Peace History

Did you know that Ho Chi Minh wrote a declaration of independence in 1945 mirroring the language of the U.S. declaration of 1776? Did you know that forty-seven years earlier, Filipino leader Emilio Aguinaldo did the same, expecting the United States to support Filipino independence in 1898? The tragedy of United States foreign policy is that the U.S. government attempted to suppress both national independence movements through force of arms.

The Peace History website (peacehistory-usfp.org) offers a principled perspective on U.S. foreign policy over the course of 240 years. Sponsored by the Historians Against the War and the Peace History Society, eight entries have been completed: The War of 1812, the U.S.-Mexican War, 1846-1848, the War of 1898 and U.S.-Filipino War, “Yankee Imperialism,” 1901-1934, U.S. participation in World War I, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Central America wars, 1980s. Check out the website and learn about the history of U.S. foreign policy.

Also, read about and listen to Protest Music of the Vietnam War.

1972: 50 Years Ago

March 30-July 1972 The PAVN (People’s Army of Viet Nam) and the NLF begin a major offensive. The goal of Easter Offensive, officially known as The 1972 Spring – Summer Offensive, (also called the Nguyen Hue (Nguyễn Huệ) offensive) was to win a decisive victory in 1972 or at least improve the revolutionary position for future peace talks. The 3-pronged attacks began in the north, center, and south of the country. Massed North Vietnamese Army artillery open a shattering barrage, targeting South Vietnamese positions across the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Upwards of 20,000 PAVN troops cross the DMZ, forcing the South Vietnamese units into a retreat. The Southern defense is thrown into complete chaos. Intelligence reports had predicted a Northern attack, but no one had expected it to come across the DMZ. A week after the launch of the offensive, Nixon decides to respond with a massive air campaign against the North. The campaign was by far the largest and most comprehensive of the war, using a wide variety of aircraft as well as new ‘smart’ bombs. The US committed 74 tactical squadrons to the attack. In addition, six aircraft carriers were assigned to the bombing mission as well as over 100 B-52 bombers. For the first time, the US places mines in Haiphong Harbor to cut off the North Vietnamese from foreign support.

The South Vietnamese with heavy American air support are able to turn back the attack after a month and a half. The city of Loc Ninh (Lộc Ninh), located close to the Cambodian border subsequently became the capital of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam (PRGSVN), a distinction it held until it was disbanded after the war. While US bombing and a stiffened ARVN defense was able to turn back the PAVN and NLF offensive, it remains politically impossible to reintroduce sufficient U.S. combat troops to stem the PAVN drive. With his policy of Vietnamization at stake, Nixon implements a massive buildup of air power in Southeast Asia and a broadening of the eligible targets.