Chiang Kai-shek, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill at the Cairo Conference in 1943.In the 1930s, (click here) China was a divided country. In 1927 Chiang Kai-Shek had formed a Nationalist Government – the Kuomintang (the KMT), but his dictatorial regime was opposed by Mao Tse Tung’s Communists (CCP). Civil war between the Communists and Nationalists erupted in 1930 – the period of Mao’s legendary ‘Long March’....
Americans like to think it defeated Japan by itself in WWII. That is not entirely accurate.
And.
Mao Tse Tung sought a relationship with the USA, but, was rejected nearly on the basis that USA policy favored it's loyalty to any offshoot of the Chiang Kai-Shek government. So, the trouble in Vietnam did stem out of WWII and the French tied of their mission in South Vietnam. The USA already had their affiliations with China and knew it would not be disturbed if it focused on Mao.
Mao was influential in ruling North Vietnam.
The Late President Kennedy didn't want the war. It was Johnson that garnered enough USA fear after the Gulf of Tonkin incident to start military maneuvers and a draft. But, the USA had a great deal of respect for China both in Vietnam, but, also the Korean conflict.
