The Viet Nam War

1
The Viet Nam War

• The logical extension of US containment policy
• The first war the US lost
• The end of the American Century
• Shattering of US Foreign Policy Consensus
• Still defines the US debates on intervention

2
French Indochina
3
Viet Minh, then DRV leaders

• Ho Chi Minh

• Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap

4
Divided Viet Nam
5
N. Vietnams Insurgent Warfare

• Not taking territory
• Hit and run strikes on economic, governmental ,
  and military target
• Create shadow political structure
• Make government look weak, incompetent
• Collapse government through intimidation and loss
  of popular support
• Then take over nation

6
Ho Chi Minh Trail
7
The Dilemma of the early 1960s

• South Viet Nam is about to fall.
• What does the US do?

8
Strategic Logic

• Domino Theory

9
Domestic Political Logic

• JFK

• LBJ

10
Political Military Logic

• Flexible Response
• Meeting the Soviets at every level
• Credibility
• Good Doctor Syndrome

11
Overall Dilemma

• Cant lose South Viet Nam
• Cant do what we need to win
• Korea
• Solution
• Limited War
• Coercive Diplomacy

12
Escalation of the Viet Nam War

• 1965-1968
• 16,000 US troops to over 500,000
• Typically added in 25-75,000 man increments
• Bombing
• Troops to protect air bases
• Troops to fight PAVN and VC
• Counterinsurgency

13
Losing the War

• Colonel Harry Summers "You know, you never
  defeated us on the battlefield.
• Colonel Tu "That may be so. But it is also
  irrelevant."
• From Harry Summers, On Strategy

14
From LBJ to Nixon

• LBJ says Goodbye

• Nixons War

15
Lessons

• Limits of US Power
• Difficulties of Nation Building
• Nationalism
• Ignorance
• Use of Force
• Domestic Politics
• A Counter Argument The US won