Prompts/Questions:
Primary Source #02: Ho Chi Minh’s Letter to President Harry Truman (16 February 1945)
1) (Make sure to read and understand the context first) What should President Truman have done in response to Ho Chi Minh’s letter? Be specific.
Vietnam has a history as a victim of imperialism. Vietnam fought a thousand-year war with China. After winning their independence from China, Vietnam was constrained by France. In response, Ho Chi Minh composed the guerilla force known as the Vietminh. At the time of World War II, Japan invaded Vietnam. The United States recognized Ho Chi Minh as an ally and aided Vietnam in the defeat of Vietnam. Soon after, France gained control of Vietnam again with the support of the United States. During these …show more content…
United States servicemen and women wrote letters home consisting their interpretations of the Vietnam war. In the “Why We Fight” letters, I found the perception of Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam interesting. Lieutenant Marion Lee Kemper wrote, “We are here because we think this is where we must fight to stop a communist threat.” The troops did not know why they were in Vietnam. The troops acquiesced President Johnson’s assertion to stop the spread of Communism. In reality, the Viet Cong opposed imperialism, fought for freedom, and were trying to combat the invading country: The United States. In the “In Country” letters, the troops acknowledge the Viet Cong’s guerilla tactics as frightening and genius. According to Lieutenant Robert Michael Ransom, “The enemy is a farmer by day and Viet Cong by night... people with weapons who we recognize as one of those smiling faces we had picked up and released earlier.” As a guerilla, the VC fought in regular clothing with little to no training. Despite these facts, the VC were truly fearsome due to their stealth, tunnel tactics and the advantage of lack of uniform. The troops could not attack the VC because they could not discern the enemy from a farmer and the tunnels allowed the VC a refuge. A developed country with an advanced military was threatened by a guerilla in territory prominently known for its agriculture. In the …show more content…
In 1965, the Committee for Nonviolent Action released a flyer declaring their disapproval of the Vietnam War called the “Declaration of Conscience Against the War.” The committee recognized Ho Chi Minh’s aspirations for independence. The flyer states, “all peoples of the earth… have an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the peaceful pursuit of happiness in their own way.” The committee realized the United States halted Vietnam’s right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his speech “Beyond Vietnam.” As the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), MLK represented his anti-war group’s views. MLK announced, “Even though they quoted the American Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them.” MLK did not ignore Ho Chi Minh’s admiration of the United States’ values and flag the country as communist. MLK added, “Our government … fell victim to the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere for so long.” The United States felt threatened by the thought of communism with China as an example. In contrast, North Vietnam embraced communism to oppose imperialism but deemed themselves the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to showcase their inoffensive nature. The anti-war groups were able to differentiate the VC’s inculpable communist reputation from
Primary Source #02: Ho Chi Minh’s Letter to President Harry Truman (16 February 1945)
1) (Make sure to read and understand the context first) What should President Truman have done in response to Ho Chi Minh’s letter? Be specific.
Vietnam has a history as a victim of imperialism. Vietnam fought a thousand-year war with China. After winning their independence from China, Vietnam was constrained by France. In response, Ho Chi Minh composed the guerilla force known as the Vietminh. At the time of World War II, Japan invaded Vietnam. The United States recognized Ho Chi Minh as an ally and aided Vietnam in the defeat of Vietnam. Soon after, France gained control of Vietnam again with the support of the United States. During these …show more content…
United States servicemen and women wrote letters home consisting their interpretations of the Vietnam war. In the “Why We Fight” letters, I found the perception of Ho Chi Minh and North Vietnam interesting. Lieutenant Marion Lee Kemper wrote, “We are here because we think this is where we must fight to stop a communist threat.” The troops did not know why they were in Vietnam. The troops acquiesced President Johnson’s assertion to stop the spread of Communism. In reality, the Viet Cong opposed imperialism, fought for freedom, and were trying to combat the invading country: The United States. In the “In Country” letters, the troops acknowledge the Viet Cong’s guerilla tactics as frightening and genius. According to Lieutenant Robert Michael Ransom, “The enemy is a farmer by day and Viet Cong by night... people with weapons who we recognize as one of those smiling faces we had picked up and released earlier.” As a guerilla, the VC fought in regular clothing with little to no training. Despite these facts, the VC were truly fearsome due to their stealth, tunnel tactics and the advantage of lack of uniform. The troops could not attack the VC because they could not discern the enemy from a farmer and the tunnels allowed the VC a refuge. A developed country with an advanced military was threatened by a guerilla in territory prominently known for its agriculture. In the …show more content…
In 1965, the Committee for Nonviolent Action released a flyer declaring their disapproval of the Vietnam War called the “Declaration of Conscience Against the War.” The committee recognized Ho Chi Minh’s aspirations for independence. The flyer states, “all peoples of the earth… have an inalienable right to life, liberty, and the peaceful pursuit of happiness in their own way.” The committee realized the United States halted Vietnam’s right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. On April 4, 1967 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his speech “Beyond Vietnam.” As the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), MLK represented his anti-war group’s views. MLK announced, “Even though they quoted the American Declaration of Independence in their own document of freedom, we refused to recognize them.” MLK did not ignore Ho Chi Minh’s admiration of the United States’ values and flag the country as communist. MLK added, “Our government … fell victim to the deadly Western arrogance that has poisoned the international atmosphere for so long.” The United States felt threatened by the thought of communism with China as an example. In contrast, North Vietnam embraced communism to oppose imperialism but deemed themselves the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to showcase their inoffensive nature. The anti-war groups were able to differentiate the VC’s inculpable communist reputation from