The famous Vietnam War surrounded by controversy had its beginning in 1945. The French got involved in a protracted guerilla war led by Vietnamese nationalist leader Ho Chi Minh. After the French faced defeat at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, Vietnam was split into two parts. One a Communist government in the north and a US-supported state in the south. A Communist uprise started making its way in South Vietnam which the North supported. President Eisenhower and President John F Kennedy quickly sent US “advisors” i.e. special forces commandos to help the South and put an end to the rebellion. But since 1965 President Lyndon Johnson “escalated” the war on a flimsy excuse. He began sending hundreds of thousands of US troops to Vietnam.
As the war was raging the Defense Secretary, Robert Mcnamara commissioned a classified study of the US government actions in the Vietnam War. This became known as the ” Pentagon Papers” as the U.S. Department of Defense was behind it. However, one analyst in the study, Daniel Ellsberg, leaked the volumes of Pentagon Papers to the press. And it sparked an intense debate about the cover-ups and misinformation of the government. President Richard Nixon tried to stop the publication of papers. However, the trial led to a celebrated court case and it ended in a triumph for press freedom. Let’s take a closer look at this important incident in history.
What Are the Pentagon Papers?
The ‘Pentagon Papers’ is the informal name given to a report officially titled “United States – Vietnam Relations, 1945–1967: A Study Prepared by the Department of Defense.” The papers included 7,000 pages of U.S. involvement in Vietnam, dating back to the end of World War II. The study was completed in 1969 under the Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara‘s orders. It aimed to provide a detailed analysis of U.S. decision-making in Southeast Asia.
The report outlined the government’s role in Vietnam. From its early stages, the U.S. supported the French colonial government. The involvement grew in the civil conflict between North and South Vietnam. However, the Pentagon Papers were so explosive because of a different reason. It carried a revelation that successive U.S. administrations, from Harry Truman to Lyndon B. Johnson, have systematically misled both Congress and the American public about the war’s progress and success.
The Content of the Pentagon Papers
The Pentagon Papers covered a range of topics related to U.S. involvement in Vietnam. It included diplomatic negotiations as well as military strategies.
The Origins of U.S. Involvement:
The report showed that U.S. intervention in Vietnam began much earlier than previously acknowledged. It dates back to the Truman administration and supported French colonial efforts in the region. The papers also documented how the Eisenhower administration helped establish and support the government of South Vietnam. This was despite knowing it lacked popular legitimacy.
Escalation Under Kennedy and Johnson:
Both Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson had publicly insisted that the U.S. was committed to achieving a quick victory. However, the Pentagon Papers showed that internally, both administrations had significant doubts about the war’s success. The report detailed how the U.S. had committed a deeper involvement, including the deployment of combat troops and the bombing of North Vietnam, without a clear plan for victory.
Misrepresentation of Military Success:
The Pentagon Papers revealed that the U.S. military had consistently misinformed the public regarding the success of its operations in Vietnam. The government claimed that the U.S. was making progress. However, the report clearly showed how military officials knew the war was going badly. For instance, the papers documented how the U.S. downplayed the strength of the North Vietnamese forces. It didn’t stop there. They also exaggerated the success of its bombing campaigns.
Secret Bombing of Cambodia and Laos:
One of the most damning sections of the Pentagon Papers was the revelation that the U.S. had expanded its bombing operations to Cambodia and Laos, countries that were not officially involved in the Vietnam War. This escalation was carried out in secret, without informing Congress or the public. These actions violated international law and further eroded public trust in the government.
Lack of Exit Strategy:
The report highlighted the absence of a clear exit strategy throughout the war. Despite mounting evidence that the conflict is far from a win, U.S. leaders were unwilling to withdraw. They had fears that it might damage the country’s global reputation. This fear of “losing” Vietnam to communism had driven the U.S. deeper into a conflict that it could not win.
The Leaking of the Pentagon Papers
Daniel Ellsberg, a military analyst working for the RAND Corporation, played a major role in exposing the Pentagon Papers. Ellsberg initially supported the war. But he grew disillusioned as he studied the government’s internal reports. He saw the vast gap between public statements and private knowledge. By 1969, Ellsberg had decided that the American people needed to know the truth.
In March 1971, Ellsberg provided copies of the classified report to Neil Sheehan of ‘The New York Times.’ They began publishing a series of articles detailing the findings. The revelations were explosive, to say the least. The papers exposed how the government escalated the conflict knowing the war was unwinnable. Among the most shocking revelations was that U.S. officials had expanded the war to Cambodia and Laos without informing the public or Congress.
Government Reaction and Legal Battle Over Pentagon Papers
The U.S. government’s immediate response to the leak was outrage. The Nixon administration, although not directly implicated in many of the actions detailed in the papers, was determined to prevent further publication. President Richard Nixon and his advisors feared that the release of more classified information could harm national security and damage the presidency’s authority.
On June 15, 1971, the U.S. Department of Justice obtained a temporary restraining order against The New York Times. This hated the further publication of the Pentagon Papers. This marked the first time in American history that the federal government sought to prevent a newspaper from publishing information on the grounds of national security.
The legal battle quickly escalated. Other newspapers, including The Washington Post, began publishing their own stories based on the Pentagon Papers. The government filed lawsuits against these publications as well. They argued that further disclosures would endanger U.S. military operations and diplomatic relations. The case made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which had to decide whether the government had the authority to censor the press.
Supreme Court Ruling: Freedom of the Press
The Supreme Court’s ruling in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971) became a landmark decision for press freedom in the United States. In a 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that the government had failed to justify its use of prior restraint, or pre-publication censorship. The justices emphasized the importance of the First Amendment’s protections of the press. The court stated that “only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.”
“The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”
Justice Hugo Black
The ruling allowed The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other newspapers to continue publishing the Pentagon Papers. This decision was a resounding victory for the principle of press freedom, reinforcing the media’s role as a check on government power.
Pentagon Papers’ Impact on Public Opinion
The release of the Pentagon Papers made a lasting impact on American public opinion regarding the Vietnam War. By 1971, anti-war sentiment was already widespread. But the revelations in the Pentagon Papers fueled the public’s distrust of the government. Many Americans felt betrayed by the extent of the deception. The documents became a rallying point for the growing anti-war movement.
The Pentagon Papers also intensified the debate over the role of the media in holding the government accountable. While some criticized the leak as a breach of national security, others praised Ellsberg and the newspapers for exposing the truth. As public support for the war continued to erode, the U.S. government found itself under increasing pressure to withdraw from Vietnam.
Daniel Ellsberg and His Legacy
After leaking the Pentagon Papers, Daniel Ellsberg became a central figure in the national conversation. The Nixon administration attempted to discredit him, and they charged Ellsberg with espionage, theft, and conspiracy. However, in 1973, his case was dismissed due to government misconduct, including illegal wiretapping and break-ins aimed at discrediting Ellsberg. People like E Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy, who made the infamous Watergate break-ins also carried out the illegal campaign targeting Ellsberg.
Ellsberg later became an anti-war activist and a campaigner for the rights of whistleblowers like himself. He passed away peacefully in 2024.
Conclusion
The Pentagon Papers remain a crucial chapter in the history of the Vietnam War and the broader struggle for government transparency. The documents exposed a pattern of deception that spanned multiple administrations, highlighting the dangers of unchecked government power. The Supreme Court’s decision to allow their publication reaffirmed the importance of a free press in a democratic society. Today, the Pentagon Papers serve as a reminder of the need for vigilance in holding governments accountable to the people they serve.
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