HI114 Lecture : Vietnam [1] Early Years - From Truman to Kennedy French roots of America's war Eisenhower and the beginning of American intervention John F. Kennedy's war (1961-63)
Document Summary
The vietnam war (1954-1975) long failed domestically divisive bloody: 58,000 americans killed, 153,000 injured, 4 million vietnamese soldiers/civilians killed (10% of population) has had a lasting impact. 1948 - emperor bao dai installed by french. 1954 - 90,000 french casualties: battle of dien bien phu, the french ask for us military intervention. Hi114: back prime minister ngo dinh diem, catholic in a budhist country, french educated, french nationalist, has friends in us, including jfk, increase military advisors (685 by 1961, increase economic aid, replace bao dai with diem. Diem rejects north vietnam proposals for talks on the 1956 elections (supported by eisenhower) *if any election takes place, ho chi minh will win and the country will fall to communism. Diem wins 98% vote - president of rvn. *diems government was, on paper, a democracy with a constitution, in process, it was a corrupt authoritarian government being run by diem and his family.
