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49 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Atomic Diplomacy
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The US has a bomb and the technology to build a bunch more, and the SU doesn’t like it (they believe they should have and they will build one soon).
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G.I. Bill
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Military men could go to any college in America, if you could get in, after they serve. The gov. would pay for your tuition. It was a matter of you getting in. If you got in, government paid for it. Educated an entire generation
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Containment Policy
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George Kennan – Kennan develops a policy under Harry Truman called Containment Policy. States that it is the goal and the mission of the US to completely contain the Soviet Union’s communist expansion goals. Where ever it takes place in the world. Either militarily/economically/politically. We will buy in to a plan that says wherever SU communist gov is trying to gain a foothold, we will come in and “contain” it no matter what it takes. We are committed to stopping the communist movement. It will be tested in Greece, Turkey, China when Mao Zedong takes over Gov and takes out Chiang Kai Shek (who is forced to go to Taiwan). June 1950, the big test will take place. After Harry Truman had been re-elected barely because he was accused of losing China (China’s gov falling to the communist). June of 1950, the communist north Koreans will come across into South Korea and invade. The US for the first time on whether to go to war over this issue of communist expansion. Milam will not talk much about Korean war. North Korean army will across 38th parallel, and the Us has to decide what to do.
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Baby-boomers
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boom in the birthrate after WWII because people felt like the future was great. US was a great place to be post WWII. Americans feeling like they were in control again. This wonderful feeling gave rise to a huge increase in the birth rate. Birth control pill is not quite there yet. 1945-1960, we see a huge rise in birth rate. People feeling like it is okay to have a family because the future is bright.
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Iron Curtain
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an iron curtain across Europe. Term used by Churchill in his speech. The demarcation point between Soviet Union block nations and democratic nations. This is what it was suppose to be but it became much more than that. It became the definition between good and evil; freedom and tyranny (definition for the next 45 years between those who felt like they could control their lives, and those who felt the gov. was controlling their lives. It has such a major influence on everything that would affect the Americans lives. It will be the reason that America goes to war in a place called Korea. The reason that America goes to war in Vietnam. Reason why Americans will execute other Americans for sharing our secrets with the enemy. US and Soviet Union will go to the Cold War although we will never square off with SU. Series of Proxy War (wars between those who are a friend to America or a friend to SU) Consumes our everyday thought. Consumes our dollars. Consumes are blood for 45 yrs. It drives our everyday thinking for 45 years.
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Mao Zedong
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China’s communist leader (begins Civil War) The biggest country in Asia, China, which had been an ally against japan will begin a civil war led by Mao-Zedong (leading a communist peoples movement will take over China)
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Chiang Kai Shek
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He is kicked out of Japan because he was taken over my Zedong and communism. Forced to go to Taiwan.
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Taiwan
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still somewhat under China control at this time.
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Korean War
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Caused because North Korean military invades South Korea. The Chinese by this time were fighting along with the North Koreans. The US looked at the size of Chinese army and did not know how to fight these guys. Ike promised to go to Korea to end this war. Chinese/North Korean see that US has just elected a man (supreme allied commander) who pulled off the hugest invasion of a continent, AND he has a button to send of the biggest weapon in the world. US has some smaller bombs that can be used on battlefields. Therefore, China and North Korea are a little worried. We believe that the election of Eisenhower made a difference on ending the Korean war just because of who he was. Korean war will come to an end (38,000 Americans will die). A terrible war to fight, and a lot of Americans were taken prisoner. A war fought in snow/mountains in Korea. Important because it is America’s first limited war. Ends with a negotiation settlement (everything north of 38th parallel will be North Korea and communist). Everything south of 38th parallel will be a democracy. This line still exists, and there are soldiers on the south side staring at the north military on the other side. North Korea is still a threat to world peace.
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HUAC
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House of Un-American Activities Community will have trials that investigate our own gov. because Joe McCarthey suspects our gov to have communists.
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Joe McCarthey
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With this feeling of America having to go to war in Korea, and with this feeling that communists are trying to take over the world, we see the development of an attitude, “enemy within” Americans starting looking around to see if their neighbor is a communist. MacCarthey makes a claim that our state department is run by communist. Then, he will make his big mistake. Accuses US army as being communist. Biggest error because he pisses off the president who was the former commander of this army. Mac is accusing Ike’s boys. There is a paranoia developing in America that we have to worry about the communists in our country
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Lets look at the world:
Situation in Europe |
– Soviet Union (our ally) Russia has lost 20 million of its citizens (civilians/military) They suffered the brunt of the war. Lose more people than Germany; lose these people to germany, yet they are an ally of US. They do not want this to happen again; do everything they can to put Germany in its place as a servant country to Soviet Union. Ask for complete control over Poland because Poland is the access to SU. Want complete control over the losers of this war (Germany). SU is also scared to death of the US (their ally) because the US has used an atomic bomb to end the war. SU knows about this atomic bomb. Actually has spies at los Alamos, NM that are sending word back to SU government about the construction of this bomb. SU is paranoid about the US and about its former allies (English and French) Paranoid because they don’t want another war where they lose 20 million people. SU is a communist state run by Stalin who has been a good ally, but now the SU with its paranoia will become extremely important for the next 50 years (1945-1990). For 45 years, the SU and US will enter the Cold War. Situation in Europe, SU sees itself as coming the dominant force in Europe.
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In Asia
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the US will occupy the nation of Japan. The military occupation led by General Douglas MacArthur. Decision was made that it must be occupied because we cannot trust them. We don’t want them to rise up again and become a threat like in WWII. In a country called, Vietnam, (in asia), the US at Potsam (carving up , The US will allow the French (who had occupied Vietnam for 100 yrs but was kicked out in WWII by Japs) will aid the US in trying to help us. Instead of granting independence to Vietnam, the US will allow the French to come back in and colonize Vietnam.
Situation is sort of like the war before WWII. Japs under military control of US All of this happens right after WWII. |
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Effect of WWII on US
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we are the only nation in the world that comes out of WWII better off than we were before the war. Granted, 412,000 men/women died fighting this war and they are not better off, but as a nation, the US comes out of the depression that we were in before the war. The only creditor nation in the world (everybody owes us money). We have a new president, Harry Truman, who took over after FDR’s death. Truman (8th grade education from Missouri). He made a big decision to drop those bombs after being in office for only a few months. No one knew too much about him except he was a democrat. Democrats had been in power since 1932; reps out of office for 14 yrs (looking to come back into power in 1948). Political things are going on. Social implications are going on.
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Women v Men in workforce
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Women had come into the work place during the war (replaced the men in the factories of America, but men want their jobs back) 8 ½ million men want to come back to work. A good time to be an American (jobs were plentiful because of industrializing) Stopped making tanks/airplanes (now, making more cars) Technology back up making washing machines, refrigerators, television sets. We see a rise in the industrialization of America. We also have all these men coming back and wanting to become educated. The Congress of US will adopt the most far-reaching platform ever - GI BILL
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Origin of Cold War
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This cold war (next 50 years) Origin of Cold War came from Winston Churchill. Churchill was invited by Truman to make a speech in Missouri. Churchill used the term “iron curtain” which became a term used for the Cold War.
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United Nations
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US has participated in the development of a new world organization, United Nations, developed right after WWII. The league of Nations (US never became a member of), but we became a member of UN and allowed it to be housed in New York City. June of 1950, Truman, rather than going to congress of US to get a declaration of war against Koreans, he will go to UN and ask the UN to authorize a United Nations force (military force to go to war against North Korea who invaded South Korea)
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UN rules
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members (security council) can veto anything (any country can veto another country). One member of this council was Soviet Union; however, SU was boycotting the UN because UN did not allow China to become a member because of its communism switch. SU was sitting out the security council, so they could not veto something they were not there for, so Truman’s idea passes. UN will authorize a military plan, and the US (part of UN) will go to war in Korea. (Korean War lasts from 1950-1953).
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1952 Election
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In 1952, there is an election. Truman had enough, and he will not run for reelection. The democrats had been in power for 20 yrs, and the rep. party is ready to take over America (only problem is they have no candidate). A guy in Ohio, Robert Taft is the democratic nominee. Taft was an extremely conservative man, and he was an isolationist. The best way to fight communism was to build a lot of atomic weapons and say, “come get us.” We’ll just set up a defense around us. The republican party chooses General Dwight Eisenhower. Only problem was Ike was not a republican (he did not know what he was) A good friend of FDR. Ike becomes a republican because he was concerned about Taft wanting to stay in isolation. Ike was so far away from politics. Some think Ike saw the presidency as a side job. The big job is sending a lot of men to their death with an invasion on D-Day (being president, no big deal). In his campaign, he said I will go to Korea. By this time, Korean war was consuming America, but it was what we call our first “limited war” The nation did not commit to it like we did in WWII (industrially). People’s daily lives continued normally. Our industries/businesses did not turn into war-time machines causing it to be called a “limited” war.
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Ho Chi Minh
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a communist, infatuated with communist movement by Lenin; Ho thought this was the kind of government that would best work in Vietnam. Ho had also been to America before WWI (lived in Harlem). He knew a lot about Americans which will come imp. in the war. He drew conclusions about how Americans treated AA’s for example. In Versaille, Ho Chi Minh will try to have an audience with Wilson asking for independence of his country. In 1954, he is in the jungles with General Giap. Giap and Ho Chi Minh had led the Vietnamese men fight against the French. While French are in valley, Vietnam will move artillery by bicycle into those areas around the location. Launched artillery strikes against French (7,000 rounds in 5 minutes). It is a complete disaster; the French are destroyed for 60 days. The French are so concerned about what is happening at Dien Bien Phu. French asks the President for help (wanted to use nuclear weapons to help them). Eisenhower states that we the US will not use an atomic bomb against “yellow people” again. US refuses to help French. So in May (couple of days before meeting in Geneva) the French will surrender.
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Dien Bien Phu
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1954, a huge battle occurs at this location. The French decided to put their location in a valley. The enemy of French was Viet Minh. Enemy led by Ho Chi Minh
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French Indo-China War
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1947, the French will invade Vietnam militarily. From 1947-1954; the French & Vietnamese will fight aka French-Indo China War. In 1954, there is a meeting in geneva Switzerland to decide what to do about this war. War between the French and Vietnam.
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Geneva Convention
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meeting held in Switzerland in May of 1954; held to talk about what to do with Indo-China War. French surrendered a couple days before this meeting. US is a major player here. The decision is what do we do with Vietnam now that French is defeated. Well, common sense was they won independence but instead the decision is made to partition Vietnam at 17th parallel. US liked this result. US believed in the domino theory. Decision is also made that in two years (1956), there will be an election for reunification of the country (should it be unified and who the president should be). That election will never be held because Eisenhower administration that if this election would be held, ho chi minh and communism would win. North-Ho Chi Minh South-democracy.
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Domino Theory
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if Vietnam falls to communism then the next thing is Tailand will fall to communism; then maybe Austrailia; then maybe New Zealand. Before long, maybe California will turn to communism which is why we need to “contain” communism (see previous lecture).
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Ngo Dinh Diem
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installed by the US; a man who was very well related/friends of American elites. He had spent time in a seminary in NJ. He was catholic; he was our guy (friend of JFK). He became the president of South Vietnam. He was very anti-communist (everything we would hope for in terms of his attitude towards communism). He was also a very tough, tyrannical leader. He would be responsible for passing laws that were tough on Buddist. He believed that buddists were partly responsible for an insurgency. In response to his tough leadership and the way he treated the peasants, the 95% in South Vietnam will rise and create an insurgency
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NLF-VC
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National Liberation Front - VietCon (Viet Communists)
an insurgency. The VietCon. There might have been a little support from North Vietnam. The north loved that the NLF was becoming critical to taking down Diem. Vietcon was giving to NLF meaning Viet-Communists. In response to VietCon and rise of NLF in the south, president Diem will create a massive army called ARVN. |
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ARVN
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Army of Republic of Vietname- Diem’s military in South with allies, USA; fighting against the NLF & its allies, North Vietnam
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PAVN
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People’s army of Vietnam. PAVN and VC against ARVN and US.
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JFK
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wins election against Nixon in a very close election. Pres. Kennedy will deliver an inaugural address in 1961 which states, “let every nation know whether it wishes us well or ill, we shall pay any price in order to ensure the survival and success of liberty.” JFK will commit to the world that the US will be there to ensure their freedom and against the advice of Eisenhower, Kennedy will almost immediately inject 16,000 advisors into Vietnam.
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What makes Vietnam so popular?
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We don’t know the answer. Because it represents sex, drugs, and rock & roll. Hollywood has portrayed this.
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Casualties of Vietnam War
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58,225 men were killed and 8 women. 2 million Vietnamese were killed in Vietnam War. Another 2 million Cambodians were killed during the war.
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Vietnam’s Importance:
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This is imp. in American history and it goes beyond the battlefield because this war is America’s longest war. It is still America’s war. It is also American’s most controversial war. Also, the only war that America ever lost. The controversy goes beyond the battlefield; it goes to the very fact that America lined up as for the war or against the war; families were torn apart; colleges were torn apart; students rioted on the campuses of America and burned ROTC buildings. It was so bad that several universities dropped their ROTC programs (never replaced them like Harvard). This war tore America apart.
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War started
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Aug. 7th, 1945 – America had defeated Japan with the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Within a couple of days, Ho Chi Minh took to the streets and addressed the 1000’s of people, and read from the US declaration of independence. He asked for independence of his country. This was a country that had helped the US find downed pilots who had been shot down over Vietnam. And Ho Chi Minh led these people to find the pilots. When he went to the podem, he was asking for independence for his country from the French. French colonized Vietnam in 1856. Vietnamese wanted away from French. When Stalin, Churchill, and Truman met at Potsnam, the decision was made to allow the French to come back into Vietnam and re-colonize Vietnam. As Ho is giving this speech, American airplanes flew and tipped their wings. Truman, the first of many presidents, who will make a huge error by letting French back in.
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Eisenhower believed we should have a
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limited war; did not believe in ground war. While he is president, America’s involvement in Vietnam is minimal. When he leaves in 1960, he will have 500 advisors in Vietnam. In 1960, the election between Richard Nixon (vice president under IKE) and senator, John F. Kennedy (JFK).
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ApBac
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word comes out that Vietcon is controlling a radio transmittion site. Decision is made to introduce Argon troops (our allies) into this area to dislodge the Vietcon. Intelligence tells us that theres probably about 100 troops. Argon puts about 100 troops by helicopter into ApBac. An American advisor, John Paul Vann, in on the operation. Vann tries to get the Argon unit to engage the VC. Intelligence is poor bc there is about 600 VC. With this tech. of helicopters and APC. What happens instead is that the VietCon win this battle fairly decisively. Kill a lot of Argon and few advisors. Vann is flying overhead in an observation aircraft and looks down on their performance and he says this isn’t right. What the hell is America doing advising these guys who are not even trying. Sees it as a very poor performance. Appears that Argon decides that instead of winning the battle, they try to keep from dieing. They run. When word gets back to American journalists, the American generals try to make the case that it was a victory, but Vann walks in and says this was a terrible defeat. Argon was trying to avoid casualties.
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Robert McNamara
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Sec. of defense nominated by JFK. He was a WWII analyst (count and access the success of American bombs being dropped over Japan – he knew numbers). His approach was number crunching which will stay with the US throughout the conduct of this war. Former president of Ford motors. First thing JFK does is he appoints a cabinet. Kennedy nominated as sec. of defense (president of Ford motor company), Robert McNamara.
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JFK School for Special Forces
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aka the Green Barays. They will rename the Special Forces, The JFK school for special warfare. A place where you learn to fight insurrgency. JFK believed the wars of the future would be small. The Us and Soviet Union over this period of Cold War will fight a series of proxy wars and Vietnam is one of those proxy wars.
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Maxwell Taylor
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He decides to change out commanding general in Vietnam. He puts Maxwell Taylor as ambassador to Vietnam.
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Thich Quan duc
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a buddist monk. He burned himself in the busist part of town, poured gas on himself, and burned himself which is called self immolation. He wasn’t the only one to burn himself. “just another buddist barbeque” Kennedy begins to have more concern about Diem about whether or not he can be an effective representative of the US.
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John Paul Vann
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An American advisor, John Paul Vann, in on the operation. Vann tries to get the Argon unit to engage the VC. Intelligence is poor bc there is about 600 VC. With this tech. of helicopters and APC. What happens instead is that the VietCon win this battle fairly decisively. Kill a lot of Argon and few advisors. Vann is flying overhead in an observation aircraft and looks down on their performance and he says this isn’t right. What the hell is America doing advising these guys who are not even trying. Sees it as a very poor performance. Appears that Argon decides that instead of winning the battle, they try to keep from dieing. They run. When word gets back to American journalists, the American generals try to make the case that it was a victory, but Vann walks in and says this was a terrible defeat. Argon was trying to avoid casualties.
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Credibility Gap
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foreigners who talk to men on the field get a different story than when they talk to the generals. It will stay with America. This happened with Vann in ApBac.
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Assassinations
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Two weeks later in Dallas Texas, JFK is assassinated. Both of these catholic leaders are both dead and gone at the hands of assassins.
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LBJ
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The New President, Lyndon Baines Johnson from Texas, inherits Vietnam. He has to deal with this issue for the rest of his presidency. There are scholars of the Vietnam War that if JFK had lived there would have been no American role in Vietnam War. LBJ inherits this war from JFK and has to deal with it. LBJ wanted to be the next FDR. He wanted to be Roosevelt and create the “Great Society”. But Vietnam got in the way. LBJ will run for reelection in 1964 against Barry AuH20. H20 is a tough guy who wants to bomb Vietnam. In this election, LBJ will run as the peace candidate and one of the ads is a classic ad is the Daisy ad. LBJ used this and it ran one time. LBJ wins the election by a landslide. He still has to deal with Vietnam. The first thing he does is he doesn’t realy change any of the advisors that came to him through Kennedy administration. Keeps virtually all of these men and sets upt he organization called WISe men. Bunch of WWII guys who won war in Vietnam.
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Gulf of Tankin Resolution
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So LBJ will do what he can to keep Vietnam under control but in August of 1964 in a place called the Gulf Tankin, a couple of small boats of Vietnamese Navy will attack US destroyers. One actually happens, not sure if the other happened. But LBJ will go to Congress and he will ask for a resolution that will give him authority (not a declaration of war) to do what is necessary against Vietnam called Gulf of Tankin resolution and it is passed in the House/Senate. L LBJ now has the authority that he needs to fight this war.
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all of these presidents had a role in what happens in terms of America in Vietnam. We can add to this list,
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Harry Truman, JFK, Eisenhower, Nixon, Johnson and Ford .. Bill Clinton, because it was not until the Clinton administration in 1997 that the US finally opened diplomatic relations with our foreign enemy. That is how important Vietnam War is to history. We should be thinking about which one of these president’s was most important in its role in the war.
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JFK’s inaugural address
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42 yr old WWII hero, a junior officer, was replacing a general, Eisenhower. One thing that happens in the first few days is he will have a meeting with his predecessors and try to decide where they will go to talk about foreign policy. Eisenhower said to JFK I do not believe that you should ever fight a land war in Vietnam. IF you believe that it is necessary to stop the growth of communism, a more appropriate place might be Lous (in a stage of revolution anyway). But you should not fight in the jungles of Vietnam. For a variety of reasons, Kennedy did not listen to his predecessor, Eisenhower.
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Pres. Diem is not helping the US to any degree because of the way he decides to lead the country.
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He is our guy (anti-communist) but he is hard on the people, and sees communist everywhere even within his own military. He is catholic but the country is 90% buddist. He uses his cathloism to stress his anti-communist ways. He sees some communism in the Buddist. Promotes raids against Buddist’s temples. On his birthday, he will issue an order that no Buddist flag can be flown on buddist birthday. He does everything he can to upset the buddist of the country. Becomes so bad that many dedicated buddist decide to burn themselves. Self immolation. One such man is Thich Quan Duc
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In Cuba, we will stare down at soviet union in the
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Cuban missile crisis – the closest the world ever came to in nuclear annihilation. We are embarrassed about the Cuban missile crisis. It works okay and better than we expected. Kennedy has to deal with Vietnam and President Diem. In Nov. 1963, the Argon generals under the leadership of Big Minh will – to take Diem out of office. President of US knows this is going to happen and sort of let this regime happen. Kennedy thinks it is a peaceful regime when in fact, Diem is put into a carrier and taken to outskirts and machine-gunned to death.
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He also decides that the new General in Vietnam is
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William Westmorlin. He is the military assistant commander Vietnam. MACV. Westmorlin will run the war as if we are fighting WWII all over again. The recommendations that come down from Morlin is that if US expects to defeat the communist insurgency in south and what will happen with the north viet. Troops will come down and fight. Morlin believes that the only way to fight that war is with troops. The US will introduced 585,000 (the most troops that will serve at one time).
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