The Kennedy Years 1960-1963

• What legacy in Vietnam did Kennedy inherit from Eisenhower?

• In what ways and why did the Kennedy administration increase involvement in South East Asia? Why?

• Why was Diem removed in 1963?

What intervention had Eisenhower left in

Vietnam?• Propped up Diem’s regime• 1500 US advisors to Vietnam• Not Combat troops – he had learnt lessons

from Korea

1. How effective a ruler was Diem in South Vietnam in the years 1955-1960?

• 1960: Containment under serious challenge in SE Asia.• Laos – North Vietnamese never really withdrawn from

there – another ‘domino’ about to fall?• South Vietnam also looking unstable – Politburo in

Hanoi ( Northern government) had decided to step up aid to supporters in South who were under pressure from Diem

• North Vietnamese govt re-activated the Ho Chi Minh Trail along the Laos and Cambodian border to supply arms to fighters in S. Vietnam

• Dec 1960: Anti-Diem coalition formed in S. Vietnam called the NLF.

• Growing unpopularity of Diem regime –• Seen as a US stooge but in reality was stubborn, arrogant and

distrustful of all but his family.• Failed to take advice from American representatives in

Vietnam• Nepotism – power to his family.• Sister in Law: ‘Power is lovely. Absolute power is absolutely

lovely’• Reforms under Diem too little too late• ‘Agrovilles’ not popular among peasants – had to leave their

villages and graves of ancestors• Buddhist majority treated with contempt• 1960 (1 month before JFK election) 2 colonels attacked

palace of president Diem with ARVN. Diem survived but the revolt made him more distrustful and only listened to closet associates

This was the legacy that Kennedy had

inherited in 1960.......

Agroville

Diem and his sister in law Madame Nhu

Who was Kennedy?Who was JFK?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfC5RheiV7U

6 facts you probably already know1. He was the youngest president to be elected at 43 and youngest to die

in office 46. Also the only president to die before both of his parents.

2. He was the first Roman Catholic to be elected as President.

3. 'Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country', this was the famous quote that shot JFK to popularity. His 1961 inaugural speech which was entirely devoted to foreign policy

4. He was a charming, handsome and well educated man from the upper class of US society in New England.

5. JFK was an effective public speaker and writer winning the Pullitzer prize in 1954 for Profiles in Courage

6. He was a fervent anti communist. Believed in the world wide communist conspiracy and the domino theory. Had a keen interest in American history culture and American achievement.

And 6 interesting facts you may not know..

1. He always gave the impression of being fit and healthy but throughout his adult life he was badly affected by back pain. In 1935 he underwent two life threatening operations to deal with this problem. He also suffered from Addisons disease.

2. Though Kennedy was never religious, he attended confessions regularly. But he was constantly worried that some priest may recognize his voice and reveal to the world the things he confessed. He used to go to church with a group of Catholic Secret Service Men, so that he would not be recognized.

3. Kennedy never carried cash with him and he used to constantly borrow money from his friends to pay cab fares, restaurant checks, etc. Though Kennedy was wealthy he never made it a point to pay his friends back, leaving them irritated.

4. Kennedy kept a green beret on his oval office desk

5. He was decorated for heroism in the Second World War

6. Wrote While England Slept in 1940 which became a best seller.

The Kennedy CrusadeKennedy was a Cold War warrior - a fervent and militant anti

communist This was at the heart of his rhetoric:

“The enemy is the Communist system itself- implacable, insatiable, unceasing in its drive for world domination.. This is not a struggle for supremacy of arms alone. It is also a struggle for supremacy between two conflicting ideologies : freedom under God versus ruthless godless tyranny.”

Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foes to assure the survival and the success of liberty.

Task: Who were the key players in the Kennedy administration?

Introduce yourself to the others on your table

• Who are you?• What is your role?• What is your attitude to

Communism and Vietnam?

Kennedy

Views on Vietnam

McNamara

Views on Vietnam

Rusk

Views on Vietnam

Was the Kennedy administration going to signal a change of policy?

Perhaps the combination of the three men would mean greater action would be taken by

the USA....

Rhetoric + Third World + Youth and Inexperience + Dominance of Defence

dept and McNamara + Hesitancy of Rusk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8fH8p73EME

Kennedys early ideas about Vietnam Kennedys background suggests he might be even more interested

in and committed to Vietnam than his predecessors....

Kennedys ideas –

what were they what

shaped them

Opposed French

Colonialism

Domino theory

Third World was the new

Cold War battleground

Truman ‘lost’ China

Vietnam was important

Containment of communism

McCarthyism McCarthy was a family friend

Catholicism (hatred of

communism because it was

atheistic)

In what ways and why did the Kennedy administration increase involvement in

South East Asia?

Why did they increase their involvement in the ‘Quagmire?

1. Cold War Context meant Ho Chi Minh’s regime in N. Vietnam could not be seen as separate from the Communist conspiracy to subvert Western values

2. Curse of Appeasement – stand up to Dictators!3. US Self-confidence in economic and military power:

‘Can do’ mentality4. Public anti-Communist sentiment – could make and

break a politician – Crusade against Communism. Ho Chi Minh portrayed as Communist Devil rather than sincere Vietnamese Nationalist who happened to be Communist

There was a shared belief that Communism had to be contained!

Cuba has a role too....

• Bay of Pigs invasion in April 1961 – failure for US to stop Communism

• Total failure• Makes Kennedy administration more

determined

And Laos....

Partial US failure thereThreat of Ho Chi Minh using the Communist

trail.....Compromise in 1962 established a neutral Laos

but Communist DRV forces still there...

How did Escalation take place? Did Kennedy have any success at

Containment?MILITARY ESCALATION

• 800 Military ‘advisors’ in Vietnam at start of his Presidency

• Surreptitious intervention (concealing military presence) stepped up in 1961 – US planes ordered to shoot down any hostile planes over Vietnam

• May 1961 Blue Print for escalation created – NSAM 52. Memorandum outlining intervention to ‘prevent communist domination’

• Aid stepped up from $220 million to $262 Million

MILITARY ESCALATION• Kennedy under pressure from advisors to deploy US troops – Vice

President Johnson already visited Saigon in 1961 and returned saying Diem was their key to containment and needed support

• Bundy (special assistant for national security affairs) and deputy Rostow wanted a tougher line

• Kennedy sends out fact finding missions• Oct 1961: Sends General Maxwell Taylor – recommends massive increase

in aid and troop deployment • Differing advice from his advisors – Kennedy cautious also• Agrees to step up involvement but not ground troops• Increases numbers of US advisors hugely – Oct 1961 2,000, 1962 12,000• Firepower also in form of helicopters and pilot ‘advisors’• Authorised use of ‘defoliants’• Feb 1962 MACV created in place of MAAG• Increasingly looking like a US-led conflict advisors were in control of

operations

1962-63: Downfall of Diem

• REFORM was another way in which Kennedy tried to help Diem defeat the Communists – bring social, economic and political equality and you won’t have rebellion

• But Diem did not listen to the US and ignored their advice

• Incompetent in leading the ARVN• Over-anxious to minimise troop loss at the expense of

effective action• Hyper-sensitive, expelled US journalists in 1962

• Many were critical of Diem’s ‘strategic hamlet’s programme: built like the agrovilles to deprive the Vietcong of rural support by putting peasants into fortified and protected villages where they could be protected

• Run badly by Diem’s brother- did not bring reforms

• Vietcong nicked 1000.s of US weapons from the Hamlets

1962-63: Downfall of Diem

• Jan 1963 Battle of Ap Bac – AVRN hopelessly defeated – Vietcong were outnumbered 4 to one but won

• US accused AVRN of cowardice• Convinced the US that Diem would not be strong enough to stop

Viet Cong• Final straw was Diem’s treatment of Buddhist majority• May 1963 prohibited use of Buddhist flags• 10,000 Buddhists protested. 9 people killed• Senior Buddhist monk set himself on fire in protest – further

suicides followed• Madame Nhu referred to him as a ‘barbecue monk’ – World Press

horrified• Kennedy expresses chock (although surely he knew before?...)

1962-63: Downfall of Diem

AVRN begin to plan a CoupUS aware and supportive - CIA did not warn Diem

although they knew about itHenry Cabot Lodge – appointed as ‘strong’ ambassador

to Vietnam. Good relations with the pressKennedy distracted with March on Washington Lodge quite free to make decision to support Diem’s

assassination – held a lot of power and orchestrated press leaks on Diem

1962-63: Downfall of Diem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZf_rCma6jw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGJaJBocqdQ

At the end of Kennedy’s Administration

• 17,000 advisors• Increased expenditure• Tottering South Vietnamese government• Would be now more difficult to withdraw• Approval of the Coup further committed the

US to help South Vietnam• Did Kennedy have plans to get out of

Vietnam?

Conclusions on Kennedy and Vietnam

• How can we support the idea that he had passed a ‘poisoned chalice’ to his successor Johnson?

• Do you agree?• How far were Kennedy’s policies similar to

Eisenhower’s?• Did Kennedy leave the US committed to

Vietnam?• How consistent was his policy towards

Vietnam?• Do you think Kennedy was going to get

out?