Giddens-Byers 1

Tijera Giddens-Byers

Professor Andrade

Engl 1

29 February 2020

The USA vs Common Sense

What could there possibly be to gain in joining a war that would achieve quite literally

nothing other than theblatent murder of 2 million innocent lives? Seemingly nothing. Many

Americans from that time period would agree, considering the escalating number of protests to

send all troops home during 1964-1973. The only reason any Americans were able to be

persuaded into supporting this war was the ever-growing fear of communism, which was

thoroughly used in propaganda pieces to create an anti-Vietnamese headspace among Americans.

Truly there are very few reasons to validate President Truman’s choice in giving the French

military and economic aid during the Vietnam War, outside of wanting to contain communism

and prevent its spread across eastern asia. However, even then, Ho Chi Minh’s primary ideology

was nationalism not communism, and many of the “slogans” he wanted implemented into the

Vietnamese government are things present day liberal Americans fight for in our government

system. If a single reason has to be pinpointed as to why President Truman would choose to

insert America into the Vietnam War it would be he simply didn’t want to upset our French allies

by not assisting them after they vehemently asked for our help.

Despite what France originally said to both the US and Vietnam in the March 6th

agreement, it was increasingly obvious to Ho Chi Minh and President Truman that their true

intention was repossessing their lost colony. France’s main fear in not ruling over Vietnam was
 Giddens-Byers 2

that an independent Vietnam would cause an uproar in more economically important colonies,

such as Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia (Ch. 2, pg 22). This was troubling to America, because

France, like the rest of the Allies, had an important part to play in the post-World War II era,

such as occupying Germany. If France didn’t have the military or economic power to support

this plan for Germany, the Allies feared the leftover Nazis would be able to rise up again.

Therefore, President Truman felt as though he had little choice in not providing aid to France in

its endeavors, despite how it was proven the last time France occupied Vietnam they did nothing

but tear down it’s economy and people.

President Truman was alerted to the terrifying thought that France might have joined the

Soviet Union in succumbing to communism themselves. While unsure if it was a true threat or

not, Marilyn Young notes that French President Charles de Gaulle made a silent threat to Harry

Hopkins in 1945 when he said, “If the public here comes to realize that you are against us in

Indochina, there will be terrific disappointment and nobody knows to what that will lead. We do

not want to become communist; we do not want to fall into Russian orbit, but I hope you will not

push us into it.” (Ch.2 pg 22). De Gaulle clearly was attempting to scare America into providing

military and economic aid to France throughout the Vietnam War, and he ultimately succeeded.

The idea of a powerful ally turning to communism, especially while America was still battling

the Soviet Union in the Cold War, was a terrifying reality no American president wanted to face.

Therefore, as Young writes that the Truman Administration would go on to provide “$160

Million in direct credit in 1946 expressly for the use in Vietnam (Ch.2, Pg. 22)

It’s not an exaggeration to say the entirety of the Vietnam War was completely

unwarranted and was brought about due to the wounded pride of an imperialist country, and its
 Giddens-Byers 3

opportunistic use of post-World war II conditions. Had it not been for the fact that President

Truman needed to satisfy it’s French allies in order to protect the world from the spread of

communism and keep overall world peace, France would have never seen a cent from America.

However, due to the circumstances America was up against, President Truman would go on to

make a decision that would cost up to 2 million lives, and ongoing cultural and psychological

issues in a small eastern asia country.

 Giddens-Byers 4

Works Cited

Young, Marilyn Blatt. ​The Vietnam Wars, 1945-1990​. HarperCollins, 1991, pp. 22