0 - The Black Vault

THE BDM CORPORATION
The PRC's strategic decision to assist Hanoi was in keeping with
two of its primary national objectives:
the promotion of violence in the
Third World ano the concomitant isolation of the United States and the
Soviet Union from these developing nations. l6/ By the mid-1960s, however,
the nature of the conflict had changed significantly, dynamically altering
Hanoi's supply requirements. As Peking was not equipped to supply the DRV
with its requisite heavy weaponry, the PRC leadership was compelled to
devise another stra+eay to meet its objectives.
China subsequently gave
even greater emphasis to driving the US and USSR into a direct confrontation.
This strategy, one aspect of which was the Chinese prolonged refusal
to coordinate a PRC-USSR united aid program for Hanoi, brought Peking's
supposed sincerity in supporting a fraternal socialist (especially Third
World) nation into question.
C. A REVIEW OF US, GVN, AND ALLIED OBJECTIVES AND SIRATEGIES
•,
The following discussions highlight the major national objectives and
strategies of the United States, South Vietnam,
and those countries which
provided allied military s'.opo-t co the US-GVN war effort. Because GVN
strategies and objectives were, foy the most part, symmetri, with those of
the US,
its objectives and strategies are reviewed concurrently with those
of the United States.
The objectives and strategies of allied participants
are treated together in the final review section, concentrating on only the
major allied participants and the more significant reasons for their
involvement in the Vietnam war effort.
1. The Objectives and Strategies of the United States (US) and South
V-etnam in Review
A number of signiTicant factors influenced both the nature and
type of nationai objectiveý; pursued by the United States during this time
period. Attitudes and perceptions gained from the Cold War, lessons supposedly
learned from previous US combat experiences, the shifting nature of
tri-polar politics, and, of course, the overall political and military
behavior of Hanoi and NVN-NLF forces had a significant impact on the US
leaderjhip's formulation of Vietnam-related policies.17/ The containment
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