The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the War in Vietnam, 1960-1968. Part 1
Abstract
Beginning in 1960, the Tinted States continued to expand its military advisory strength in South Vietnam in response to increased Communist infiltration from the north through Laos and to more sustained guerrilla attacks in the south. At the same time, the United Slates also increased its contingency planning effort for the deployment to Southeast Asia of regular US forces in both Laos and South Vietnam to counter any threat by Communist Army units from the north or from China. At the same time President Kennedy called for a new emphasis upon guerrilla warfare, which at first received only lukewarm support from the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Despite this emphasis upon Southeast Asia, especially in Laos and the establishment in South Vietnam in 1962 of the US Military Assistance and Advisory Command, such tinderboxes as Cuba and Berlin continued to receive most of the attention of the administration. In fact, the failed invasion of Cuba during the Bay of Pigs episode very early in his administration caused President Kennedy to lose his faith in the advice of the Joint Chiefs. Indeed the President appointed General Maxwell Taylor to act as his intermediary with the Joint Chiefs until General Taylor assumed the position of Chairman himself in October 1962. Throughout the President's tenure in office, the Kennedy administration's policy in Southeast Asia was marked by clashes between factions in the Defense Department including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the State Department, and the White House. By 1963, these differences involved the support the US should provide the Republic of Vietnam under its President, Ngo Dinh Diem. The history ends its account with the killing of Diem by a coup followed by the coincidental murder of President Kennedy a short lime later. The interpretation of these events still remains a matter of debate among historical scholars.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA543332
Entities
People
- Jack Schulimson
Organizations
- Joint Chiefs of Staff