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Pentagon Papers was the name of a secret Department of Defense study that looked at U.S. political & military involvement in Vietnam from 1945-1967. Daniel Ellsberg released parts of these papers to the NY Times without permission, who published them. The published parts of the papers revealed that the Truman, Kennedy, Eisenhower, & Johnson Administrations misled the public about how involved the US was in Vietnam. These papers confirmed many people's suspicions about the US' role in the war.
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Eisenhower strengthened allies, used the CIA to carry out secret actions against Soviet-friendly governments, relied on nuclear weapons to deter communism, and maintained the U.S. economy. He hoped to achieve a détente with the USSR in his last years of office that would produce a treaty banning the use of nuclear weapons. He concentrated on maintaining world peace, and pursued a middle course in domestic policy. He urged the importance of maintaining stable military strength before he left.
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Ho Chi Minh established a headquarters in northern Vietnam & the Viet Minh, whose goal was to rid Vietnam of French/Japanese occupiers. In 1954, the French aimed to cut Viet Minh's supply lines to Laos, so they built a large base at Dien Bien Phu. They hoped that the base would start a battle between the Viet Minh and the French, who would win. However, the base was soon taken over by the Viet Minh, and the entire French garrison was killed or captured. This led to the Geneva Accords of 1954.
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At this conference, representatives of France, the US, the Dem. Republic of Vietnam, the State of Vietnam, and many others met to work out an agreement. The goal of the conference was to remove France from Vietnam as well as find an agreement that would unify Vietnam and stabilize Cambodia and Laos. The 'agreement' was known as the Geneva Accords. (More about the agreement on the Geneva Accords event because of character limit).
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The Accords outlined the following: Vietnam would be temporarily divided in half along the 17th Parallel, the "neck" of the country. The Vietminh would control the north section, & the State of Vietnam would control the south. Elections would occur in both parts on July 20, 1956 to determine which side would govern the whole country. France agreed to withdraw their troops. However, neither the US or the State of Vietnam ever signed the agreement. The US began to aid S.Vietnam within a year. -
Kennedy's goal of his presidency was to 'reenergize' foreign policy. He believed communism was a threat to the US, and he implemented a more 'flexible' defense strategy, one relying on multiple options dealing with the USSR, discouraging massive retaliation, & encouraged mutual deterrence. He avoided war in Laos, but authorized sending troops to S. Vietnam & increased those numbers over the years. The administration. was determined not to lose S. Vietnam & southeast Asia to communism.
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Johnson's goal was not for the U.S. to win the Vietnam War, but for their troops to support South Vietnam until they could take over. He was committed to maintaining independence in S. Vietnam. He believed in the "containment theory," which was that if Vietnam fell to communists, other nations would do the same. His decisions were based on complex political/military considerations, and he steered a middle course. He made progress on arms control and space.
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The Tonkin Incident was a naval event that led to the US' full involvement in the Vietnam War. A few days prior, on 7/31, the USS Maddox attacked two N. Vietnamese islands. On 8/2, the Maddox faced 3 torpedo boats that wanted to chase it away. Maddox fired first, with what the US claimed to be warning shots, & the 3 boats opened fie on the Maddox. Th destroyer Turner Joy was sent to reinforce the Maddox, and fighting went on for a few days. Today, most people believe this incident was made up. -
The Tonkin Resolution was an act passed in response to the Tonkin incident a few days prior. This resolution authorized the president to take any measures he believed were necessary to fight back and promote/maintain international peace and security. President Johnson used this power to order U.S. troops to Vietnam in March of 1965. The resolution launched America fully into the Vietnam War. -
The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, headed by Senator Fulbright, began a series of televised hearings that questioned the Johnson Administration's policies towards the war. These hearings are believed to have helped public opinion turn against the war, giving the antiwar movement a bigger platform. However, they did little to change the war policy, as troops continued to flow into S. Vietnam.
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The Tet Offensive was a series of N. Vietnamese attacks on 100+ cities & outposts in S. Vietnam.It was an attempt to instigate a rebellion among the S. Vietnamese population & encourage the US to minimize involvement in the war. Friendly forces managed to hold off the attacks, but news coverage shocked the American public & caused public support for the war to decrease. Despite heavy casualties, N. Vietnam gained a strategic victory, marking the beginning of American withdrawal from the region.
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The My Lai Massacre was a horrific event where a company of American soldiers brutally killed most of the people in the village of My Lai. Over 500 innocent, unarmed civilians were slaughtered, including some women who were raped and mutilated before death. Army officers covered up the carnage for a year before it was reported to the press, who were rightly outraged. The brutality of the killings and the cover-up of them further divided the public over the Vietnam War. -
A large part of the Nixon Administration's plan to end the Vietnam War was the strategy known as Vietnamization.
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President Nixon ordered US troops to invade Cambodia on 4/28, and announced it to the public 2 days later. The invasion felt like a final straw to many who felt that Nixon had abused his powers as president. This criticism culminated in the passing of the War Powers Act in 1973. In 1969, Nixon approved a series of secret bombings of suspected communist base camps in Cambodia, a neutral country in the war. Nixon later defended this at a press conference.
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Daniel Ellsberg is an American military analyst and researcher. He was the man who released parts of the Pentagon Papers to the New York Times in 1971, with the hope that they would help to end the Vietnam War. -
After peace talks between the US and N. Vietnam collapsed on December 13, Nixon ordered the beginning of a bombing campaign to break the stalemate. The campaign was nearly two weeks of American aircraft dropping over 20,000 tons of bombs on the cities of Hanoi and Haiphong. The US lost 15 B-52s and 11 other aircraft during the attacks, and N. Vietnam claimed that over 1600 civilians were killed. North Vietnam agreed to resume the talks on 12/29, and the Paris Treaty was signed a few weeks later.
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The War Powers Act is a resolution designed to limit the President's ability to initiate or make worse military actions abroad. The law requires, among other restrictions, that Presidents notify Congress after deploying armed forces. It also limits how long units can remain engaged without the approval of Congress. Its goal was to avoid another long conflict like the Vietnam War. Its effectiveness, however, has been questioned many times & many presidents have failed to comply with it. -
The US, S. Vietnam, Viet Cong, and N. Vietnam signed an agreement ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam in Paris. This agreement included a cease-fire throughout Vietnam, a withdrawal of all US troops & advisors, and the dismantling of all US bases within 60 days. In return, N. Vietnam would release all prisoners of war. Both sides agreed to withdraw their troops from Laos & Cambodia and prohibited bases & troop movements in these countries. -
On April 23, 1975, President Ford gave a speech at Tulane University where he clamed that, the Vietnam War was over as far as America is concerned. This was devastating news to the S. Vietnamese forces who were pleading for US support.
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Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, was captured on April 30, 1975 by the People's Army of Vietnam and the Viet Cong. This marked the end of the Vietnam War. This event was also important because it marked the beginning of the reunification of Vietnam under Communist Rule., -
Vietnamization was a strategy intended to gradually reduce American involvement in the Vietnam War, while taking the extra effort to train and equip South Vietnam's troops. President Nixon believed that this strategy would prepare South Vietnam to defend themselves against a North Vietnamese takeover. However, this strategy was flawed from the start. This strategy proved to be ineffective, as South Vietnam fell to North Vietnamese communist forces in 1975.