Apocalypse Then: American Intellectuals and the Vietnam War, 1954-1975

306 Pages·1998·1.52 MB·English

by  Robert R. Tomes

Apocalypse Then

Apocalypse Then
American Intellectuals and the
Vietnam War, 1954–1975
Robert R. Tomes
a
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PRESS
New York and London
© 1998 by New York University
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Tomes, Robert R.
Apocalypse then : American intellectuals and the Vietnam War,
1954–1975 / Robert R. Tomes.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-8147-8234-5 (cloth :acid-free paper)
1. Vietnamese Conflict, 1961–1975—United States. 2. Vietnamese
Conflict, 1961–1975—Influence. 3. Intellectuals—United
States—Political activity—History—20th century. I. Title.
DS558.T66 1998
959.704'3373—ddc21 98-19769
CIP
New York University Press books are printed on acid-free paper,
and their binding materials are chosen for strength and durability.
Manufactured in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Dedicated to
Vincent Gregory Tomes, my father,
Lt. Col. Paul John Tomes, my uncle, and
Vincent dePaul Tomes, my grandfather,
three men who marched through
the troubled times described herein
with courage and compassion

Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 A Long Time in the Comin’: American Intellectuals
and the Cold War, 1945–1963 9
2 Consensus and Commitment: American Intellectuals
and Vietnam, 1954–1963 33
3 The Search for Order: From Diem to Pleiku,
November 1963–January 1965 85
4 Skepticism and Dissent: From Rolling Thunder to
Tet, February 1965–January 1968 117
5 The Collapse of the Liberal Consensus, 1968 167
6 The Twilight of Liberalism, 1969–1975 204
Notes 237
Bibliography 269
Index 281
About the Author 293
vii

Acknowledgments
Many people deserve and receive my heartfelt thanks for their
generous encouragement, assistance, and inspiration during the years I
have spent writing this book. Of course, any shortcomings or errors con-
tained herein are my responsibility, not theirs.
My interest in American intellectuals and the Vietnam War developed,
and subsequently became my dissertation topic, during my years as a
graduate student at New York University. I thank my professors, who
constantly challenged and motivated me: Paul Baker, Patricia Bonomi,
Vincent Carosso, Carl Prince, David Reimers, Albert Romasco, Frederick
Schult, Stewart Stehlin, Edward Tannenbaum, Daniel Walkowitz, and
Irwin Unger.
I feel it is important to note here that I would not have gone to gradu-
ate school without the example, direction, and exposure to intellectual
life that many good teachers provided beforehand—notably Thomas
Bergin, Maurice Carroll, Mark Fulcomer, Robert Gannon, Peter Hansen,
Renato Piazza, and, most of all, Aldo Tos. I acknowledge my debt to them
because it is customary to do so in a first book, and, more importantly,
because each figured significantly in my thinking on the topic.
I owe an enormous personal debt to Stewart Stehlin, who has had a
profound impact on my intellectual development, as well as being a close
and supportive friend. My mentor, Irwin Unger, has been an inspiration,
example, and friend along the way, repeatedly taking time out of his very
busy schedule to read the manuscript, make suggestions for improving it,
and provide direction.
I also thank my colleagues and students at St. John’s University for
their interest, discussion, and recommendations on matters related to the
book, especially my dean, Kathleen Vouté MacDonald, who has always
been enthusiastic about my intellectual pursuits. Richard Lejeune of In-
formation Technology at St. John’s solved numerous computer problems
and glitches related to the many drafts of this manuscript, frequently
ix