GBH Openvault

Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Cronkite Interviews JFK

Part of The Vietnam Collection.

09/02/1963

This item consists of raw, unpackaged, news materials relating to President Kennedy's thoughts on Vietnam. The first two minutes are picture only; the remainder of the item is audio-only. _-_ President Kennedy told CBS correspondent Walter Cronkite that the Diem government should make more of an effort to win popular support if it is to win the war against the communist Viet Cong. "The government has got to get in step with the people, if they are to win the war in this very essential struggle. Americans are impatient when people tell us we have got to get out of South Vietnam. It doesn't get do any good for President DeGaulle to tell us to get out. But we will listen. DeGaulle is our friend and not the object of our hostility."

Series

Vietnam: A Television History

Program

America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963)

Program Number

103

Title

Cronkite Interviews JFK

Series Description

This 13 part series covers the history of Vietnam from France's colonial control, through the 1945 revolution, to the 1975 U.S. evacuation from Saigon and the years beyond. The series' objective approach permits viewers to form their own conclusions about the war. 101--Roots of a War--Despite cordial relations between American intelligence officers and Communist leader Ho Chi Minh in the turbulent closing months of World War II, French and British hostility to the Vietnamese revolution laid the groundwork for a new war. 102--The First Vietnam War (1946-1954)--The French generals expected to defeat Ho's rag-tag Vietminh guerrillas easily, but after eight years of fighting and $2.5 billion in U.S. aid, the French lost a crucial battle at Dienbienphu--and with it, their Asian empire. 103--America's Mandarin (1954-1963)--To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, America replaced France in South Vietnam--supporting autocratic President Ngo Dinyh Diem until his own generals turned against him in a coup that brought political chaos to Saigon. 104--LBJ Goes to War (1964-1965)--With Ho Chi Minh determined to reunite Vietnam, Lyndon Baines Johnson determined to prevent it, and South Vietnam on the verge of collapse, the stage was set for massive escalation of the undeclared Vietnam War. 105--America Takes Charge (1965-1967)--In two years, the Johnson Administration's troop build-up dispatched 1.5 million Americans to Vietnam to fight a war they found baffling, tedious, exciting, deadly and unforgettable. 106--America's Enemy (1954-1967)--The Vietnam War as seen from different perspectives: by Vietcong guerrillas and sympathizers; by North Vietnamese leaders; by rank and file; and by American held prisoner in Hanoi. 107--Tet (1968)--The massive enemy offensive at the Lunar New Year decimated the Vietcong and failed to topple the Saigon government, but led to the beginning of America's military withdrawal. 108--Vietnamizing the War (1968-1973)--President Nixon's program of troop pull-outs, stepped-up bombing and huge arms shipments to Saigon changed the war, and left GI's wondering which of them would be the last to die in Vietnam. 109--Cambodia and Laos--Despite technical neutrality, both of Vietnam's smaller neighbors were drawn into the war, suffered massive bombing, and in the case of Cambodia, endured a post-war holocaust of nightmare proportions. 110--Peace is at Hand (1968-1973)--While American and Vietnamese continued to clash in battle, diplomats in Paris argued about making peace, after more than four years reaching an accord that proved to be a preface to further bloodshed. 111--Homefront USA--Americans at home divide over a distant war, clashing in the streets as demonstrations lead to bloodshed, bitterness and increasing doubts about the outcome. 112--The End of the Tunnel (1973-1975)--Through troubled years of controversy and violence, U.S. casualties mounted, victory remained elusive and American opinion moved from general approval to general dissatisfaction with the Vietnam war. 113--Legacies--Vietnam is in the Soviet orbit, poorer than ever, at war on two fronts; America's legacy includes more than one half million Asian refugees, one half million Vietnam veterans and some questions that won't go away. Series release date: 9/1983

Program Description

To stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, America replaced France in South Vietnam--supporting autocratic President Ngo Dinyh Diem until his own generals turned against him in a coup that brought political chaos to Saigon.

Duration

00:05:52

Asset Type

Stock footage

Media Type

Video

Subjects

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963

Vietnam War, 1961-1975

United States--Foreign relations--Vietnam

Gaulle, Charles de, 1890-1970

Political persecution

Buddhism and politics

Communists

Locations

Hyannis Port, MA

Genres

Documentary

Topics

War and Conflict

Creators

Ellison, Richard (Series Producer)

Contributors

Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 (Interviewee)

Publication Information

CBS News

Rights Summary

Footage courtesy of CBS News Archive Rights Holder: CBS News (http://www.cbsnews.com)

Citation

Chicago: “Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Cronkite Interviews JFK,” 09/02/1963, GBH Archives, accessed December 3, 2024, http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_9F191D079DDE4BD1B69BF87A0426F96F.

MLA: “Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Cronkite Interviews JFK.” 09/02/1963. GBH Archives. Web. December 3, 2024. <http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_9F191D079DDE4BD1B69BF87A0426F96F>.

APA: Vietnam: A Television History; America's Mandarin (1954 - 1963); Cronkite Interviews JFK. Boston, MA: GBH Archives. Retrieved from http://openvault.wgbh.org/catalog/V_9F191D079DDE4BD1B69BF87A0426F96F