Refuting the argument that china blocked the soviet aid to vietnam, april 1, 1965. Gaiduk s main argument is that the soviet union actively and consistently sought a negotiated end to the war in vietnam. In this pioneering book, a russian historian with exclusive access to newly opened soviet archives on the war offers a compelling account of the kremlins role in vietnam. The vietnam war was a major event that shaped the course of the world in the second half of the 20th century. Confronting vietnam constitutes a prelude to the previous book by ilya gaiduk, which dealt with soviet policy towards the democratic republic of vietnam drv from lyndon b. The author finds that the ussr attributed no geostrategic importance. Ilya gaiduk, the soviet union and the vietnam war ivan r. New russian evidence, full text of recommended sources tom nichols. Gaiduks book on the role of the soviet union in the vietnam war from 1964 to 1973 had its genesis in these postcold war developments. Britain, southeast asia and the impact of the korean war. Cold war international history projects recommended full texts of original communist documents, plus scholarly analysis. The soviet union and the global cold war chapter 3 the. The eisenhower administration and vietnam, 19531961 new york, 1991 p. The specific details of the soviet unions total involvement in the vietnam war were never officially reported.
The soviet union and the vietnam war by ilya v gaiduk, i v. The fault most commonly associated with his presidency is the invasion of cuba, which led to the death of 1,000s of americans, and initiated the soviet union to seek a nuclear war. He shows how the soviets sought to support north vietnam while at the same time keeping china from gaining any more political strength in the area. There is said that 2007 moscow has published a book about soviet involvement in vietnam war. How has the vietnam war benefited the soviet union. A number of factors point in the other direction, though. Its use of vernacularlanguage primary documents to tell this important tale is unrivaled. Gaiduk, a research fellow at the institute of world history in moscow specializing in sovietamerican relations, has written an absorbing analysis of the vietnam war from the soviet perspective. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. North vietnam in this book is but a pawn in moscows highstakes political gamble. Gaiduk, a research fellow at the institute of world history in.
Gaiduk, the soviet unionandthe vietnam war chicago. Lyndon johnson deferred too uncritically to generals whose strategy of searching out and destroying enemy forces. Although it was a regional conflict which occurred on the indochinese peninsula, it also affected the strategic interests of the peoples republic of china, the united states and the soviet union as well as the relations between these. Gaiduks book on the role of the soviet union in from 1964 to. Despite hundreds of studies and analyses of the vietnam war, we still have scant knowledge of deliberations and actions on the other side of the lines in north vietnam, china, and the soviet union. Gaiduk, a russian historian based in moscow, rev based partly on recently released archival documents, this noteworthy, nuanced study challenges previous views on soviet policy toward the vietnam war. A russian historian of sovietamerican relations and a research fellow at the institute of world history in moscow who speaks and writes in russian and. Stanke on gaiduk, the soviet union and the vietnam war hnet. Based on extensive research in the russian archives, this book examines the soviet.
He had also been a visiting fellow at the woodrow wilson center in washington, dc, and at the nobel institute in oslo. The fault most commonly associated with his presidency is the invasion of cuba, which led to the death of 1,000s of americans. Gaiduk is a fellow of the institute of world history in the russian academy of sciences in moscow. Vietnams communist revolution is a pathbreaking book in several respects. Dr both moscow and beijing hoped to consolidate and expand communism in the asian hemisphere. The author finds that the ussr attributed no geostrategic importance to. The vietnam war was a major event that shaped the course of the world in the second half of.
Gaiduk uses his classified information to claim that soviet leaders were reluctant in this endeavor. Dee chicago wikipedia citation please see wikipedias template documentation for further citation fields that may be required. Despite hundreds of studies and analyses of the vietnam war, we still have scant knowledge of deliberations and actions on the other side of the linesin north vietnam, china, and the soviet union. Still, gaiduk, a young russian historian, has pieced together as full a picture of soviet policy during the vietnam war as one could fairly expect. In this important new book, gaidar clearly illustrates why russian nostalgia for empire is dangerous and illfated. This book is an essential text for students of either the vietnam war or soviet studiesparticipants in the former or practitioners of the latter. Gaiduk, a research fellow at the institute of world history in moscow specializing in soviet american relations, has written an absorbing analysis of the vietnam war from the soviet perspective.
Born in 1961 in turkmenistan, ilya gaiduk studied in moscow and was at the time of his death senior research fellow at the institute of world history, russian academy of sciences. At the same time, works taking a more international and even transnational approach began to appear, often engaging with a broader debate about. The politburo was constantly looking for ways to settle it because of the financial drain, the casualties and the fear of a. General oleg sarin and colonel lev dvoretsky, alien wars. Xiaobing li has written book voices of the vietnam war and there is a story of russian sam instructor. The most important fact is that the soviet union was north vietnams primary source of military supply, and without this support, north vietnam could not have prosecuted the war. However soviet support and involvement was significant in both economic aid and the continuous supply of munitions they provided to the. The most important fact is that the soviet union was north vietnam s primary source of military supply, and without this support, north vietnam could not have prosecuted the war.
Reviewed by tom nichols published on hdiplo november, 2004 in his. Divided together studies us and soviet policy toward the united nations during the first two decades of the cold war. In the immediate aftermath of the disintegration of the soviet union, when formerly closed soviet archives briefly threw open their doors, ilya gaiduk of the institute of world history in moscow was given a unique opportunity to examine numerous classified documents concerning soviet. He has also written the soviet union and the vietnam war. China, in particular, played an important role in the vietnam wars during. The soviet union and the vietnam war by varhall, gregory. In the soviet union and the vietnam war 1996, russian historian ilya gaiduk wrote, inspired by its gains and by the decline of u. Soviet policy towards us participation in the vietnam war. It is the first study in over a generation to cover the entire centurylong history of the vietnamese communist party from its inception after world war i until the present. By combining the soviet communist party archives to which he had access with a thorough exploitation of declassified u.
Vietnam was the right war, lind thinks, but it was fought in the wrong way. One of the strengths of the book is gaiduks careful detailing of the difficult. Ilya gaiduks the soviet union and the vietnam war is a welcome addition to the. Ilya gaiduk shows that while moscow sought to strengthen its position in southeast asia by providing its allies in hanoi with substantial aid, soviet leaders also feared an armed dispute involving the united states and worried about the breakdown of detente. Gaiduk 19612011 was a senior research fellow, institute of world. Jan 01, 2010 yet a growing desire to return to the glory days of empire is pushing todays russia backward into many of the same traps that made the soviet union untenable. Not only would the rise of asian communism help tip the balance against the west in the co. By the end of the 1960s, the soviet union overtook china as the primary supplier of economic and military aid to north vietnam. Gaiduk, a russian historian based in moscow, reveals that in 1971, the kremlin drew up plans to make vietnam the u.
Soviet policy toward the indochina conflict 19541963 washington, dc. Gaiduk argues that although the soviet union subsequently provided. Buy the soviet union and the vietnam war by ilya v. Cold war and vietnam oah magazine of history oxford. The soviet union, communism, and the vietnam war essay. The soviet union and the vietnam war foreign affairs. Gaiduk, the vietnam war and sovietamerican relations, 196473. The roots of the vietnam war lay in vietnamese resistance to french colonialism, but after. Soviet dead in vietnam armchair general and historynet.
Discover book depositorys huge selection of ilya v gaiduk books online. Gaiduk author of the soviet union and the vietnam war. The soviet union and the vietnam war 9781566631037. In this pioneering book, a russian historian with exclusive access to newly opened soviet archives on the war offers a compelling account of the. What role did the soviet union play in the vietnam war. Gaiduks main argument is that the soviet union actively and consistently sought a negotiated end to the war in vietnam. The story will not be complete until kremlin archives are opened and the deliberations of soviet leaders examined. Yet a growing desire to return to the glory days of empire is pushing todays russia backward into many of the same traps that made the soviet union untenable. His eyeopening study will force a rethinking of many western assumptions.
Gaiduk, a russian who uniquely had access for six full months to the private documents of the politburo during the vietnam war. I v gaiduk despite hundreds of studies and analyses of the vietnam war, we still have scant knowledge of deliberations and actions on the other side of the lines in north vietnam, china, and the soviet union. In the immediate aftermath of the disintegration of the soviet union, when formerly closed soviet archives briefly threw open their doors, ilya gaiduk of the institute of world history in moscow was given a unique opportunity to examine numerous classified documents concerning. As the proceedings of a conference held in french and english seventeen and fifteen contributions, respectively, for each language in january 2003 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the paris accords, this volume is a collective attempt at viewing in retrospect from a variety of perspectives american, european, russian, and vietnamese the impact of the vietnam war. Cold w ar in the communist wor ld, which reassesses the sharp divide that emerged between the soviet union and china in the late 1950s and 1960s. Gaiduk, the vietnam war and soviet american relations, 196473. Ilya despite hundreds of studies and analyses of the vietnam war, we still have scant knowledge of deliberations and actions on the other side of the linesin north vietnam, china, and the soviet union. The soviet unions continuation and expansion of aid to north vietnam stemmed, gaiduk maintains, not from a desire to prolong the war but from fear of losing its limited influence on militant vietnamese communists, anxiety about lowering soviet prestige in the world communist movement, and a determination to defend a fellow socialist state against us. Johnsons lbj escalation in 1965 to the end of the war in 1975. The author finds that the ussr attributed no geostrategic importance to indochina and did not want the crisis. The complex involvement of the soviet union and china in the war is skillfully analyzed in ilya v. As the proceedings of a conference held in french and english seventeen and fifteen contributions, respectively, for each language in january 2003 on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the paris accords, this volume is a collective attempt at viewing in retrospect from a variety of perspectives american, european, russian, and vietnamese the impact of the vietnam war on europe. The united states and the soviet union in the united nations.
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