Motivation for Involvement
- US convinced → China and USSR → planning to spread communism in Asia
- Believed that if Vietnam fell under control of China and USSR → other countries would also fall under communism → row of dominoes
Foreign Policy: Adopted Policy of Containment:
- prevent spread of communism worldwide
- even supported anti communist regimes like Diems → despite authoritarianism
- same approach used by US to resist communism → many states → Central and South America
John F. Kennedy’s Approach (1961-1963)
- became US Pres in 1961 → replacing Eisenhower
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possibility of communist victory in Vietnam remained
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if that happened → could result in SEA being lost to communists → suggested by domino theory
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Kennedy cautious → but did not want to warn US to in his own words “blunder into war, unclear about aims or how to get out again”
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military advisors sent out → train SV army
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military equipment continued to be supplied
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efforts of US organised under military assistance command Vietnam (MACV)
Escalation under Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-1964
- 1963 → Kennedy assassinated → succeeded by Lyndon B. Johnson
- he faced same challenge: avoid full US military committment to Vietnam while pursuing containment policy to prevent communists from coming to power
- However Johnson more convinced + prepared than Kennedy → to commit to US to full scale conflict in Vietnam to contain communism.
Johnsons actions influenced by following:
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heightened political instability in SV following Diem’s assassination by SV military commanders in 1963 + lack of a strong leader as replacement → seemed to favour communist takeover
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increased tensions between US and communist bloc → due to various international developments → such as:
- China exploding its 1st atomic bomb in oct 1964
- USSR showing little interest in peaceful co-existence with West
committed to preserving independence of SV as anti communist state.
- US increased number of military advisors and economic assistance