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Strategy of Revolutionary War

Explore the Vietnam War's connection to the Cold War and the evolution of US policy towards Indochina. Understand the challenges posed by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) and the Republic of Vietnam (RVN), and the doctrine of limited war and counterinsurgency. Learn about the revolutionary war strategies used by the Viet Cong and the characteristics of political conflict.

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Strategy of Revolutionary War

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  1. Strategy of Revolutionary War

  2. Lesson Objectives • Understand the Vietnam War as part of the Cold War. •  Be able to describe the evolution of U.S. policy toward Indochina from Presidents Roosevelt to Eisenhower. •  Understand and describe the challenges posed by the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) against the south. •  Understand and describe the situation in the Republic of Vietnam (RVN) after 1959 and the RVN reaction to the challenge from the north. •  Understand the doctrine of limited war and counterinsurgency as espoused by the Kennedy Administration. •  Understand the timeline of events that led to U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia.

  3. The Vietnam War

  4. The Vietnam War To understand the Vietnam War, you only need two books: Link Link Both are available online

  5. The Vietnam War Technically, The Second Indochina War or The Southeast Asia War

  6. French Indochina

  7. Southeast Asia Central Highlands The Delta

  8. Terms Viet Minh: Communist independence movement in Vietnam, founded 1941 VC: Viet Cong, political/military insurgent group in South Vietnam (1959-1975) NLF: National Liberation Front, formal name for Viet Cong COSVN: Central Office for South Vietnam, US term for NLF HQ DRV: Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) PAVN: Peoples Army of Vietnam (North Vietnamese Army, also NVA) RVN: Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) ARVN: Army of the Republic of Vietnam

  9. Surrender Ceremony Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945 Newsreel - 8:36

  10. First Indochina War 1945 - 1954 vs. France Viet Minh Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR) Declared September 2, 1945 Ho Chi Minh 1890 - 1969

  11. Vietnamese Declaration of Independence Hanoi - 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 in 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." <snip> Source

  12. Ho Chi Minh George Washington or Joe Stalin?

  13. Ho Chi Minh Born Nguyen Sinh Cung (May 19, 1890) Adopted name “Ho Chi Minh around 1940 in China Chi = spirit Minh = light => “~ enlightened spirit”

  14. Ho Chi Minh Ho Chi Minh with American OSS* agents Formed Viet Minh in 1941 as an independence movement Fought against French, then Japanese in WW II * Office of Strategic Services (forerunner of CIA)

  15. Indochina Truman pledged to return Indochina to France after WW II

  16. First Indochina War 1945 - 1954 vs. France Viet Minh Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DVR) Declared September 2, 1945 Viet Minh began a long, bitter war with French Ho Chi Minh 1890 - 1969 • US supported France • Chinese Communists, USSR supported Viet Minh Was fought as a guerilla war … A war of national liberation

  17. What if … HANOI FEBRUARY 26 1946 TELEGRAM PRESIDENT HOCHIMINH VIETNAM DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC HANOI TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WASHINGTON DC ON BEHALF OF THE VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE I BEG TO INFORM YOU THAT IN THE COURSE OF CONVERSION BETWEEN VIETNAMESE GOVERNMENT AND FRENCH REPRESENTATIVES THE LATTER REQUIRE THE SECESSION OF COCHINCHINA AND THE RETUN OF FRENCH TROOPS IN HANOI STOP MEANWHILE FRENCH POPULATION AND TROOPS ARE MAKING ACTIVE PREPARATIONS FOR A COUP DE MAIN IN HANOI AND FOR MILITARY AGGRESSION STOP I THEREFORE MOST EARNESTLY APPEAL TO YOU PERSONALLY AND TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO INTERFERE URGENTLY IN SUPPORT OF OUR INDEPENDENCE AND HELP MAKING THE NEGOTIATIONS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ATLANTIC AND SAN FRANCISCO CHARTERS. RESPECTFULLY HOCHIMINH

  18. Viet Minh Strategy Strategy of Revolutionary War Objective: The seizure of power in a nation-state … … by any means possible Characteristics: • Integrated military conflict and political conflict • War on multiple fronts • Geographical • Programmatic

  19. Strategy of Revolutionary War Characteristics of Political Conflict • Political, diplomatic, psychological, ideological, sociological, economic components • Three programs • Mobilize people into conflict • Undermine morale, loyalty of population • Undermine morale, loyalty of state military

  20. Strategy of Revolutionary War Phase I: Targeted state stronger militarily • Revolutionaries avoid combat • Guerrilla war: raids, ambushes, sabotage, terrorism • Political conflict predominant Phase II: Rough military parity • Combined guerrilla and conventional war • Military and political conflict equally important Phase III: Revolution stronger than targeted state • Revolutionary forces go to totally conventional war • “General Offensive” linked to political “Great Uprising”

  21. Strategy of Revolutionary War General Characteristics • It is a total war • It is waged with total unity of effort • It is, by necessity and choice, a protracted war • It stresses gaining and keeping the initiative • It is a changing war (shift between phases) • It is a mosaic war (different phases, different areas) Davidson

  22. First Indochina War 1945 - 1954 vs. France Viet Minh * After end of Korean War (July 1953), China funneled aid to the Viet Minh Conflict transitioned to Phase III revolutionary war War ended with defeat of French forces at Dien Bien Phu (May 7, 1954)

  23. Dien Bien Phu “ … greatest defeat in French history.”

  24. Significance: First Indochina War Did not settle principle issues over which it was fought: • Political unity of Vietnam • Vietnam's independence from foreign influence Created basis for second war Dictated the way that war would be fought • Strategy that worked against French would work against US - First Indochina war judged insignificant by US military - - Only after US was bogged down was there an interest in this war George Herring Lecture: First Indochina War  (55:37)

  25. Geneva Accords April 27, 1954 State of Vietnam Viet Minh Divided Vietnam into two independently administered parts Unification to follow elections in July 1956 US did not support the accords

  26. Geneva Accords April 27, 1954 State of Vietnam Viet Minh "In connection with the statement in the Declaration concerning free elections in Vietnam, my government wishes to make clear its position which it has expressed in a Declaration made in Washington on June 29, 1954, as follows: 'In the case of nations now divided against their will, we shall continue to seek unity through free elections, supervised by the United Nations to ensure they are conducted fairly'" U.S. Under-Secretary of State Walter Bedell Smith The elections never occurred

  27. Vietnam 17th parallel

  28. So why did we get involved in Vietnam?

  29. Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War • Munich

  30. Legacy of Munich No historical event has exerted more influence on post-World War II U.S. use-of-force decisions than the Anglo-French appeasement of Nazi Germany that led to the outbreak of the Second World War. Jeffrey Record “Appeasement Reconsidered: Investigating the Mythology of the 30’s” US Army Strategic Studies Institute, August 2005

  31. Legacy of Munich DoD Orientation Film (1965 ) ( 31:01 )

  32. Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War • Munich • Truman Doctrine (Containment)

  33. Truman Doctrine March 12, 1947  (2:30) US foreign policy designed to stop spread of Communism Pledged to provide economic and military aid to Greece and Turkey US foreign policy transitioned from détent to containment

  34. Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War • Munich • Truman Doctrine (Containment) • Chinese Intervention in Korea

  35. Korean War Approaching the Yalu River October-November 1950

  36. Korean War China Enters the War November 1950 - January 1951

  37. Roots of U.S. Strategic Mindset For Vietnam War • Munich • Truman Doctrine (Containment) • Chinese Intervention in Korea • Domino Theory

  38. Domino Theory Term coined by President Dwight D. Eisenhower (April 7, 1954) Described how, if one country in Asia fell to Communism, others would follow in succession.

  39. • Munich • Truman Doctrine (Containment) • Chinese Intervention in Korea • Domino Theory • Cuban Missile Crisis

  40. Why Vietnam? What were the U.S. objectives in Vietnam? Stated: Preservea non-Communist government in South Vietnam Understood: Containment

  41. U.S. Post-WW II Attitude Nuclear weapons nullified all previous military theory • Total war (nuclear) unthinkable • Future wars would be limited Problem: One country’s limited war = Another country’s total war

  42. U.S. Attitude Toward Vietnam Eisenhower (1954-1961): US Military Assistance • Trained ARVN to resist cross-border invasion Kennedy (1961-1963): Counterinsurgency • Resisted by US military leaders Johnson (1963-1969): Limited War • Attempted to force North Vietnam to negotiate Nixon (1969-1973): Vietnamization • Increased pressure on North Vietnam to negotiate

  43. South Vietnam The Republic of Vietnam

  44. Ngo Dinh Diem 1901 - 1963 President of Republic of Vietnam (RVn) 1955-1963

  45. Ngo Dinh Diem Led effort to establish RVn after Geneva Accords Elected president in 1955 Catholic in a majority Buddhist nation Staunchly anti-Communist Supported by US in early years

  46. Ngo Dinh Diem Instituted unpopular strategic hamlet program (1961) Took a hard line against Buddhist majority Protests put down violently World-wide attention from monk’s self-immolation (June 1963) This plus growing insurgency caused US to lose faith in Diem

  47. Ngo Dinh Diem Toppled by US-sanctioned coup (November 2, 1963) He and his brother assassinated by generals • Not US intention RVn plagued by series of coups over next few years • Counterinsurgency effort faltered US reconsidered its strategy in Vietnam Cronkite, Vietnam War Seeds of War - 14:38 - 22:38

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