AGONY OF VIETNAM (TV)
Summary
A news special presenting an overview of the history and issues surrounding the conflict in Vietnam, and the United States’ involvement therein. Vietnam is in the midst of a massive conflict both internal and external, and its fate carries with it global implications. Tens of thousands of troops from the United States land there between April and August 1965 to participate in the conflict between the Communist North Vietnam and the Democratic South Vietnam. Vietnam’s history is rife with occupations of all sorts, and it was a French colony for 70 years. In the wake of World War II, France attempts to reestablish their hold over Vietnam in 1945, leading to an eight-year war costing hundreds of thousands of lives. Despite receiving millions in monetary aid from the United States, France abandons the colony in 1954 after their defeat at Dien Bien Phu, and the resistance force against the French, the Viet Minh, signs an agreement with them in Geneva, approved by the other major world powers. As a consequence of this, Vietnam is split into North and South Vietnam at the 17th parallel; Communists establish dominance in North Vietnam, while many Vietnamese flee to the South to escape the regime. Although the Geneva agreement provides for free elections in Vietnam in 1956, the South Vietnamese refuse and as a result guerilla fighting springs up across the country. The Viet Minh become the Viet Cong, a largely guerilla fighting force adept at infiltrating the South as a “shadow government” of North Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh rules North Vietnam as a Communist leader with years of political experience and knowledge, and still commands loyalty from some peasants in the South due to his role in opposing the French colonialists. Coupled with the pervasive influence of the Viet Cong, the Communist element in Vietnam holds an increasing amount of power both North and South. In South Vietnam’s capital Saigon, the repressive regime of President Ngo Dinh Diem is ousted in 1963, followed by a succession of unstable governments with little in the way of power or influence. The United States attempts to assist South Vietnam against the Northern Communist influence, first by giving monetary aid and military advisors in 1955, and later by sending troops in to bolster the South Vietnamese forces. They believe they can succeed where the French failed due to a combination of technological superiority and the support of the South Vietnamese people. However, many South Vietnamese peasants are falling under the sway of the Viet Cong, not because they are Communist but because they offer what is seemingly the only road to a stable government that they can attain. The Viet Cong’s guerilla tactics prove to be challenging for American troops: their knowledge of the terrain, ambush tactics, and various defensive measures prove to be effective even against heavily armed American soldiers. To counter this, Green Berets are sent in to employ their own guerilla tactics, and to train the South Vietnamese peasants in such tactics. Despite all this, their effectiveness and successes are questionable at best. Meanwhile, South Vietnamese infrastructure is in a poor state: education is mostly for the well-to-do; poverty is widespread; healthcare services are woefully inadequate; and failed land reform programs mean that most farmers do not own their land or produce, and are starving. The Viet Cong have seized upon these issues and used them as part of their Communist propaganda, using examples of the inadequate government in South Vietnam to make it appear that it has become a puppet state for the United States. The United States dedicates millions of dollars to improving South Vietnam’s economy and agriculture, although more money is spent on the war effort than on these endeavors. Other problems persist, such as the hundreds of thousands of displaced refugees as a result of the destruction of villages all across South Vietnam. In the United States, the majority of citizens still support President Johnson and the decision to go to war in Vietnam, although opinions are quickly becoming more divisive about the issue. Protest movements spring up across the nation, believing that the conflict is the wrong choice and that President Johnson is a hypocrite for failing to pursue more peaceful resolutions. South Vietnamese peasants also largely believe that the war should end. The United States embassy in Saigon is protected by the strictest security, as American troops fear that the Viet Cong have agents everywhere. Many Vietnamese come to resent the presence of the American troops and their influence on the country, believing that they are negatively impacting their society and culture. The loss of life for United States soldiers is beginning to be felt across the nation, and the ambiguous political situation has left American citizens confused over the meaning of the conflict. The United Nations asks for a cessation of the conflict, and on July 28th, 1965, President Johnson notes that he is ready to negotiate for peace. However, it is unclear who would represent the Vietnamese, and many are unwilling to allow the Viet Cong to form a delegation, as it would legitimize their hold over the country. As is stands, both sides are locked in a brutal stalemate, each refusing to yield to pressure from the other side. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: August 25, 1965 8:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:31
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: B:47132
- GENRE: News
- SUBJECT HEADING: News
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1965
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Stephen Fleischman … Producer, Director, Writer
- Susan Garfield … Associate Producer
- Edward P. Morgan … Interviewer, Narrator, Reporter
- Bob Young … Interviewer, Reporter
- Fan Kwan Dang (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Bernard Fall … Interviewee
- Nho O Nguc (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Maxwell Taylor … Interviewee
- Robert Brown … Interviewee
- William Westmoreland … Interviewee
- James McLoughlin (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Van Dinh Tran … Interviewee
- Thuang Tran Khan (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Harold Taylor … Interviewee
- Tic Tran Lee (audio id only) … Interviewee
- John Paul Van (audio id only) … Interviewee
- George McGovern … Interviewee
- Leo Cherne … Interviewee
- Van Nguyen Ti (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Gary Murray (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Carl Watkins (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Charles Trainer (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Emmel Thorne (audio id only) … Interviewee
- Arthur Goldberg … Interviewee
- Dai Bao
- Chi Minh Ho
- Lyndon B. Johnson
- Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
- Diem Ngo Dinh
- Nhu Ngo Dinh
- Cao Ky Nguyen
- Huu Tho Nguyen
- Khanh Nguyen
- Xuan Tran Le (See also: Madame Nhu)