Title: Pacification
Subtitle: The American Struggle For Vietnam's Hearts And Minds
First published: 1995
Description: During the Vietnam War, the United States embarked on an unusual crusade on behalf of the government of South Vietnam. Known as the pacification program, it sought to help South Vietnam's government take root and survive as an independent, legitimate entity by defeating communist insurgents and promoting economic development and political reforms.

In this book, Richard Hunt provides the first comprehensive history of America's "battle for hearts and minds," the distinctive blending of military and political approaches that took aim at the essence of the struggle between North and South Vietnam.

Hunt concentrates on the American role, setting pacification in the larger political context of nation building. He describes the search for the best combination of military and political action, incorporating analysis of the controversial Phoenix program, and illuminates the difficulties the Americans encountered with their sometimes reluctant ally. The author explains how hard it was to get the U.S.

Army involved in pacification and shows the struggle to yoke divergent organizations (military, civilian, and intelligence agencies) to serve one common goal. The greatest challenge of all was to persuade a surrogate - the Saigon government - to carry out programs and to make reforms conceived of by American officials.

. The book concludes with a careful assessment of pacification's successes and failures.
Subjects: Politics and government, Vietnamese Conflict, 1961-1975, Vietnam War, 1961-1975, Vietnam war, 1961-1975, peace, Vietnam war, 1961-1975, united states, Vietnam, politics and government, Politique et gouvernement, HISTORY, Southeast Asia
Places: United States, Vietnam
Time periods: 1945-1975
LC classification: DS558 .H86 1995