Air bombardments of North Vietnam were inaugurated by U.S. forces in retaliation for an NLF attack on the barracks in Pleiku. The Soviets warned that they would take stronger measures to strengthen North Vietnam's defense capability. Premier Aleksey Kosygin visited Hanoi.
The Soviets proposed a new conference on Indochina, as suggested by Pres. de Gaulle (Feb. 10). U Thant worked hard to get talks started, but U.S. president Lyndon Johnson (Feb. 25) rejected negotiations so long as North Vietnam failed to respect the independence and security of South Vietnam.
The Armed Forces Council, led by Gen. Nguyên Cao Ky and Gen. Nguyên Van Thieu, deposed Khanh as commander of the armed forces. Thieu soon became the leader of the Armed Forces Council.
In a Baltimore speech, Pres. Johnson declared the readiness of the U.S. government to embark on “unconditional discussions of peace.” At the same time, he outlined a vast plan for the economic development of all Southeast Asia.
As though in reply to Johnson, the North Vietnamese stated their terms for peace, which were basic to later developments: withdrawal of all U.S. troops from South Vietnam, cessation of U.S. hostilities against North Vietnam, settlement of South Vietnamese affairs in accordance with the NLF program, and peaceful reunification of North and South Vietnam by the people of both zones, without foreign interference.
Premier Quat was forced out of office by Generals Ky and Thieu, who (June 18) became respectively premier and president of the National Leadership Committee.
Detachments from Australia and New Zealand arrived in South Vietnam (See 1965, April). A South Korean contingent had arrived earlier. Pres. Johnson announced (July 28) that U.S. forces would be increased to 125,000 and that the draft would be doubled. He appealed to the UN (July 30) for aid in arriving at a settlement.
