Treaty obligation with South Vietnam ?

[steve2470]

Another thread here reminded me of Vietnam, so here's a quick question: Did the USA ever have a formal treaty obligation to defend South Vietnam ? I do understand that the Vietnam war was a civil war, but a Vietnam veteran one time told me that we were simply honoring a treaty obligation. TIA.

[Dhalgren]

1. South Vietnam was a fake country. The French set it up as the form

of their colony when they lost the northern half of Vietnam to the Vietnamese. We just stepped in to save what was left of the French holdings. Any treaty we had with the rump-South Vietnam government was invalid on its face...

[RaleighNCDUer]

2. S Vietnam was a signatory to SEATO, but as they never had a

legitimate government it is a stretch to say we were obligated to honor that.

Even if there was some ligitimacy to begin with, the coup that overthrew Diem would have finished that.