| Summary/Abstract |
Following the onset of war against the United States in spring 1965, the leadership of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRVN, or North Vietnam) in Hanoi launched a so-called diplomatic struggle with two core objectives. The first was securing maximal military, economic, and financial aid from allies to sustain its war machine and mitigate the adverse effects of U.S. bombings on the northern economy. The second objective consisted of rallying world, including U.S., opinion against “U.S. imperialist aggression” in Vietnam with a view to “isolating” Washington decision-makers. In the face of mounting international and domestic criticism, DRVN leaders reasoned, the administration of U.S. President Lyndon Johnson would have to limit or end its intervention, including bombings of the North.
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