TWO REVOLUTIONS COMPARED

1. TWO REVOLUTIONS COMPARED THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE VIETNAMESE WARS OF INDEPENDENCE

2. THE IDEA • Barbara Tuchman’s March of Folly • Author talks about times in history when leaders went “nuts” • Leadership of Great Britain and 1960’s US followed self-destructive paths • Reasons for Comparison • American Revolution is part of AP World and standard on exit exams • Exercise brings the US back into World History were it belongs • Vietnam is a major revolution and participant in 20th century history • South East Asia is part of the expanded emphasis of the new AP Guide • Compare and contrast is a major aspect of AP World History • This study also has a quality of Change and Continuity over Time

3. GEOGRAPHY • The United States • Main axis of movement - north to south • Coastal plains with inland highlands and mountains • Main source of revolution - northern states (New England) • Main population - the northern and mid-Atlantic states • Main bastion of conservatism - southern states • Main battle grounds - mid-Atlantic states (New York to Virginia) • Key cities in the north: New York, Boston • Vietnam • Main axis of movement - north to south • Coastal plains with inland highlands and mountains • Main source of revolution - northern provinces (Tonkin) • Main population - Annam and Tonkin (north) • Main bastion of conservative - southern provinces (Cochin-China) • Main battle grounds - central highlands of Annam • Key cities in the north: Hanoi, Haiphong

4. LONG DISTANCES, SHORT DISTANCES • Great Britain • An island nation across the Atlantic • All weapons and troops had to be transported across the ocean • UK was 3,440 miles distant from the American colonies • United States • Separated by the Pacific Ocean from Vietnam • All weapons and troops had to be transported across the ocean • Los Angeles to Saigon is more than 7,000 miles • American Colonists, Viet Cong, Vietnamese fought for their homes • Americans and Viet Cong were both fighting on familiar terrain • Both had relatives and homes in area to defend

5. PROTAGONISTS • Great Britain • The world’s largest power at time • Maintained the world’s largest fleet • The richest country of the day • Her companies dominated trade • Had colonial possessions and interests the world over • At home country was extremely progressive and relatively democratic • The United States • The world’s superpower at the time • Maintained the world’s largest fleet, 3rd largest army • The richest country of the day • American corporations were the most powerful in world • Had bases and interests the world over • At home country was extremely progressive and relatively democratic

6. IDEOLOGIES • American Revolution • No taxation without representation • Opposed to tyranny • Believed in self-determination • Words and rhetoric reflected the ideas of the Enlightenment • Leaders quoted John Locke and the British Bill of Rights • Vietnamese Revolution • Communism: opposed to the tyranny of capitalists • Sought to overthrow capitalist system • Words and rhetoric reflect communism • Leaders quoted Jefferson and the American Declaration of Independence • Great Britain • Mercantilism, colonialism • Multi-party elections, rule by oligarchy • The United States • Anti-communism, great power ideology • Business oriented, multi-party oligarchy

7. PRIOR TO THE WAR • Both inherited problems from France • Great Britain • Had won colonial struggles of the French, Indian Wars • In war had relied on colonial militias to help fight war • Had won the territory of much of central North America • The United States • Had defeated Japan, acquired great influence in region • During World War II, US had armed, helped anti-Japanese forces • Viet Minh forces had defeated French at Dien Bien Phu • 1954 Indo-China, 1765 North America • Truce separated Tonkin, Cochin China; partitioned • Elections were to follow to reunited country • English ruled diverse populations with different needs, wants • No uniform approach to policies, approaches often angered locals

8. LEADERS • Political • American: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson • Gifted organizers and orators, known abroad • Vietnamese: Ho Chi Minh • Helped establish French Communist Party • Lead Viet Minh against Japanese, French • Military • American: George Washington • Leader of the French-Indian Wars, well respected • Vietnamese: Vo Nguyen Giap • Had led Vietnamese forces against Japanese, French • Diplomatic • American: Benjamin Franklin • Spoke fluent French, worked well with French elite • Vietnamese: Le Duc Thieu • Educated in France, spoke flawless French

9. MANY ENEMIES ABROAD • Great Britain • France and Spain • Both eventually sent troops to assist the Americans • French army significant at Battle of Yorktown • Netherlands • Recognized the United States • Provided aid to the colonists • League of Armed Neutrality • Prussia, Russia, Denmark and Sweden remained neutral • But they also sympathized to a degree with the colonists • The United States • The Communist World especially the USSR and China • Both openly furnished weapons, money, support for the Vietnamese • Both had observers and advisors with Vietnamese army, guerrillas • Strong opposition to the United States by many nations • Arab world, African world, Latin America openly criticized the US • Actively supported the Vietnamese in the United Nations, media

10. SOME FRIENDS, BUT NOT MANY • Great Britain • Great Britain’s king was also rule of Hanover in Holy Roman Empire • German states such Hesse, Brunswick, Thuringia duchies • “Canada” and other Atlantic colonies actually involved in the war • All furnished mercenaries, military units to support the British war effort • The United States • Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) • South Korea, Philippines • Australia, New Zealand • All had active troops and divisions in the war

11. “IMPERIALIST”GOVERNMENTS • Great Britain • War run by Lord North and his ministers and cabinet • North often did not listen, consult Parliament • British denied colonistsrights guaranteed to most Englishmen • British denied established rights to English citizens in Great Britain • Uncompromising on the conduct of the war and its outcome • Lack of military and political aims in the war • Persistent and repeated miscalculations on part of government about war • The United States • Johnson and Nixon administrations ran war • Both manipulated Congress, lied about war • Both fought for democracy but supported dictatorial practices during war • Both denied American citizens rights during protests, war • Uncompromising on the conduct of the war and its outcome • Failure to articulate realistic military and political goals in the war • Persistent and repeated miscalculations on part of government about war

12. REVOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENTS • The American Colonies • Continental Congress had limited influence over states • Individual states ran by their own legislatures and state militias • Limited participation by population: landowners could vote • Large population had no rights: Indians, poor, women, slaves • Loyalists: opponents harshly treated • Vietnam • Two different governments: North Vietnam and South Vietnam • National governments were often secondary to military, generals, troops • Communist party was an elitist organization in the north • South Vietnam was run by wealthy landowners • Large Franco-phone Catholic military clique • Basic rights were denied during war to most people • Opponents harshly treated

13. HEARTS TO WIN • American Revolution • The Southern States • Southern plantation owners were not revolutionary • Majority of population neutral • Slavery was a key issue • The American Indians • Frontier was thinly populated except by Indians • Favored the British and opposed the Americans • Vietnam • Cochin-China • Southern population was not totally Vietnamese • Long history independent of north • Strong Hindu, Buddhist, Catholic presence in South • North tended towards Chinese influence, Confucianism • The Hill Peoples • Highlands, mountains, jungles thinly populated • Montagnards, Negritos opposed both Hanoi, Saigon

14. OPPOSITION TO WAR • Great Britain • Strong domestic opposition to the war • Many in Parliament openly opposed the government • Many parts of the country (Scotland, Ireland) sympathized with the colonists • Many famous Englishmen supported the colonists: Adam Smith • Domestic opposition to war grew over time, from all societal elements • The war split families • United States • Strong domestic opposition to the war from the youth • Many Democrats were decidedly anti-war • College campuses, California strongly anti-war, pro-Vietnamese • Domestic opposition grew over time, from all societal elements • Minorities were most impacted negatively by war • Many actors and intellectuals opposed the war: Jane Fonda • The war split families • Vietnam • Buddhists, many non-Vietnamese opposed war

15. COMBAT • Great Britain • Relied on professional troops including mercenaries • Extremely well-trained, well-fed, well-supplied • Had superiority in numbers, ease of movement • Navies commanded the seas • Technological superiority especially in cannons, howitzers • And the American Colonists? • Some professionals • Largely militias using whatever weapons they had • Knew terrain and used it against British • Practiced restraint throughout war • United States • Relied on professional troops including allies • Extremely well-supplied and well-trained • Had superiority in numbers, ease of movement • Navies commanded the sea • Technological superiority in air power, helicopters, tanks, howitzers • And Vietnam? • Some professionals but mostly volunteers • Many different types of weapons • Used guerrilla warfare and terrain to fight the Americans • Practiced restraint? Depends on whose POV

16. LONG PROLONGED STRUGGLE • Great economic dislocation in both countries and colonies • American Revolution • War disrupted British commerce – colonial navy seized merchants • War disrupted colonial economies – planting, commerce disrupted • 1 in 3 colonies eventually immigrated • Vietnam War • Over 1 million Vietnamese killed, millions more dislocated • Hundreds of thousands of people immigrated • Much of productive wealth damaged during war throughout country • In US, vast inflation and stagnant growth, debt swelled • Both nations missed opportunities to disengage from conflict • Both nations lacked experience in dealing with their rebels • British disregard colonials as backwater hicks • Americans misjudged Hanoi’s resolve, capabilities

17. THE CIVIL WAR WITHIN THE WAR • American Revolution • Not all Americans supported independence • Loyalists strongest in the South but in all provinces • Many openly supported British even with troop levies • After war, loyalists immigrated, expelled to Canada • Vietnamese Wars of Independence • Not all Vietnamese supported Communist Hanoi, Viet Cong • Loyalists strongest in the South but in all provinces • Republic of Vietnam furnished largest troop contingent • After war, South Vietnamese immigrated, sent to re-education

18. PRE-WAR, WARTIME DIPLOMACY • Great Britain: 1774 – 1783 • Unwillingness to listen to European powers • Unwillingness to negotiate with colonists • Lack of ability to negotiate a satisfactory end to war • United States 1960 – 1975 • Unwillingness to negotiate or abide by 1954 Geneva decision • Unwillingness for a decade or more to negotiate with Hanoi • Lack of ability to negotiate a satisfactory end to war • The British and the United States had to win • Neither side could suffer defeat or admit to defeat • Both sides often won major battles but lost some too • American Colonists, Viet Cong did not have to win • They had to simply outlast the British, US military • They both sought victory through convincing others • Both sides continued fighting while they negotiated • British negotiated with colonists in France, Belgium • The US and North Vietnam negotiated at Paris

19. DOMINO EFFECT • Great Britain and Fears Realized? • Fear American independence would spread “fever” • Most worried about Scotland, Ireland, Canada, slaves • French Revolution, Revolution in Haiti, Latin American revolutions • United States and Fears Realized? • Worried that they had to stop spread of communism • A victory in Vietnam would spread communism to SE Asia • Communism established in Cambodia, Laos, Nicaragua, parts of Africa

20. DIFFERENCES • British and colonists used conventional military tactics, Viet Cong were guerrillas • Violence and intimidation by either side was limited in American Revolution • Violence and intimidation by both sides was quite common in Vietnam • American colonists were not Viet Cong • Viet Cong had to struggle long and hard to win support • South openly did not want to be Communist • They did not fight guerrilla war – in fact rarely did they use these tactics • Despite protests, the colonists were not treated like Irish • Americans were not imprisoned, executed like Irish • Americans were not ruled at point of bayonet • British were horrified at Boston Massacre and war crimes • Americans in Vietnam could not tell differences between sides • Americans often mistreated even South Vietnamese • US backed military solutions with regard to whole populace • US allowed Republic of Vietnam armed forces to use terror • Until Mei Lai Massacre, atrocities were generally ignored and not reported • Family? • British and Americans knew each other well • Americans, Vietnamese did not know or really understand each other