Figure 1.--.

A large number of indivudals in addition to the thousand of men and women who did the fighting played important roles in the Vietnam War. We have not yet gone into the biographies of these individuals in detail, but hope to do so a HBC expnds. The Vietnmese effort was led by the Communist leader Ho Chi Minh and the military commander Gen. Võ Nguyên Giáp. Imprtant South viemnamese leaders included Ngô Đình Diệm and Nguyễn Văn Thiệu. Several American presidents were involved from Preidents Eisenhower to President Ford. The most important American commander was Gen. William Westmoreland. American politicans leading oposition to the war included Denators Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy. American Sectretary of State Henty Kissenger played a role in finally ending the War. Key roles were also played by American journalists, especially TV jounalists like Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite. Hollywood figures also got involved including Jane Fonda.

Westmoreland, William

Gen. William Westmoreland was the primary American comander during the major U.. militry commitment in Vietna,. He has been criticised for ovrseeing a muguided and narrow strategy of attrition which ultimately failed. Othrs are less critical of the general and fauly anti-War politicans and hostile press whichg shaped public opinion. One author contends that Westmoreland's was ltess focused on attrition than is commonly thought and included a broader campign encoasin wth a strategic vion which included counter insurgency, civic action, and efforts to gain the political support of the civilian population. [Daddis]

Sources

Dddis, Gregory A. Westmoreland's War: Reassesing American Strategy in Vietnam (2014), 280p.

Created: 5:55 AM 3/19/2014
Last updated: 5:55 AM 3/19/2014