12 vietnam war

7/27/2019 12 Vietnam War

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The Vietnam War

Lesson starter:Why did America lose the Vietnam War?


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In this section we will

Understand why America becameinvolved in a war in Vietnam

Identify the methods used by theAmerican army

Understand why America lost the war inVietnam


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I can

Create three essay plans for possibleessay questions on Vietnam


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BACKGROUND Between 1945 and 1964 the USA became involved in a

struggle to prevent communist rebels taking overVietnam.

This was the American policy of containment. At the end of World War II Vietnam was a French

colony known as Indochina. Communist rebels led by HoChi Minh were fighting for independence. The Frenchwere given over $3 billion to help them resist thecommunists.

Despite this the French suffered defeat after defeat. In 1954 their forces were on the verge of collapse. A

conference was held in Geneva and the French agreed topull out of Indochina.


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Indochina was split into threeseparate countries Vietnam,Cambodia and Laos.

Vietnam was then split into Northand South Vietnam

The North under Ho Chi Minhbecame communist

South was ruled by Ngo Dinh Diema corrupt right wing dictator

1958 onwards -Diem came underincreasing attacks from communistguerrillas in the south who laterbecame known as the Vietcong

1963 President Kennedy sent16,000 military advisers to helpthe South Vietnamese army. Forthe next ten years US involvementincreased.

1968 over half a million American

troops were in Vietnam and the warwas costin $30 billion ever ear.


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In 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin, Vietcong gunboatsattacked American ships and President Johnsonordered attacks on the Vietcong directly involving US

forces in the war. (an excuse?)

The land in Vietnam was unsuitable for tanks or largeinfantry battles and the US relied mainly on airstrikes. Ground based search and destroy missions

were not successful.

From 1965 the USA began operationRolling Thunder. This involved carpetbombing of enemy towns, factories andsupply lines and led to thousands ofcivilian deaths.

US planes also droppednapalm and Agent Orange to destroy

Vietcong hideouts in the forests.


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Causes of Vietnam War

Causes ofVietnam War

Gulf ofTonkin

incident

Conflictingideologies USSR

assistingNorth

US policy ofcontainment

Communist

Northtrying totake overCapitalist

South


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Agent-orange-deformities-vietnam.jpg


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THE VIETNAM WAR

The Vietcong were armed by Russia and China andNorth Vietnam.

They fought a guerrilla war avoiding open battle withUS troops

ambush, booby traps, mines, tunnel system and hit andrun raids They knew the land well and could easily disguise

themselves as peasants.

The USA were foreign invaders and did not have thesupport of ordinary people in Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh was a popular national hero who offered

the peasants land and greater rights. The USA was fighting to save the corrupt South

Vietnamese government.


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THE VIETNAM WAR The US army was unable to beat the

guerrilla tactics and local knowledge ofthe Vietcong.

By 1968, the majority of Americansopposed the war and the protestmovement was growing

The press and television was very anti-war and showed the horror of the warevery day and night.

The war was costing the US billions ofdollars and the American economy wassuffering.

America was sending more and moremen, money and materials and there wasstill no end in sight.

The war was spreading to other parts ofSouth-East Asia when the US bombedCambodia and Laos.


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THE VIETNAM WAR Many thousands of American soldiers

were being killed or wounded. Thousands of young Americans became

draft dodgers by hiding or leaving thecountry

Parents opposed the war because theydid not want their sons to be killed inVietnam.

After 1968 President Nixon introduced apolicy of Vietnamisation replacing UStroops with South Vietnamese soldiersbut this failed to hold back the Vietcong.

In 1973, the US recognised it could notwin and signed a peace agreement withNorth Vietnam.

In 1975 the Vietcong finally defeatedSouth Vietnam and the whole countrybecame communist.


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Reasons for US defeat inVietnam

Reasons for USdefeat in Vietnam

US dontknow terrain US troops

loss ofmorale

Number ofUS casualtiesaffecting

morale

SouthVietnamese

opposed toUS hel

Lack of US

support forwar

Condemnationof US tactics

Guerrilla

Tactics ofVietcong

Americaneconomicconcerns

Never say Dieattitude ofVietcong


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Possible essay questions

1. Why did American become involved ina War in Vietnam?

2. Why did the American public turnagainst the war in Vietnam?

3. Why did America lose the war inVietnam?

All worth 8 marks

2012 2


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2012 Q2In what ways did people show their

opposition to the War in Vietnam?

many of those conscripted avoided enlistingby draft dodging

many protestors burned their draft cards todemonstrate their opposition to the war

students protested against PresidentJohnson slogans such as Hey! Hey! LBJ.How many kids did you kill today?

large demonstrations against the war oftenleading to violent clashes


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students held protests in many universitiesacross the USA eg Kent State oftenstudents occupied universities

prominent figures such as Mohammed Ali,

Martin Luther King spoke out against the war many musicians of the time wrote and

performed anti-Vietnam songs Vietnam veterans spoke out against the war

the media presented evidence of cruelty byAmerican soldiers, war crimes such as the MyLai massacre, tactics of defoliation.


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In this section we will

Understand why America becameinvolved in a war in Vietnam

Identify the methods used by theAmerican army

Understand why America lost the war inVietnam


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I can

Create three essay plans for possibleessay questions on Vietnam

12 vietnam war

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