2007-06-01 03:35:58 · 6 answers · asked by tom the plumber 3 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
He did more than not talk to him, he officially changed sides and gave monetary aid to France's efforts to maintain the colony.
Yes, that started our involvement.
And that was escalated by JFK and LBJ.
And then it was ended by RMN, with ever-declining troop strength and funding.
2007-06-01 03:38:41 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Alternate history is interesting. 'What-if' questions do get you thinking. I suspect that Harry Truman, basically a 19th century guy and a cultural 'racist' truely believed in the concept of 'the white man's burden'. At that time it was accepted that France 'owned' French Indo-China. That's what they called it on the map so it must have been 'true'. I also suspect that after so many years of war there was a natural tendency to want to put things back the 'way they were' before the war. Colonialism was the advertised brand before the war and that concept was pretty much accepted by everyone except those that were 'colonized'. So by ommision, you could say that Truman's reluctance to overturn the world as he knew it 'started' our involvment in Vietnam. So what's the lesson here? Basically 'ya gotta' think ahead. You have to be less culture bound and more forward thinking. 'Conservative' thinking in a rapidly changing world leaves out a lot of factors. Truman was one of the good guys, but he sure missed the boat by not taking Uncle Ho seriously.
2007-06-01 03:54:33 · answer #2 · answered by Noah H 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, Ho-chi-min, was going to have a war no matter what was disussed with Democratic President Truman the war was already going on at that time, it had been brewing for nearly 20 yrs, fighting in spurts between the two sides by the time France got involved in the early 1950s, and we took it over when Democratic President Kennedy started sending "advisor's" over, and then Democratic President Johnson opened it up to the Military arms companies to make large profits of there new toys of war.
2007-06-01 03:44:19 · answer #3 · answered by edjdonnell 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably not, unless by talking it would have just turned the whole country over the Ho Chi Minh's Communists right then.
You'd think a Poli Sci major would know that Truman started the USA involvement in Viet Nam by sending advisors and supplies over starting in 1950. Do they actually teach anything in college these days?
2007-06-01 03:50:42 · answer #4 · answered by thegubmint 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Eisenhower started the Vietnam War by sending in American troops following the French withdrawl.
2007-06-01 03:38:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No.
2007-06-01 03:41:06 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋