated, Roman Catholic
took over control
of the South
Vietnam was to be divided
at the 17th parallel
Ho Chi Minh’s forces were given
control of the North
At the Geneva Conference it
was decided that:
z But Diem backed out of the elections, leading to military conflict between North and South
Date was set for democratic
elections to reunify Vietnam
U.S. Military Involvement BeginsU.S. Military Involvement Begins
z Diem = Dictator (but an anti-communist one!)P Buddhist majority persecutedP Torture, no political freedom
z The U.S. aided Diem’s gov’tP Eisenhower sent financial/ military aidP 675 U.S. Army “advisors” sent by 1960
U.S. Military Involvement Increases
Gen. Maxwell Taylor’s recommendation (Oct. 1961): --send 8000 troops
Sec. of Defense McNamara’s recommendation (Nov. 1961):--send 200,000 troops
In 1962, JFK sends 11,000 troops in to train & coordinate South Vietnamese troops
Americans soon began to suffer casualties
Protests of Diem’s Government
Protests of Diem’s Government
Self-Emulation by a Buddhist Monk
AssassinationsAssassinations
z 1963: JFK supports a Vietnamese military coup d’etat – Diem murdered
Nov. 2 z But then:Kennedy
assassinated weeks later(Nov. 22)
Lyndon Baines Johnson
• Incredible Negotiator
• Had served many terms in Congress
• Huge supporter of civil rights & helping the poor
Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) becomes president
Sec. of Defense Robert McNamara advises
LBJ to rout the communists“Unless we can achieve this objective in South
Vietnam, almost all of Southeast Asia [Vietnam, Laos, and
Cambodia] will probably fall under Communist dominance . . .
Thailand might hold for a period with our help, but would
be under grave pressure. Even the Philippines would
become shaky, and the threat to India to the west, Australia and
New Zealand to the south, and Taiwan, Korea, and
Japan to the north and east would be greatly
increased. . . .
[T]he rest of the world [is watching because]the South
Vietnam conflict is regarded as a test case of U.S. capacity
to help a nation meet a Communist ‘war of liberation.’”
Johnson Inherits Most of Kennedy’s AdvisorsJohnson Inherits Most of Kennedy’s Advisors
Gearing up for 1964 election, Johnson wanted congressional support for
involvement in Vietnam
Would give LBJ• Increased credibility• Increased flexibility• Tough image against
his opponent Barry Goldwater
So he wrote up a statementasking Congress for power to use military in Vietnam if necessary—and then he waited for the right time to make his request
First Tonkin Gulf Incident, August 2, 1964Context: Two U.S. Operations Were Being Carried Out:a) Hit and run strikes on N.
Vietnamese coastal areasb) Cruising within 8 miles of
Vietnamese coast to trigger and locate radar stations
On Aug. 2nd the U.S. destroyer Maddox was attacked by several N. Vietnamese patrol boats• No U.S. casualties• LBJ sent a stern message to North
Vietnamese leaders but did not order any retaliation at that time
On August 5, Johnson publicly ordered retaliatory measures, bombing four torpedo boat bases, and an oil-storage facility .
Second Tonkin Gulf Incident, August 4 • The Maddox and a second destroyer, the Turner Joy were immediately ordered back into the area.
• Another hit and run mission was conducted.
• That night radar & sonar readings indicated they were under attack, but no enemy boats were actually seen and no hostile gunfire was heard.
• Both destroyers fired for several hours at the unseen attackers. Heavy rain contributed to the confusion.
Several days later analysis of the incident raised doubts that any attack had occurred at all: Johnson himself said, “Hell, those dumb stupid sailors were just shooting at flying fish.”
The Tonkin Gulf Resolution
“The Blank Check”:--authorized the President “to take all necessary measures to repel any armed attack against the forces of the United States
and to prevent further aggression”
House 416-0Senate 88-2
Separation of Powers Regarding Use of Military Force
Article I says only Congress can declare
war and provide funding to fight a war
Article II says thePresident is
Commander in chief
