How did the US government misread the situation in Vietnam?

Question

What was it about the US government that made it difficult for them to see the war between North and South Vietnam for what it was: a civil war?

Answer 1

Lumas gave some good general information, and here are some of the details left out.

It can be argued that the Vietnam War could have been left as a civil war had Kennedy not been assassinated. Kennedy's administration did approve Diem's assassination and increased the number of advisors before he died, but the war could have still been left between North and South Vietnam. Johnson ordered the first combat troops into Vietnam after the fabricated Gulf of Tonkin incident, which changed everything. The war became the U.S. against North Vietnam after that, and why Johnson’s administration decided to do this will never be understood.

The U.S. had an incredible amount of military equipment and personnel in Vietnam between 1964 and 1974. The war could have ended within a couple months in a U.S. victory at anytime. However, Johnson's war was not really against the North Vietnamese, but against the Soviet Union and China. Johnson had seen how close the U.S. and Soviet Union came to a nuclear war, and didn’t want to push the Soviets into another confrontation like that again. Johnson micro-managed the military in Vietnam, and limited rules of engagement to the point that the U.S. could not win. Long story short – Johnson picked a fight, but was more concerned about the spectators instead of the person in front of him that he was supposed to be fighting.

Johnson’s administration had though the South Vietnamese did not have the resolve to fight for their own country. The South Vietnamese did have the resolve and was containing communist resistance until Johnson took the war away from them. Johnson’s administration thought a containment policy would be effective against the Viet Cong and NVA. It actually was until the American public turned against supporting the war. Johnson’s administration did not factor American public interest into his plans.

All this needs to be understood to see why the U.S. government was shortsighted in Vietnam. Very good question!

Answer 2

It was the US government who caused the civil war. Advised by the US Ambassador in Vietnam, who disliked President Diem for his opposite views to the 'American Way', in November 1963 the CIA collaborated on the coupe'd'etat that overthrew the dictatorial 'President' creating a power vacuum. The communist from the North took advantage of the political chaos.

The fronts of the Cold War were developing countries like Vietnam were the USSR and the USA wanted their way of life to succeed against the other's.

Answer 3

it was much more then a civil war. While on the surface it was, underneath it was a struggle between the two super powers, democracy against communism. If it was just a civil war why then was their so many foriegn countries involved. Besides just us, the North had support from a number of nations, including money, weapons and people. Soviet and Chinese forces both fought for the north against the south and american led forces during the second indochina war.

Answer 4

For the same reasons that we are suffering through Iraq. We are so parochial to think that the rest of the world wants to be just like us.

Answer 5

Ask George Bush - he has the same problem in Iraq

Answer 6

By going there