Who was in charge of the Vietnam War?

Answer 1

1961/1962 President Kennedy and GEN Paul Harkins 1962-1963 President Kennedy and GEN Paul Harkins 1963-1964 President Johnson and GEN Paul Harkins 1964-1968 President Johnson and GEN William Westmoreland 1968-1973 President Nixon and GEN Creighton Abrams 1973-1975 President Ford

Answer 2

A war is seldom entirely under anyone's control, at least, not until there is an outcome, and one side defeats the other. Since the US failed in its objective or preserving the independence of South Vietnam and repelling the invasion by North Vietnam, one could argue that therefore it was North Vietnam which was in control. Although North Vietnam would doubtlessly have liked for the war to end much sooner than it did, therefore, they were not completely in control. In the case of the Vietnam War, it really seemed that no one was in control. It was just beyond anyone's control, like a huge, catastrophic riot.

Power was divided a bit haphazardly, but a partial list of those in positions of power can be found below:

South Vietnam:

• Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thụy (aka - Bảo Đại) - chief of state of south Vietnam 1949-1955.
• Ngô Đình Diệm - first President of South Vietnam/Republic of Vietnam

  26 October 1955 - 2 November 1963.

• Dương Văn Minh - President of the Republic of Vietnam, 28 April 1975 - 30 April 1975.

North Vietnam:

• Nguyễn Sinh Cung (aka Hồ Chí Minh) prime minister 2 September 1945 - 20 September 1955; President 2 September 1945 - 2 September 1969 of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam 1 November 1956 - 10 September 1960; Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam 19 February 1951 - 2 September 1969.
• General Võ Nguyên Giáp - Commander of the Việt Nam Ðộc Lập Ðồng Minh Hội (Viet Minh), Commanding General Vietnam People's Army.

United States:

• Dwight Eisenhower, President of the United States, 20 January 1953 - 20 January 1961.
• Richard Nixon, Vice-President of the United States, 20 January 1953 - 20 January 1961.
• John foster Dulles, US Secretary of State, 26 January 1953 - 22 April 1959.
• Christian Archibald Herter, US Secretary of State, 22 April 1959 - 26 January 1961.
• Admiral Arthur W. Radford, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 15 August 1953 - 15 August 1957.
• General Nathan F. Twining, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 15 August 1957 - 30 September 1960.
• John F. Kennedy, President of the United States, 20 January 1961 - 22 November 1963.
• Lydon Johnson, Vice-President of the United States, 20 January 1961 - 22 November 1963, President of the United States, 22 November 1963 - 20 January 1969.
• Robert Strange McNamara, US Secretary of Defense, 21 January 1961 - 28 February 1968.
• General Lyman Lemnitzer, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1 October 1960 - 30 September 1962.
• General Maxwell D. Taylor, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 30 September 1062 - 1 July 1964.
• General Earle Wheeler, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2 July 1964 - 1 July 1970.
• Richard Nixon, President of the United States, 20 January 1969 - 9 August 1974.
• Spiro Agnew, Vice-President of the United States, 20 January 1969 - 10 October 1973.
• Gerald Ford, Vice President of the United States, 6 December 1973 - 8 August 1974, President of the United States 9 August 1974 - 20 January 1977.
• Admiral Thomas H. Moorer, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 2 July 1970 - 1 July 1974.
• General George S. Brown, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1 July 1974 - 28 June 1978.

Answer 3

US Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon.

Answer 4

There were two Vietnam's: Which one?