Past Present Future What If… The Vietnam War Had Ended in 1964?
Aug 18, 2024
Thant Myint-U, a historian and the grandson of former UN Secretary General U Thant, dives deep into a pivotal 'what if' scenario regarding the Vietnam War. He discusses how close U Thant came to facilitating peace talks between LBJ and the Vietcong in 1964. The conversation explores the implications of a possible early end to the war, the personal dynamics of Cold War diplomacy, and the larger geopolitical landscape that might have shifted dramatically. A fascinating look at missed opportunities and their cascading effects on history!
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UN As A Crucial Cold War Broker
- U Thant acted as a neutral intermediary during the Cuban Missile Crisis and helped de-escalate tensions.
- His Afro-Asian identity made him a uniquely trusted broker between Washington, Moscow, and Havana.
How Cold War Policy Frozen Vietnam
- Vietnam had been temporarily divided after French defeat with planned elections that never occurred.
- The U.S. then backed South Vietnam as a bulwark against communism, sending advisors that set the stage for deeper American involvement.
Communist Powers Were Not Uniform
- Beijing and Moscow were not a united front regarding Vietnam, weakening the idea of a monolithic communist threat.
- U.S. policymakers nevertheless tended to treat communism as monolithic, feeding the domino-theory logic.