WI the VC and/or the NVA had decided to strike the USA back by attacking in the USA mainland or Hawaii?
WI the VC had struck in the USA?
- Thread starter gladiator8085
- Start date
If that's the case, expect hate crimes against Vietnamese-Americans and Asian-Americans and Nixon taking a tougher approach to Vietnam.
Also, public opinion for the war in Vietnam may improve
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning. Smells like victory," but all over Vietnam.
With Nixon in office? Instant Sunshine.
With Johnson? Three division landing, probably near Cua Lo, reinforced by air and with enough weight to crush the NVA, take Hanoi and Hai Phong.
There was never any question that the U.S. could destroy the NVA and overrun the whole country. The thing was, the U.S. never had a good reason to do it. This would give DC a reason, hell it would give them a crusade. It would also evaporate the anti-war movement like a water drop on a hot skillet.
Would have been the stupidest thing done in the 2nd half of the 20th Century.
With Johnson? Three division landing, probably near Cua Lo, reinforced by air and with enough weight to crush the NVA, take Hanoi and Hai Phong.
There was never any question that the U.S. could destroy the NVA and overrun the whole country. The thing was, the U.S. never had a good reason to do it. This would give DC a reason, hell it would give them a crusade. It would also evaporate the anti-war movement like a water drop on a hot skillet.
Would have been the stupidest thing done in the 2nd half of the 20th Century.
First off does anyone here remember just how many terrorist organizations were active in the US between 1966 & 1975?
Which speaks to the intelligence of Giap & Co. The cheered the home grown terrorist organizations in the US, but were scrupulous about not 'supporting' them.
There were so few Viet or Viet decended people in the US in those days they'd been near impossible to find. The current Viet-American population are decended from the huge wave of refugees who came after 1975.
Among some groups. For those it would have gone from 'None of our business' To a self defense problem. So of like Japans war in China to Japan attacking the US territories.
Which speaks to the intelligence of Giap & Co. The cheered the home grown terrorist organizations in the US, but were scrupulous about not 'supporting' them.
There were so few Viet or Viet decended people in the US in those days they'd been near impossible to find. The current Viet-American population are decended from the huge wave of refugees who came after 1975.
Alternately a tougher approach with domestic security. Nixon bought off on the proposals & arguments for increasing the size & mandates for the ATF, FBI, Justice Dept, Fed Marshal Service, & the establishment of the DEA. His reactions to both the threat in drug imports, and foreign supported terrorists
Among some groups. For those it would have gone from 'None of our business' To a self defense problem. So of like Japans war in China to Japan attacking the US territories.
I wonder if this would have reversed the anti government narrative that came out of Vietnam, would an attack on American soil be seen as something like a second Perl harbor, validating the governments decision to go into Vietnam. That said, it would never have happened as the north Vietnamese were experts at reading the American political landscape.
Admiral Beez
Banned
I don't think so. Some would argue Vietnam's people are striking out at foreign invaders. If Pearl Harbour were a reaction to USA interference in Japan, including GIs on the ground in Japan supporting the country's enemies, then it would be more analogous.
Thothian
Banned
It's true that the Vietnamese-American community was vanishingly small pre-1970. I think this would actually make it easier for VC/NVA terrorists ITTL to infiltrate, because mainly nobody would be paying attention.
Let's say POD is July 4 1969. VC terrorists hit a 4th of July cookout/fireworks show in Orange County, gunning down 3 or 4 dozen civilians before themselves being killed. If it's absolutely confirmed as their responsibilty, I think Calbear's right. Nixon will order a 200-300 kt bomb dropped right in the middle of Hanoi.
Let's say POD is July 4 1969. VC terrorists hit a 4th of July cookout/fireworks show in Orange County, gunning down 3 or 4 dozen civilians before themselves being killed. If it's absolutely confirmed as their responsibilty, I think Calbear's right. Nixon will order a 200-300 kt bomb dropped right in the middle of Hanoi.
Well, the embargos imposed in 1941 were fairly devastating. Freezing Japanese bank accounts in the US; That included third party payments to Japanese routed through US banks. Then there was terminating all Japanese credit in the US and British banking system, which paralyzed Japans government and industry as neither had cash reserves worthy of the name. Cessation of fuel shipments from the US to Japan, we were Japans primary supplier into 1941. Cessation of everything else Japan needed imported, Tin, Bauxite, Aluminum, Tungsten, scrap Steel, Copper & Copper ore, machine tools, assorted chemicals .... Even cargo ships. Japans cargo fleet was barely half of that needed to service its industry. Over 40% of its imports and exports in 1940 had been in ships controled by the US and British.
That action was crashing Japans economy. Had they not spent a year+ stockpiling a surplus of critical items before the embargos Japans industry would have shut down within a few months of the imposition of the embargos. As it was the embargos alone were more devastating than any military campaign the US could have mounted in 1941-42.
I believe the Weather Underground openly extolled themselves as the American wing of the VC/NVA. But most people probably just saw them as a bunch of deluded, if rather destructive, teenagers and twentysomethings.
That's correct after the background of the members became known, and after they blew up their bomb assembly operation. Before then they were taken seriously.
Some would, they would be ignored. The rest of the country would be out for blood, which is one reason why the North Vietnam never tried anything close to this. They could have probably pulled off a few terrorist attacks here and there, at the expense of getting into a total war with the US.
Not quite ASB, but pretty close. The leadership would have to be considerably less intelligence and a lot more crazy than those who led it OTL. Very unlikely but not totally impossible.
EMTSATX
Banned
Every one is saying the gloves would come off, which is very reasonable but...
We didn't destroy the Black Panthers, the weather men, SDS etc... I mean Bill Ayers and various Panther's are still running around.
If we nuked/invaded Vietnam what do the Russian's or Chinese do? What if a nuking of Kabul or Taipei is justified later on by hey, you did it to Hanoi.
We didn't destroy the Black Panthers, the weather men, SDS etc... I mean Bill Ayers and various Panther's are still running around.
If we nuked/invaded Vietnam what do the Russian's or Chinese do? What if a nuking of Kabul or Taipei is justified later on by hey, you did it to Hanoi.
The Black Panthers and the Weather Men were domestic, we weren't going to invade OURSELVES. I think it would have have stopped short of nuking but throwing another corps or two into Vietnam is far from unlikely. Also the anti-war protests would be greatly reduced. North Vietnam would clearly a direct threat to the US in this case.