Problem
I. Karnow writes that Dean Acheson "personified the Eastern establishment liberal who had urged American intervention in World War II. His memory of abortive attempts to appease Hitler had ingrained in him a belief that power, rather than negotiations, checked potential aggression."
Do you think it was appropriate to apply the lessons of World War II to the Cold War and the situation Vietnam? Explain your reasoning.
II. President Harry Truman, writes Karnow, "added a new dimension to American foreign policy: "the 'containment' of Communism, until then focused on Europe, would be extended to Asia." In March 1947, Truman announced the Truman Doctrine. Do you think the Cold War is what dragged the United States into Vietnam? Would the United States have been as involved in Vietnam if not for the Cold War (and the spread of Communism through events such as Mao's Communist takeover of China and the Korean War)? Was it foolish to let the fears of the Cold War dictate American foreign policy? Do you agree with George Kennan's suggestion that Asia should be omitted from his concept of containment?
III. What do you think were the most important reasons the United States backed Ngo Dinh Diem as the leader of South Vietnam? Do you think the United States was in control of policy regarding South Vietnam, or did Diem and others control events, forcing the United States to react?
IV. Do you think Ngo Dinh Diem was an effective leader of South Vietnam? Why or why not?