With reference to this source and your understanding of the historical context assess the
value of this source to a historian studying the origin of the Vietnam War
Source A is valuable as it comes as a resolution by the central committee of the Vietnam
Workers Party in Dec 1963 a month after the Diem assassination. The source is hugely
valuable due to both its origin and purpose, being that it is a state ‘resolution’ which is
aimed at the SV people which may mean the Communist party may convince the people
that NV is currently superior, and SV is on a deuteration in order motivate the people for the
rallying for war. Having said this, we shouldn’t overstate the value because this in extension
may act as a propaganda tool, so things currently may be hidden for the sake of rallying the
people to fight the ‘enemy’. However, the source is hugely valuable especially as it sheds
light on the instability of SV and the mass support of communism through the increase
membership in the Vietcong. The Resolution states that ‘our forces will be increasingly
developed, whereas the enemy will certainly face a great deal of difficulties’ This is partially
true with the assassination plot of Diem causing mass discontent and the number of NLF
hugely increasing by 25,000 by 1963 and by the time of 1967 multiple governments would
be in and out. The tone is Bellicose and hostile as the resolutions mentions that ‘US
imperialist sent more troop to Vietnam to save the situation … the struggle will become
stronger but … certainly, we will succeed’. This is valuable as it is true that American
intervention had hugely failed by 1963 through programs wanting to contain communism in
SV such as SHP, and Agent Orange but also through sending ‘military advisors’ (16k by
1963). Yet in reverse it had increased opposition and increased sympathy towards
communism. The source is valuable for the wider context of the Cold War and setting the
tone for the escalation in invention in the Vietnam War through the Johnson regime with
the source being prescient in telling what will happen in Vietnam in the next couple of years
'US … will send more troops to Vietnam to save the situation.’
value of this source to a historian studying the origin of the Vietnam War
Source A is valuable as it comes as a resolution by the central committee of the Vietnam
Workers Party in Dec 1963 a month after the Diem assassination. The source is hugely
valuable due to both its origin and purpose, being that it is a state ‘resolution’ which is
aimed at the SV people which may mean the Communist party may convince the people
that NV is currently superior, and SV is on a deuteration in order motivate the people for the
rallying for war. Having said this, we shouldn’t overstate the value because this in extension
may act as a propaganda tool, so things currently may be hidden for the sake of rallying the
people to fight the ‘enemy’. However, the source is hugely valuable especially as it sheds
light on the instability of SV and the mass support of communism through the increase
membership in the Vietcong. The Resolution states that ‘our forces will be increasingly
developed, whereas the enemy will certainly face a great deal of difficulties’ This is partially
true with the assassination plot of Diem causing mass discontent and the number of NLF
hugely increasing by 25,000 by 1963 and by the time of 1967 multiple governments would
be in and out. The tone is Bellicose and hostile as the resolutions mentions that ‘US
imperialist sent more troop to Vietnam to save the situation … the struggle will become
stronger but … certainly, we will succeed’. This is valuable as it is true that American
intervention had hugely failed by 1963 through programs wanting to contain communism in
SV such as SHP, and Agent Orange but also through sending ‘military advisors’ (16k by
1963). Yet in reverse it had increased opposition and increased sympathy towards
communism. The source is valuable for the wider context of the Cold War and setting the
tone for the escalation in invention in the Vietnam War through the Johnson regime with
the source being prescient in telling what will happen in Vietnam in the next couple of years
'US … will send more troops to Vietnam to save the situation.’
