The Cold War and U.S.

Diplomacy 1

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Shirl Lofton Professor Benjamin Webb International Problems POL 300 February 5, 2012

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy

President Lyndon Baines Johnson was a pure Texan born in 1908; his family included some of the earliest settlers of the Lone Star State. Lyndon, like his father, wanted more for his future. Johnson informed his classmates that one day he would be president of the United States. As Johnson became a teenager he realized the plight of his community and decided to make a difference. He refused to be a victim of the system that would allow something like the price of commodity to destroy the community. Lyndon became the 36th President of the United States, and people remember him as

loving, generous, compassionate, considerate, decent, and devoted to advancing the wellbeing of the least advantaged. Some describe him as cruel, dictatorial, grandiose, and even vicious.

During Lyndon B. Johnsons presidency, the Vietnam War was a situation requiring U.S. diplomacy. The presence of the U.S. was necessary to assist South Vietnam in its efforts to preserve its anticommunist stance in Asia. A charge was given by then, President Kennedy, to deploy troops to the area to aid Saigon. Although many believe this war was a huge waste of time because the U.S. seemingly, did not preserve the noncommunist state in South Vietnam. Many were killed, injured and remain missing today, for the reasoning to combat insurgents and Vietcong. The Green Berets stormed into South Vietnam to offer training and support to the troops to counteract the increasing amount of Vietcong, but was met with failure and disappointment. Determined not to lose and to continue to provide our support, President Kennedy

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy ignored pleas to pull out of Vietnam and instead, pressed on by deploying more soldiers. After his death, the Vietnam situation was President Johnsons concern and he had to either continue the path or choose a new one. He decided to continue to supply U.S. troops to South Vietnam. It was evident, North Vietnam was not going to bow out gracefully, instead the insurgents grew and Saigon continued to decline. Johnson was insisted that North Vietnam recognized South Vietnam as a stable and viable government. Without this recognition, the U.S would continue to supply troops and

support as long as it was needed. Several months had past and the U.S. continued to pour millions of dollars and thousands of troops to Vietnam. The conflict had escalated to a level that surpassed anyones imagination and soon, Johnson was granted permission to begin attacks via air warfare. In early February 1965, Vietcong unleashed a massive attack, killing eight America soldiers, which angered Johnson. He gave the order to retaliate against the attack along the 17th parallel, which divided North and South Vietnam. The next week, Rolling Thunder began to increase the air raids onto North Vietnam. Over the course of several years the aircraft teams support grew from 25,000 missions to almost 250,000 by 1967. The U.S was in too deep. With the growing number of insurgents in South Vietnam, Johnson knew he had to continue to fight a political battle and a physical one, as well.

During President Johnsons term, his diplomatic doctrine continued to follow what his predecessor Kennedy outlined with regards to communist expansion. The original role of the U.S. from the Kennedys administration was to provide South Vietnam with skills and resources to grow their economic development, political

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presence and self- reliance of their military. Yet, increasing forces from North Vietnam to sustain communism, allowed the war in Vietnam continued to cost the U.S millions of dollars and thousands of soldiers. Johnson would not listen to those around him, like Senator George Aiken and Leonard Marks, Director of U.S. Information Agency, who urged him to pull out and send the troops home. Johnson felt if he did not continue with the attacks in Vietnam, his policies would fail. He truly believed if he ceased the fighting at this point, it would lead to bigger and more destructive wars involving Moscow and Peking to include nuclear war. Standing fast to his doctrine and policies, Johnson committed to South Vietnam a host of military divisions, including Army and Marines, and sufficient naval and air reinforcement. The 1965 escalation of the war has been argued from all sides and still remains a little confusing to many as to the alleged change in U.S strategy. However, this new strategy is said to have been the reason for the South Vietnams defeat. The escalation was a direct result of an escalation from Hanoi in 1964, where North Vietnam was sent in to battle South Vietnam. General Westmoreland was given orders by Johnson to ensure there would not be a fall to South Vietnam and to secure the borders against further intrusions. Johnson stated his reasonings for wanting to use air raids was to continue to assist in the independence of South Vietnam and freedom from attacks.

The effects of these diplomatic efforts for the U.S and other countries is that the U.S is now involving themselves in additional conflicts to bring about change. In 1965, Johnson sent troops to the Dominican Republic to attempt to combat rising issues with an impending civil war between left and right wing Army units regarding pro- Castro.

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Johnson backed an unpopular right-wing politician, Reid Cabral, who recently took over power from Bosch in 1962. Johnson sent 20,000 Marines, which interfered with the plan to move Bosh back in to power. Johnson sent in forces to protect American lives and property, and to prevent a band of communist conspirators." Johnson had acted to prevent "another Cuba" on the U.S. doorstep. Bosch, although a left-winger, was neither a Communist nor a Castro follower, which made this a highly unpopular move in Latin America. Johnson faced a series of minor crises in Latin America, all of which he handled to maximize U.S. influence in the region. Here in the U.S there was an outrage to our participation in the war. With that growth of opposition to the war in Vietnam escalating, many were dissatisfied with their

position in American society, like African Americans, women, Latinos, and students. All took to the streets to protest and let their voices be heard. There were revolts and protest with these varying groups. The Black Power movement inspired other groups including Mexican Americans and Native Americans to celebrate their own heritage and history. Colleges and Universities began to embrace the diversity and offer classes and programs celebrating ethnic heritage. A new Act was passed, Ethnic Heritage Studies Act of 1972.

The particular doctrine that was followed by Johnson had its advantage and disadvantages along the way. Some of the disadvantages would have to be the huge amount of blood shed that took place in Vietnam. There were over 58,000 dead and over 300,000 wounded US Servicemen, not to mention all the civilians and children. The Operation Ranch Hand approved by Kennedy, actually produced a dual outcome. The original plan was to destroy the hiding places of NLF (National Liberation Front), but in

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy doing so, the chemicals (agent orange) sprayed on the forest, also caused health issues in

the people. The crops were sprayed (agent blue) as well, as a means to stave the enemies. However, the rice crops destruction pierced the villages and the civilian population was affected. Most of the weaponry, used to bomb North Vietnam, was destroyed resulting in a huge economic loss for the military back in the U.S. It was reported that for every dollar of destruction to Vietnam, it cost the U.S ten dollars. The large number of soldiers sent to fight in Vietnam came from lower class, working class families, which placed hardships on the family living in the states. As well, the majority of the soldiers were young males, who later, if they returned home, had physiological disorders. As far as advantages to the doctrine, there were movements that sparked around the country that would change the framework of the U.S for years to come. Feminist movement was born as a result and continues to flourish today. The gains women made back then included, legal abortion, easier divorce, freedom to express their sexuality and the principle of equal pay changed the lives of millions. The Womens Liberation Movement (WLM) came to be among students radicalized by the mass black civil rights movement and opposition to the Vietnam War. The Movement created enormous pride and was a life altering event for many of the women who chose to fight for their beliefs. The most significant advantage was the emergence of Civil Rights leaders as active proponents of peace in Vietnam. Martin Luther King, Jr. openly expressed support for the antiwar movement on moral grounds. This was a catalyst for change and equality for African Americans. From this movement, came better opportunities for voting, education, employment and quality of life. Although, considered a plus, this struggle continues today.

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References

Kern, Montaque.The Kennedy Crises; The Press; The Presidency (2nd ed.). 1983 The University of North Carolina Press

Roskin, M., & Berry, N. (2010). IR: The new world of international relations: 2010 edition (8th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Longman/Pearson Education

http://www.english.illinois.edu/maps/vietnam/anderson.htm http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/lbjohnson/essays/biography/5

http://millercenter.org/academic/americanpresident/lbjohnson/essays/biography/2

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