History and Cultures of Asia

Dispatches, Michael Herr

- Vietnam War: America’s longest war, Quagmire war (described as “quick sand,
no way to get out)
- World War II, US interest in Vietnam begins
- By 1945, US interest in Vietnam shifts (US had previously supported Vietnamese
independence/sovereignty), but after 1945, US no longer supports Vietnamese
independence
- Proxy War: smaller war, actively exchanged (stockpile of weapons, arm’s race)
- Cold War: no fire power, two super powers batting for global power/control (loss of
diplomacy)
- Hot War: fire power used actively
- Vietnam War shifts from Hot War to Cold War to Proxy War
- US saw Vietnam as communist after World War II (because it was surrounded by
communist territories – USSR and China)
- Worrying about Red Scare (communism taking over), US goes to war with Vietnam
(afraid that communism will spread throughout Europe and to the West)
- US goes into Proxy War with Vietnam (small war – conventional fire power) doesn’t
want to go into a large war for fear of nuclear warfare
- Domino Theory: if you go to Proxy War with Vietnam, communism will stop spreading
- Quagmire: US interest → “Hotter War” → Hot War
- First Indo China War (1946 – 1954): France attempts to retake its colonies in Southeast
Asia
- US fears Vietnam will become satellite state for USSR/China
- US wants to help France re-colonize in Asia (US pays for most of war, sends their troops
to Asia, etc.), but France still fails (US will go on to make the same mistakes later on)
- By 1954, France loses too may troops to continue fighting, US takes over in Vietnam
- Geneva Accords: US enters Vietnam as a “policing force” (France is out)
What the Geneva Accords did:
1. France is out of Vietnam (US is in as “policing force”)
2. Divide Vietnam at 17th parallel (North Vietnam – pro-communist, South Vietnam –
anti-communist)
3. Declare a “cooling off” period
4. Set general elections to re-unify Vietnam