Major Problems in the History of the Vietnam War

Robert J. McMahon received his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut in 1977 and was professor of History at the University of Florida before moving to Ohio State University. He specializes in United States diplomatic history. He is the author of Colonialism and Cold War: The United States and the Struggle for Indonesian Independence (1981) and The Cold War on the Periphery: The United States, India, and Pakistan (1994). He is also the co-editor of the Problems in American Civilization book The Origins of the Cold War, which entered its fourth edition in 1999.

• Note: Each chapter concludes with Further Reading.Commonly Used AcronymsMap of Southeast Asia1. Vietnam and America: An IntroductionESSAYSMichael H. Hunt, The Wages of WarMichael Lind, The Necessary WarRobert Mann, A Grand Delusion2. French Colonial Rule and the Development of Vietnamese NationalismDOCUMENTS1. Jules Ferry Justifies French Colonial Expansion, 18842. Phan Boi Chau Resolves to Continue Fighting for Vietnam's Freedom, 19143. Ho Chi Minh Deplores "Imperialist Crimes," 19204. Ho Calls for Revolution, 19305. A Vietnamese Writer Recalls the 1944-1945 Famine, 19566. Vietnam Declares Independence, 1945ESSAYSWilliam J. Duiker, France's Imperial Dreams, Vietnam's TraumaMark Philip Bradley, America's Symbolic Importance for Vietnamese Nationalists3. The Roots of the American CommitmentDOCUMENTS1. George C. Marshall Expresses Concern About Indochina Dispute, 19472. Statement of U.S. Policy Toward Indochina, 19483. The United States Praises the Elysée Agreements, 19494. The State Department Recommends Military Aid to the French, 19505. The National Security Council Identifies Important U.S. Security Interests in Indochina, 19506. Dean Acheson Urges Aid for Indochina, 19507. Ho Chi Minh Denounces U.S. Intervention, 1950ESSAYSRobert J. McMahon, Cold War Strategy and U.S. InterventionMark Atwood Lawrence, The European Influence and America's Commitment to War in Vietnam4. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ngo Dinh Diem, and the Deepening U.S. CommitmentDOCUMENTS1. Dwight D. Eisenhower Appeals for British Help, 19542. Eisenhower Explains the Domino Theory, 19543. Vo Nguyen Giap Assesses Dienbienphu's Importance (1954), 19644. The Geneva Conference Signatories Issue Their Final Declaration, 19545. South Vietnam Renounces Negotiations with North Vietnam, 19556. Elbridge Durbrow Assesses the Diem Regime, 19578. Ngo Dinh Diem Pledges to Continue Fighting Communism, 1957ESSAYSDavid L. Anderson, The Tragedy of U.S. InterventionSeth Jacobs, The Religious Roots of U.S. Support for Ngo Dinh DiemGareth Porter, Exploiting U.S. Dominance5. John F. Kennedy and Vietnam: Incremental EscalationDOCUMENTS1. Maxwell Taylor Recommends the Dispatch of U.S. Forces, 19612. Dean Rusk and Robert S. McNamara Present an Alternative Plan, 19613. An Early U.S Army Adviser Remembers His Experiences (1962-1963), 19814. Mike Mansfield Questions American Policy, 19625. John F. Kennedy Criticizes the South Vietnamese Government, 19636. Kennedy Reaffirms the Domino Theory, 19637. Henry Cabot Lodge Discusses Coup Protests, 19638. McGeorge Bundy Expresses Reservations, 19639. Diem Makes a Desperate Appeal for U.S. Help, 1963ESSAYSDavid Kaiser, Kennedy's Prudent and Cautious PolicyPhilip E. Catton, The Limits of U.S. Influence6. Lyndon B. Johnson's Decisions for WarDOCUMENTS1. Robert S. McNamara Reassesses of U.S. Policy in South Vietnam, 19642. Lyndon Johnson and Richard Russell Ruminate about the U.S. Dilemma in Vietnam, 19643. The Tonkin Gulf Resolution, 19644. Lyndon B. Johnson Explains Why Americans Fight in Vietnam, 19655. McNamara Recommends Escalation, 19656. George Ball Dissents, 19657. Philip Caputo Remembers His Idealism (1965), 1977ESSAYSRobert Dallek, Fear, Ambition, and PoliticsFredrik Logevall, Choosing War7. U.S. Military StrategyDOCUMENTS1. Robert S. McNamara Urges Additional Troop Deployments, 19652. George F. Kennan Criticizes the American Military Commitment, 19663. William C. Westmoreland Reviews Military Operations in South Vietnam, 19664. The Central Intelligence Agency Critiques the Bombing Campaign, 19675. McNamara Sees an Improved Military Outlook, 19676. Westmoreland Defends the Attrition Strategy, 19777. Westmoreland Reflects on the Vietnam War's Meaning, 2003ESSAYSRobert K. Brigham, An Unwinnable WarJohn A. Nagl, The Failure of Counterinsurgency Warfare8. Americans in CombatDOCUMENTS1. A Cross-Generational Conversation About Joining the Army2. "Dear Mom," 19663. In