Henry+Cabot+Lodge

He was the ambassador to South Vietnam from ’63 to ’64. He thought that Diem was corrupt and thought that his current rule was bound to fail, and that something was needed to stop the US effort in Vietnam from failing. He felt that either they needed to do something about Diem, and that if the current plan were to fail, they would need to either need to step up military spending or pull out of Vietnam completely.

This was a reason for US involvement because, if the plans to free the Vietnamese by the use of the government were to fail, the US would need to be ready to try something else, which would likely have to be military involvement. This was what he had suggested, as well, and when the government did fail, this may have been a reason behind the US increasing its involvement in Vietnam.

Short Term Causes

- "Operation Bravo Two" Lodge lead the coup by officers in the South Vietnam military to get rid of Diem - Lead to a variety of leaders in South Vietnam is a short period of time who were each unable to unify the people of South Vietnam.

Long Term Causes

- Lodge predicted that the US would have to increase their military presence in South Vietnam, pull out entirely, or make South Vietnam a protectorate of the United States. - This prediction may have locked members of the US government into thinking these were the only options