Alt Vietnam War

Back Ho Chi Minh in 1945, Vietnam turns into an US allied, nationalistic regime

Best way for the US, and for the world as a whole. The only losers are the French, who lost anyway and stabbed the US in the back anyway.

I agree with Kurt Steiner.
By and large American "victory" depends on three things that never happened:

1- Allying with the Viet Minh after WWII.

2- Nation-building with a solid political base.

3- Keeping the American military from playing the starring role in defending South Vietnam.

1 and 2 are certainly necessary, and were quite doable with a sane administration post WWII.

3 I've actually never heard before, but it is an intriguing idea. It seems to me that it should be easy to avoid if the US backs Ho from the start - there wouldn't be any organized opposition, so some US advisers (perhaps the OSS agents already in country and working with the Viet Minh), a good infantry regiment, and an extra helping of support units (especially aviation, artillery, and engineers) should be enough. The infantry can be pulled out within a few months with luck, a year without. The specialists can slowly transfer their equipment to the Vietnamese Army, training them along the way. The advisers probably stay for a long time - odds are a fair number of them become permanent residents.
 
Top