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THE PENTAGON PAPERS: THE SECRET HISTORY OF THE VIETNAM WAR -- AS PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES |
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Washington D.C., 1965: President Johnson, Secretary Rusk, Presidential Assistant Bundy, Secretary McNamara. This is the definitive edition of the Pentagon Papers as published by The New York Times in its issues of June 13, 14 and 15, 1971 -- interrupted by a temporary restraining order and 15 days of litigation culminating in the Supreme Court decision of June 30 -- and concluded in the issues of July 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. To provide a comprehensive archive for libraries, universities and private citizens, additional background materials have been provided relating to the writing of the Papers, their place in the history of American policy since 1945, and the constitutional issues raised by their publication in The Times. In one volume of nearly nine hundred pages, this permanent edition contains: The complete New York Times report on the secret Pentagon study of American participation in the Vietnam war, including the full texts of the controversial government documents that appeared in the historic Times articles: Chapter 1: The Truman and Eisenhower Years (1945-1960) by Fox Butterfield, with 15 key documents. Chapter 2: Origins of the Insurgency in South Vietnam, by Fox Butterfield. Chapter 3: The Kennedy Years (1961-1963), by Hedrick Smith, with 17 key documents. Chapter 4: The Overthrow of Ngo Dinh Diem (May-November, 1963) by Hedrick Smith, with 26 key documents. Chapter 5: The Covert War and Tonkin Gulf (February-August, 1964) by Neil Sheehan, with 12 key documents. Chapter 6: The Consensus to Bomb North Vietnam (August, 1964-February, 1965) by Neil Sheehan, with 16 key documents. Chapter 7: The Launching of the Ground War (March-July, 1965), by Neil Sheehan, with 15 key documents. Chapter 8: The Buildup (July, 1965-September, 1966) by Fox Butterfield, with 11 key documents. Chapter 9: Secretary McNamara's Disenchantment (October, 1966-May, 1967) by Hedrick Smith, with 12 key documents. Chapter 10: The Tet Offensive and the Turnaround by E. W.Kenworthy, with 4 key documents. From the court proceedings in the case of The New York Times Company vs. The Untied States: The decision of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York by Justice Gurfein. The decision of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia by Justice Gesell. Transcripts of oral arguments by lawyers for the Justice Department and the defendants before the United States Supreme Court. The decision of the United States Supreme Court on June 30, accompanied by the six concurring opinions and the two dissenting opinions, and including the illuminating footnotes provided by the Justices themselves. Also included: Pictorial documentation of the Pentagon study in 60 pages of photographs. A glossary of names, code words, abbreviations and technical terms used in the Pentagon study. Expanded, illustrated biographies of American and Vietnamese officials prominent in the study. A 32-page index to the Pentagon documents and The Times articles. Commentary and editorials from The New York Times including a news-analysis by Max Frankel, head of The Times Washington Bureau ... and a history of the Pentagon Papers (examining the conclusions reached by their authors in the Pentagon, and the choices considered by The Times in deciding how to report them) by Neil Sheehan.
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WAR IN INDOCHINA, 1946-1961 1946: French colonial rule, interrupted by World War II, is re-established in Indochina. War with Vietminh begins. 150: U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group is et up in Saigon. France grants Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia independence within French Union. U.S. signs mutual defense assistance pact with France and Indochinese states. 1952: U.S. aid is supplying about a third of French war costs. 1954: France declares Vietnam independent. French defeat at Dienbienphu ends war. Geneva accords "temporarily" divide Vietnam at 17th parallel, call for unification in 1956 election. Southeast Asia Treat Organization is formed. Eisenhower letter to Premier Ngo Dinh Diem signals direct U.S. assistance to South Vietnam. 1955: U.S. takes over training of Saigon's forces. French depart. Diem becomes President, rejects unification election. 1959: Hanoi takes control of growing insurgency in South. Bomb kills two U.S. advisers -- first U.S. dead in Vietnam war. 1960: National Liberation Front, political arm of Vietcong, is formed. U.S. military presence in Vietnam reaches 900. 1961: Diem is re-elected. President Kennedy sharply increases number of advisers as military situation deteriorates. U.S. force total in South Vietnam jumps to 3,200. WAR IN INDOCHINA, 1962-1968 1962: U.S. sets up Military Assistance Command, Vietnam. Geneva conference on Laos produces declaration of neutrality. U.S. force in South Vietnam is increased to 11,300 men. 1963: U.S. presses Diem to reform autocratic regime. Gen. Duong Van Minh leads overthrow; Diem and brother are slain. U.S. military strength in South rises to 16,500. 1964: Maj. Gen. Nguyen Khanh seizes power. As Vietcong strength rises, covert operations against North begin. U.S. warships in Tonkin Gulf report being attacked. President Johnson obtains Congressional resolution backing "all necessary steps." Bombing of Laos infiltration routes begins. Tran Van Huong forms civilian regime. U.S. strength at 23,300. 1965: Khanh ousts Huong. Vietcong attack U.S. barracks at Pleiku and Quinhon. Sustained air war on North begins. Phan Huy Quat heads civilian regime. North Vietnamese leaders and Kosygin, then in Hanoi, issue four-point plan for talks, call for withdrawal. Nguyen Cao Ky becomes Premier, Nguyen Van Thieu Chief of State. U.S. troops begin combat role as South seems near collapse. U.S. strength jumps to 180,000. 1966: Johnson promises withdrawal schedule when Hanoi gives one. Doubts about war grow in Washington. U.S. force at 389,000. 1967: Thieu wins Presidential election. U.S. commitment at 475,000. 1968: Communists' Tet offensive hits major cities in South. Johnson halts bombing of North above 20th parallel March 31 and says he won't run again. Preliminary talks begin in Paris May 13. |
