vietnam war

VIETNAM

1954-1975

French Indo-China

1800s France becomes colonial power in Vietnam

Japan Controls during WWII Vietminh

League formed by Ho Chi Minh Communist sympathizer

Vietnam

LaosC

ambodia

French Indochina

Ho Chi Minh “He who Enlightens” Real Name: Nguyen

That Thanh Participated in Tax

revolts Wanted Free

Vietnam

After WWII

Prevent Communist Expansion --containment

“Domino Theory” – Eisenhower US paying 75% of War Cost

French Losing

Defeated French

Dien Bien Phu Jungle fortress in Vietnam

Signaled the end of French/European Influence in Asia NO US help – Too soon?

Vietnminh Experience Captured 11,721 men

Geneva Conference

Work out peace agreement & decide Indochina’s future

Geneva Accords (Temporary) Cease Fire 17th Parallel (DMZ) July 1956 – General Elections

Vietnam Leaders

Ngo Dinh Diem

South Vietnam Anti-Communist Corrupt Gov Favored

Catholics Cancelled 1956

Election

Ho Chi Minh

North Vietnam Totalitarian Gave land to

Peasants Wanted Unified

Vietnam

Civil War – Vietnam

National Liberation Front (Vietcong aka “Charlie”) Vietnamese Communist in South Killed Southern Officials

Diem’s Overthrow

Arrested & Killed Buddhist Monks US Threatens to withdraw

Diem refuses to change US supports overthrow NOV 1963 Diem Assassinated

US Involvement

EisenhowerEisenhower Send

$ & weapons Advisors to train

KennedyKennedy Increase

Advisors

JohnsonJohnson

Expanded Effort

Tonkin Gulf Resolution

Gulf of Tonkin

USS Maddox was attacked by torpedo boats off coast of North Vietnam

2nd attacked was announced by LBJ Not accurate US was on spy mission (we provoked)

Gulf of Tonkin Resolution

Gave complete control to President LBJ Without approval

from congress

US Enters Vietnam

Operation Rolling Thunder

Continuous bombing campaign for 3 years Did Nothing but damage country Downed Planes: POW’s

Air Strikes

US introduces B-52 Bomber Saturation Bombing “Carpet Bombing”

Dropped thousands of Explosive of North Vietnam

Fragmentation Bombing “Cluster Bombs”

Explosive projecting metal shavings Target: Ho Chi Minh Trail

Ho Chi Minh Trail Supply

route through Laos and Cambodia to aid V.C.

Agent Orange

Pesticide to kill plants (Defoliant) Goal: Expose hiding places

Napalm

Chemical agent that burns uncontrollably

Search and Destroy Strategy

Effects of Air Bombing

1. Strengthened V.C.2. Soviets & China support V.C.3. Led to South Vietnamese joining

the V.C.

Battlefield Condition

Guerilla Warfare US - Superior weapons/supplies Viet Cong –

familiar with territory Allies with Laos/ Cambodia Support of local population

Continued…….

South Vietnamese did not want US there

US troops always on edge Girl selling apples – VC ally

counting troops Kid selling candy – holding hand

grenade

Ground Warfare

VC used Ambush tactics Relied on underground tunnels

Booby Traps by VC Punji trap (pit with poisoned

stakes) Land Mine Trip Wire

William Westmoreland

Commander US ground troops Search and Destroy or “Zippo”

Missions Pacification – to calm opposition

win “hearts” of the South Vietnamese and calm opposition

Was it worth it?

Declining Morale Constant Danger Vietcong continually recruiting

Citizens to replenish troops

The Draft

55% of those who registered were excused College Health

Non-Combat Positions

Most Americans served non-combat positions Clerical, Administration, engineering,

medicine Women

10,000 served Nurses

Public Opinion

Media Reporters accompanied Soldiers TV images brought home “living

room War”

Hawks vs. Doves

Hawks People who

supported wars goals

More force

Doves People who

opposed the war

“not crucial to American security”

Anti-War Movement College

Campuses Anti-war

debates/rallies Teach-ins Students for a

Democratic Society

Most Americans opposed the anti-war movement

“America, Love It or Leave it”, “My country, Right or Wrong”

Kent State

4 students killed, 9 injured Ohio national guard fires into

crowd of college students

Jackson State College

2 students killed, 9 injured Police fire into dormitory

Turning Point: TET TET OFFENSIVEOFFENSIVE

1968, Tet – Vietnamese Lunar New Year

1/30/1968 V.C. launch massive attack 84,000 communists attack 100

cities/ 12 US Bases US wins battle

In Public’s eyes US Lost

Effects of TET

1. No Part of Vietnam SAFE2. Morale Hurt3. Public Dismay

Unstable Government

1. Westmorland requests troops1. Is US winning????

2. LBJ advisors cannot agree on solution

3. Negotiation1. Seek peace agreement with North

Vietnam

4. LBJ decides not run for 3rd term

1968 Election

D- Robert Kennedy? Assassinated by Jordanian Sirhan

Sirhan New Candidates

Eugene McCarthy & Hubert Humphrey

The Race

D – Hubert Humphrey R – Richard Nixon I – George Wallace

only 510,000 separated

The End of the WAR

Nixon Promises End to War Henry Kissenger

Vietnamization Turning fighting over to South Vietnam while US troops come home

Laos and Cambodia Secret mission to destroy V.C. supply lines

Bombing “Mad Man Theory”

My Lai

450 men, women, and children killed in a village during a search and destroy mission

No V.C. found Never officially told to public

Pentagon Papers

Daniel Ellsberg Secret papers

that traced US involvement in Vietnam back to Truman

Revelation: US misleading Public

US involvement in Vietnam Ends

1972 election Nixon wins with announcement

of peace talks 26th Amendment

Lowers voting age from 21 to 18

January 1973

US and N. Vietnam reach Peace US agrees to withdraw Both sides release all POWs US helps rebuild Vietnam S. Vietnam political structure

NOT settled

Fall of Saigon

North Vietnamese troops invaded South Vietnam (reached Saigon)

US evacuated American citizens Southern Vietnamese people rushed

embassy to try to escape US evacuates 130,000 SV people South Vietnam Falls, Vietnam United

Legacy of Vietnam 635,000 S. Vietnamese Died 58,000 Americans Died

600 POWs 2,500 MIA 300,000 wounded

US soldiers Negative reception at home Trouble adjusting Born on the Fourth of July

The Healing