De Gaulle, Neutralization, and American Involvement in Vietnam, 1963-1964

Abstract

Before the introduction of major American ground forces in the spring of 1965, United States involvement in Vietnam encountered little opposition. Domestic and foreign critics of the U.S. presence existed prior to that date, but with one notable exception their voices were muted and their impact was minimal.1 The exception was General Charles de Gaulle. As President of France, De Gaulle began making his position heard as early as 1961. In succeeding years he emerged as the leading international critic of American policy in Vietnam, and his pronouncements and recommendations on the war did much to strain relations between France and the United States.