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Another history thread: How did we get involved in the Vietnam War?
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:43 pm
How did we end up in such a clusterfrick of a mess? I always thought it was to prevent the spread of communism by China, etc. but I saw in another thread that the French are the ones who originally got us involved
Can anyone expound on that?
Can anyone expound on that?
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:45 pm to Wishnitwas1998
quote:
How did we end up in such a clusterfrick of a mess?
No clear strategy
quote:
I always thought it was to prevent the spread of communism by China, etc. but I saw in another thread that the French are the ones who originally got us involved
I think their interests were different from ours. We wanted to stop communism, they wanted to keep their colony. JFK really started that war, not LBJ.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:47 pm to Wishnitwas1998
We foolishly backed France in trying to hang on to their Indochinese colony, and it all went south from there.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:49 pm to Jim Rockford
quote:
JFK really started that war, not LBJ.
Well, technically, it was Eisenhower, but JFK expanded it, although he may have had second thoughts and planned to pull out. We'll never know.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:49 pm to Wishnitwas1998
Haven't you ever watched Forrest Gump?
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:50 pm to Wishnitwas1998
The US lied about what happened in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:50 pm to Jim Rockford
Try reading some books.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:51 pm to Wishnitwas1998
To stop Communism and good ole American arrogance in thinking we could just walk into any country and impose our will with our superior knowledge and technology.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:51 pm to Wishnitwas1998
Johnson wanted to be a wartime president.
Then he didn't want to abandon his domestic, SJW agenda.
Then we got bogged down in land war in Asia.
THEN we didn't let the military leaders run the war according to tried and true military principles.
THEN we won the war anyway (with Nixon as POTUS).
THEN CONGRESS GAVE AWAY THE VICTORY.
Then he didn't want to abandon his domestic, SJW agenda.
Then we got bogged down in land war in Asia.
THEN we didn't let the military leaders run the war according to tried and true military principles.
THEN we won the war anyway (with Nixon as POTUS).
THEN CONGRESS GAVE AWAY THE VICTORY.
This post was edited on 3/20/15 at 1:57 pm
Posted on 3/20/15 at 1:53 pm to Wishnitwas1998
Google Dien Bien Phu.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 2:04 pm to Wishnitwas1998
Bc your moms a fat whore.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 2:07 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
Then he didn't want to abandon his domestic, SJW agenda.
A road started by FDR, and the Great Society is a large part why we have the welfare state we do today.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 2:18 pm to Wishnitwas1998
We were bailing out the French who controlled Vietnam following World War II.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 2:54 pm to kingbob
something to do with rubber.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 3:11 pm to horsesandbulls
Vietnam was a strategic asset due to its climate making it a natural location for rubber colonies. Natural rubber was obviously a hugely important resource prior to the invention and improvements of synthetic rubber. France had conquered the region in 1887. Japan overran the country in the early days of World War II to fill its need for rubber to fuel the Empire's war machine.
However, during the War, we supported Ho Chi Mihn in his fighting against the Japanese and allowed him to control what areas his men could. To help finish off the Japanese army in the region, U.S. backed China invaded in 1945.
When the War was over, France tried to reassert its authority. China brought the French and Viet Minh to negotiate, and the country ended up partitioned with North Vietnam being an independent country and the south controlled by France.
After China fell to Communism in the 1950s, guerrilla fighters turned their attention to South Vietnam to oust out the French. Due to the waning important of natural rubber, the French allowed the South to become independent, but installed a pro-western puppet government. They couldn't deal with the Vietcong guerrillas so they petitioned the U.S. for help. It started with just advisers, but turned into the massive quagmire we now know today. Many in South Vietnam refused to fight against their own people. Rules of engagement and lack of political will hamstrung troops. The draft and hopelessness of the conflict caused morale to be near the lowest in the history of the American armed forces. We simply lacked the will and strategy to win.
However, during the War, we supported Ho Chi Mihn in his fighting against the Japanese and allowed him to control what areas his men could. To help finish off the Japanese army in the region, U.S. backed China invaded in 1945.
When the War was over, France tried to reassert its authority. China brought the French and Viet Minh to negotiate, and the country ended up partitioned with North Vietnam being an independent country and the south controlled by France.
After China fell to Communism in the 1950s, guerrilla fighters turned their attention to South Vietnam to oust out the French. Due to the waning important of natural rubber, the French allowed the South to become independent, but installed a pro-western puppet government. They couldn't deal with the Vietcong guerrillas so they petitioned the U.S. for help. It started with just advisers, but turned into the massive quagmire we now know today. Many in South Vietnam refused to fight against their own people. Rules of engagement and lack of political will hamstrung troops. The draft and hopelessness of the conflict caused morale to be near the lowest in the history of the American armed forces. We simply lacked the will and strategy to win.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 3:13 pm to Boats n Hose
quote:
Haven't you ever watched Forrest Gump?
Posted on 3/20/15 at 3:14 pm to Wishnitwas1998
The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara oughtta help, some, though McNamara is sometimes self serving.
Posted on 3/20/15 at 3:16 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
. THEN we won the war anyway (with Nixon as POTUS). THEN CONGRESS GAVE AWAY THE VICTORY
Interesting, you think you could elaborate a little more?
Posted on 3/20/15 at 3:31 pm to Ace Midnight
Delete
This post was edited on 3/20/15 at 4:15 pm
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